Surfing Waves

I'm realitively new at surfing. I have gone many times but I'm by no means good. My dad bought me a soft top several years ago and it pretty much sucked. I used my friends long board a couple times and it wasn't too bad. I have a small board so I kinda would like a smaller board but I don't want to get a shortboard solely cause my car sucks. I was looking at fishtails and I heard they ride similar to a long board but run more on the short side. What do you guys think??

Anyone?

You'll need to be a bit more specific as your comment is very vague.

KS

Roof rack + longboard...

What do you guys think/know of fishtails

From what I understand fish are quite flat (no rocker) and need quite a takeoff compared to longboards etc.

Also even though it may have volume it doesnt have stability which is kinda handy for a learner.

xxraddxcorexx wrote:What do you guys think/know of fishtails

Fishtails are on the back of fish - cod, mackerel, even the big ones like sharks.

Presumably you mean a swallow tail like you'd find on a fish? What do I think of them - well, they're one bit of a board but I think you'd need the rest of it too.

Buy a mini-mal.

There are many types of fish surfboards, new, retro and hybrids. None of which are particulary good for learning on as they are likely to pigeon hole your surfing style at such an early stage. The only real similarity between a retro fish and a longboard is that they both catch waves quite early! But a retro fish is a very hard board to surf.
Your board choice for learning on is important as it will dictate how quickly you progress and it is not worth comprimising it because of what car you have or because you don't want to have to change boards again.
Board choice for learning depends on your size, weight and the type of waves you intend to learn on and how often you expect to be surfing. Unless of course you're going to be a longboarder then get yourself an all round longboard.
But the likely hood is that DBBB is right, fish tails smell and are found on the back of fishes and that a minimal is a good option.

KS

thanks guys for all the info. A few of you asked for more info too so I'll add to what i posted earlier.

I'm 6' and I way about 150 to 160. I usually surf in California in Pismo, Santa Cruz and in the LA areas. The waves are generally smaller in the areas I surf.

also i have my soft top that ive been riding usually but it doesnt catch waves for me as well as my friends longboard and im looking for more of an inbetween board. Im not nessasarily concerned with the size for transporting or whatever cause im gonna get a new roof rack but i was hoping there was some kind of board that is kind of an inbetween of a short and longboard. I'll also have to look into the nini-mals like you guys suggested. My main cincern is for a board that is right for the kind of waves i'll be riding.

Mini mals ARE the 'in between board'

But from my experience even a 8ft minimal is a lot harder to catch waves & ride than a 9ft+ longboard, so much so I ended up buying a longboard after struggling on the minimal for 6 months.

What's the size of the soft top?

Honestly I have no clue but if I'd have to guess I'd say it's around 8' to 8' 6" I'll have to check it when I get home for you guys. I'm wondering if it could be too small and that's why it doesn't seem to catch waves.

If you're not too keen on the minimal then you could look into getting yourself a big thruster. Anything from 7ft upto 7ft8. Plenty of volume through out the board not too much rocker thruster/shortboard outline. Nice single to double concave and a pulled in swallow tail.
For your size i'd say 7ft2-7ft4 x 20 3/4 x 2 3/4 roughly.

KS

im no expertite but wouldn't a retro egg be a good board

Retro boards are fun and its nice to have one but you need to be quite a good surfer to get the most out of them and as such i wouldn't recomend one for someone who is relatively new to surfing.

KS

joem wrote:im no expertite but wouldn't a retro egg be a good board

I'm no expertite either, thank goodness. You wouldn't want to be an expertite, the expertitians brainwash you and steal all your money and make you sacrifice virgin goats at a full moon. Its even rumoured that somewhere is an unknown island called Expertitia where the great god Expertites lives and practises forbidden expertitian arts....

drowningbitbybit wrote:

joem wrote:im no expertite but wouldn't a retro egg be a good board

I'm no expertite either, thank goodness. You wouldn't want to be an expertite, the expertitians brainwash you and steal all your money and make you sacrifice virgin goats at a full moon. Its even rumoured that somewhere is an unknown island called Expertitia where the great god Expertites lives and practises forbidden expertitian arts....

Have you been spending time with cheezee again DBBB???

KS