new surfer looking for some tips

[flsurfer1]

well i read everything there was to be read on the site and i know that shortboards arent good begginer boards i live 5 min away from the beach and i plan on surfing 3 to 5 times a week would a shortboard be better for me? and any other tips that would be good for a begginer that anyone can give would be great

thanks alot everyone
mike

[sinistapenguin]

i know that shortboards arent good begginer boards

This is quite a sweeping generalisation, but true in many respects. The length/ style of a board is not the only consideration. You have to consider; your height, your weight, board thickness and width, power of waves you are likely to ride and (as you have rightly guessed) how often you will go and therefore how quickly you will progress.

If as I imagine the FL in flsurfer stands for Florida, USA then the chances are you will progress pretty quickly, because you will get good conditions more often.

There is one other key issue you want to consider. What kind of surfing do you want to do? If you are going to want to charge with radical new generation tail slides and aerials, you will need to have a shortboard. If you are after mellow carving, sweeping turns etc then a longboard is for you. If, like me, you are after a combination of the 2, then a mini-mal is a good option.

If you choose a shortboard, you need to think about buoyancy. If the board is like my old one - 6'6 X 18" X 2 1/4" then you will struggle to catch waves and when you do your rides will be shorter and the board more difficult to stand on and control (especially when you are still catching whitewater). Look for a board that is fairly wide and fairly thick. This will mean it will last you longer. You may find it a little harder to get the basics down but at least once you get up and riding, you will be able to do more on it. If you buy a true beginner board, you will out grow it very quickly.

I'll post some more tips on how to get to grips with the basics if you like.

Actually if you look at the thread called 'Now that I've caught the wave, what do I do?' I posted some details of how boards work and how you control them, this might help you choose what's right for you and give you some pointers about how to progress.

An option may be for you to rent a beginners board until you get used to catching waves and getting to your feet and then buy a shortboard once you have got to grips with the basics.

Cheers

Sinista

[flsurfer1]

thanks for the tips sinista, yes you geussed right i do live in fl and the surf is really consistent and conditions are usually good here. im 6'4 and i weigh 170 if i was to go for a shortboard what size would be the best for me, after i did this post yesterday i went out with one of my bestfriends and tried out his board now the height is 6'2 x18x2 1/4 he is the same height as me and tells me he has no problem with buoyancy and no problem catching a longer ride dose that mean this is the size board i should get? again thanks alot bro for the tips

[sinistapenguin]

Its hard to be much help with board size in this situation.

I live in the UK where the waves don't tend to be as powerful as in FL. I would normally recommend something about 6'6 or longer for this country.

That said, I rented a board in Florida once at Melbourne and it was around 6'2 and I had no problems.

How did you get on with your friend's board? If you did OK with that then go for one similar. I would still be inclined to get a slightly thicker board, but at the end of the day, that's a personal choice.

Cheers

Sinista