Surfing Waves

Hi all, I'm new

I'm a sadly overweight and not very fit 40 year old from Devon and have been looking at finding fun exercise that I can enjoy with my 13 year old daughter (and get her interested in something other then watching all three Twilight movies every day!).

At the risk of being shouted at by proper surfers, is it OK to discuss Bodyboarding here?

I took her to Woolacombe last week and we had a fantastic time, we hired all the kit and now I think we would like to get into it on a more serious level I'm looking for wetsuit and board advice.

Hi and welcome to the forum

I hope that noone will shout at you on here for being a body boarder! Not sure about board advice, all i know is that there are very expensive boards but then again some cheaper boards. No idea what to even look at. But wetsuit advice will be much easier. I know you can get some fairly decent body boards for around the £50 mark.

The only real advice I can give is go for it and enjoy it as much as you can. Being outdoors is great and in the sea even more so come rain or shine.

Hello and welcome,
Sounds like a great way to get out there with your daughter and have some father daughter time. As far as bodyboard quality I can tell you a little. The stiffer boards perform better and last longer. They do not flex as much at the bottom of the wave, so you get to use your speed from dropping in to the wave to help propel you down the line. The inexpensive boards are usually really flexy and do not perform very well and crease easy. Some bodyboards have added stiffeners and thicker slick skin to keep them stiffer. you will also notice some boards have channel bottoms, or concave. This can help to lift the board out of the water a little more so that it is more responsive.

Hope that helps!

Thanks guys.

I notice that some boards have something called an X link deck and others do not, what is an X link deck? I've been looking at a Gul board that costs about £30, it has this X link deck and the channels mentioned.

As for wetsuits I seem to be quite limited for choice due to my size, looks like a XXXL is the way to go (although the suit I'm wearing in the photo was XXl I had to have assistance to get it on!), Osprey do my size, are these any good?

Hi aldramelech, welcome to Surfing Waves!

I can't help you out with the Xlink, but there's plenty of advice about wetsuits on the forum and in the article section. Have a look at the wetsuit buying guide, plenty there to get you started.

Your choice will depend on when you intend to surf. If it's just the summer months, a 3/2mm will be fine. If you intend getting wet in the middle of winter, you'll need a 5/3mm. Fit is incredibly important, so try on before you buy. The right fit may govern which brand you end up with.

aldramelech wrote:

So is this a pre or post surf photo? My money is on pre!

KS

Thats post Me and the small person had been in for an hour when that pic was taken and we're bloody freezing! Note to self: Buy gloves and shoes! What the photo doesn't show that well is that its absolutely throwing it down and blowing a gale, its the weekend of the Jubilee two weeks ago, the worst June weather I've seen in a long time, still it made for some nice waves. We went back in shortly afterwards for about another hour then a combination of her hands turning blue and me being knocked nearly unconscious by my own board forced us out.

Despite this we had a great time together and can't wait to go again, I'm looking at going at least once a month from April till October, cost is a factor as I live in Exeter which is a good hour and a bit away from the north coast.

Thanks for the advice Surf Patrol, I'll give it a good read. The only problem is Exeter has only one surf shop and they sell very high end and expensive stuff that's way out of my price range so I'll be buying from the internet, no trying on for me Looking to spend about £30-£40 on the board and £50-60 on the suit.

Why not visit a few shops when you are up there next. There are quite a few shops in Braunton and Surfedout is evry good with their kit etc. I would definitely recommend trying it before you buy, if it doesnt fit properly you may as well be in the sea with long johns and as lycra top.

Not an attractive look

Hey man, Good stuff, get yourself over to http://www.kernowbodyboarding.co.uk for some of the UK sponge scene.

Also give Dave a call at BodyboardHQ. hes the man and will sort your right for kit and not push you on something you don't need.

Thanks man, I'll check em out.

Well I received quite an education this afternoon

I visited two of the local shops today and both were very helpful. I'd previously thought that the biggest boards on the market were the 42", like the one I hired, but it seems that this board was totally wrong for a person of my size and I in fact need a 46", which until today I didn't even knew existed. Wetsuit wise the first shop (which had all the really expensive O'Neil stuff) actually recommended the other shop to me rather then try and push a really expensive one on me which was refreshing, the other shop are getting a Alder suit sent down next week for me to try on. He's also trying to source me a 46" board, possibly an Alder.

The net effect is that because of my size things are gonna cost a bit more then I'd envisaged.

The first shop did however have a reasonably priced suit for my Daughter and I'll get her down there ASAP to try one on.

Buy online, you probably can find what you'r looking for. I don't bodyboard much but my buds that do like specific brands Cartel, Custom X and Science body boards.

As to wetsuits, you don't have to buy super expensive, as a begginer you won't know the difference between one or the other, just that you'll be warmer. However, look for stretch matterial, more confortable. For example, an oniel heat or hammer won't fit as comfrortable as an oneil psycho 2 or 3. Not sure what they have in your area, but I am partial to Ripcurl Ebomb and Xcell infinity, both on the higher end but not super expensive.

Hope that helps

Thanks. Online for the board might well be essential as very few people seem to do a board that big.

Well, I find myself the proud owner of an Alder Impact wetty, Alder fin socks, a 43" NMD Element board and OSX fins.....

Guess I need to go boarding!

Aldramelech,
Nothing wrong with body boarding. Many of us "proper" surfers do it. And there is absolutely nothing wrong in enjoying it with your children. Your son will always remember doing this with you. Enjoy!
billie

SHE loves it lol

Congrats, get out there as much as possible!

aldramelech wrote:SHE loves it lol

For bonding here is what you oughta
Do, is often go and hit the water,
Spending time with your daughter,
Surfing has its own rewards,
Even time on body boards

jaffa1949 wrote:

aldramelech wrote:SHE loves it lol

For bonding here is what you oughta
Do, is often go and hit the water,
Spending time with your daughter,
Surfing has its own rewards,
Even time on body boards

Excellent!

Gonna try for Sunday, Surf on the North cost should have picked up by then.