how long does a surfboard last?

[leolivi]

hi there

i never surfed, but in just a few weeks i´ll be at the beach trying.
The question i have is: How long does a surfboard last?
can you use the same surfboard for a very long time?
are used surf board good?
what kind of care does a surfboard require?

i ask that because i am thinking of buying a used surfboard.

i do have a surfboard at the beach, but it is a twin fin fish, wich i believe wont be the best to learn on, but i am not sure about the size or thikness of that board. And this surfboard i have must be like ten years old or something.

[Duncs]

Hey there leolivi,

Welcome to Surfing Waves Forum, glad to see you are gonna give surfing a go!!!!

RIght as far as your questions go:

The question i have is: How long does a surfboard last?

To be fair this is quite a difficult question to answer. Obviously how well you care for the board, whether you wax it etc is important, but also things like whether you store/transport it in a case can all affect the lifetime of your board. Generally if you take care, your board will last plenty of years, to be honest you will out-grow the board and want one more suited to your new abilities before it breaks on you. Especially if you are a beginner and start with a mini-mal or summin, you'll end up wanting a shortboard. [That is inless you get a whopper of a wave and deck badly and it breaks, or JAWS comes visitng.........]

are used surf board good?

My gut reaction to this is you need to be very careful when looking for sh surfboards. Things like checking for dings [little dents] / cracks / damaged paint finish / cracked fins etc are important and if you have a bad seller they will try to blag it to you. However if you are vigilant and careful then you can definitely snap up bargains in the s/h market. THings to bear in mind are the lact of gurantee when you dont buy from a shop, and often shops can give you expert advice on which boards suit you. Why not try a s/h board from a shop?! I am pretty sure they maintain and check s/h boards before they sell em so that might be your best bet!!!!

i do have a surfboard at the beach, but it is a twin fin fish, wich i believe wont be the best to learn on, but i am not sure about the size or thikness of that board. And this surfboard i have must be like ten years old or something.

It might not be the "best" to learn on, but while you are deciding what board to buy etc there is no harm going out on it and having a laugh learning to surf a bit. Generally learners use huge foam boards, about 8 foot tall or more. These are also very thick and offer loads of stability to help you get up + standing. Once you are comfortable with that [only took 2 or 3 days for me i think] start looking at mini-mals or something. These offer huge scope for beginners to progress to intermediate level on the same board!!!! If its 10 years old just check it floats yeah?!! Only kidding,...

hope that helps,

Duncs

[surf patrol]

How long does a surfboard last?

I was talking to some guy a little while back and he was telling me that a friend of his snapped his board the first time out - how bad is that!

Second hand boards can be a nightmare but you can also get some good deals. Be sure to check them over really carefully - and make sure that if the board is covered in wax that you get it cleaned off and have a good look before you buy. If whoever is selling a board objects to you cleaning the wax off then this is not the board for you.
Things to watch out for are any cracks or discolouration on the board. If the board has or is taking on water then you do not want to buy it.
A few pressure dings are not a problem, after all - it is a second hand board.
Choose carefully and you could be saving yourself a few quid.

[def]

as far as im concerned, boards are made to be surfed. so when it snaps dont be sad, it had its time. as far as second handing, theres no point buying a good new board that costs ur right arm, if ur not any good and it will end up covered in dust in ur shed. ur choice.