Too many boards - help!!

[Tyler]

Ok, I'm soooooo confused! I've been surfing since last year, but not that often so am still a major beginner...especially when it comes to boards! I just don't get it! I have a few questions...

1. Longboards = easier to control but bad for small waves, yes? And shortboards are the opposite?

2. So if I want a mixture of both what do I go for?!

3. Apparently as a beginner, I want a wide and thick board?

4. And mini-mals are worth considering?

5. Bics...what's the deal with them?

6. For a 5ft 7, 8.5 stone girl - what size should I be getting?

7. Can you get kind of in-between boards that aren't long and aren't short?!! (sounds stupid, I know but I don't wanna end up at one extrme or the other really!)

8. And stupidest question of all....at what point / after what length does a board become classed as "long"?!!

You're probably all gonna think I'm completely incapable now, but your help would be greatly appreciated coz although I'm having lots of fun looking at pretty pictures of boards, I don't have a clue! And I need to understand if I'm gonna keep on with the surfing, and I reeeeeally wanna coz it's the best thing I've ever done :)

Thanks (hopefully!)

[jonny]

Tyler - did you know you share your name with possibly the best longboard shaper in the world?

anyway - here you go:

1. Longboards = easier to control but bad for small waves, yes? And shortboards are the opposite?

No - longboards are harder to control but bettter in small waves as they have much more volume to them. They are easier to get to grips with though - much more forgiving to learn to stand up etc. Harder to turn but that is actually a good thing when you are learning as it stops you being thrown off constantly.

2. So if I want a mixture of both what do I go for?!

mini-mal! as in a mini-malibu boad. A nice fat, 7 1/2 to 8 footer should do the trick.

3. Apparently as a beginner, I want a wide and thick board?
yeah! plenty of volume, eay to paddle, stable, forgiving, catches waves easy and early.

4. And mini-mals are worth considering?
exactamundo.

5. Bics...what's the deal with them?
plastic and mass-manufactured. Practically indestructable. no character but good to learn on.

6. For a 5ft 7, 8.5 stone girl - what size should I be getting?
7'8"-ish mini-mal should be spot on for you.

7. Can you get kind of in-between boards that aren't long and aren't short?!! (sounds stupid, I know but I don't wanna end up at one extrme or the other really!)
hell yeah - we're talking minimals baby!!!

8. And stupidest question of all....at what point / after what length does a board become classed as "long"?!!

longboard traditionally is anything over 9 feet.

[Tyler]

Thankyou! That is soooo helpful you won't believe! Cool about my name by the way - I always liked the fact that I share it with Tyler from Point Break, too! (Yes I do mean the surfing movie not that dodgy pop band that was around a couple of years ago, but that's probably obvious on a surf forum!)

Anyway, thanks a lot for doing that (and not laughing at my stupid questions!)

Tyler x