Help with first board (florida)

[optic8]

Hey everyone, im looking for a good starter board to learn to surf in florida.
I'm 5'8" 145 lbs. I can swim pretty well and im in pretty good shape. Ill also be out on the water alot....

Ive heard mini mals and funboards are the easiest to learn on, but I was wondering if there was anything between a shortboard and mini mal/funboard that I could learn on... or something that would be best for my size/weight.

Can anyone recommend some good shops on the east coast around atlantic ,cocoa,sebastian etc...???

finally, does anyone know any good beaches for beginners with less crowds/localism around central florida???
I live in orlando and im about an hour drive to ponce inlet, new smyrna, cocoa, and sebastian...but im willing to drive further for less crowds...

thanks!!
optic8

[billie_morini]

Shops with big selecdtions at Cocoa Beach:
a. Cocoa Beach Surf Company
b. Ron Jon's

[billie_morini]

You can hunt up some good info in the forum about good boards for beginners. Here is one:
https://surfing-waves.com/forum/view ... t=funboard

Oh, a good place to learn is Cocoa Beach. Waves are appropriate and crowds are OK.

[tomcat360]

I have personally never liked Ron Jon's....

[isaluteyou]

I have personally never liked Ron Jon's....

they are popouts right - well thats what i heard through the grape vine

[optic8]

hey, thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it.

optic8

[billie_morini]

It doesn't really matter if the board for a beginner is a pop out. Flotation is what matter most. By the way, Optic8, rent or borrow a couple of different boards and/or buy used. Used boards can be purchased from private parties or shops with rental equipment. I rarely buy anything new, surfboards included, and save money this way.

[justloafing]

Good post billie_morini. I could not agree more. Pop outs are ok IMHO if you want to stand up for the first time and then sell it. Find out what you need as far as the waves in your area then go rent or buy a board that is made for the surf in your area. A board that you can start on easy but one that you can grow into also.

[LOLRuss]

Craigslist - no reason to buy new when you're going to tear it up. I got my board 2 weeks ago and put a huge gash in it today. There are tons of boards in Florida on craigslist. Just read the guides to know what to avoid.

I am way heavy and need lots of bouyancy and found an 11' longboard in decent shape for $300. New that woulda run me between $800 - $1200.

I'm new at this, but everyone says New Smyrna breaks the most consistently, so your luck may be best there. I'd find a surf shop, rent and take a lesson. They can help you pick a board size that would be good for you.

[justloafing]

IMHO If you know of a good surf shop in the area. One that the locals use more than anyone else. Go to them. Tell them you are just starting and don't feel humiliated by saying your a newbie. Ask them if they have a board for you and one that not only can you start out on but one that will serve your purpose for years to come. Tell them that your not starting off in big waves but you want something that will work for you from knee high to shoulder to head high. If you can get a board like that it will serve a couple of purposes. 1) You will have a board for those lazy days and 2) If you meet someone or a friend that wants to try they can use it. Just my 2 cents worth.

[oldwashaway]

I live in the Pacific Northwest so I can't recommend specific shops.
However, reading between the lines it seems you would rather go short than to go long. Resist the urge to go too short. You'll learn the fastest by getting up on a board rather than struggling to learn on a short board.

I started out buying a 9' longboard that was more tuned for the performance oriented longboarder (less wide and less thick than most and the rails more for performance rather than flotation). As a longboard, it wasn't the best choice. I should have gone with more flotation. With my 160 lbs. plus the weight of my wetsuit, the board just barely floats me. I like the board now, but in hindsight I think I would have done better with a funboard or mini-mal that has more flotation as a board to actually buy. Only slightly shorter, maybe 7.5 to 8 feet. I typically surf in an area that is very windy, and carrying a longboard down to the beach is like trying to struggle with a kite. Also the funboard length would be easier to manage in the water, easier to transport, and easier to store.

My suggestion is to rent a longboard to learn on at least for a month or so. Typically a surf school would put you on something huge and floaty. If that's good for a surf school, that should be good for your first rental.
Then decide if you are a longboarder at heart or not. If you feel you want to go shorter, then you might want to buy a funboard size to keep for years. Even if you learn fast and transition down to shortboarding faster than expected, you'll be glad you have a nice funboard in your quiver for smaller days. Go shorter than the funboard size when you feel you have mastered it. Then make the decision if you want to step down slowly in size or go right to shortboarding. But keep the funboard.

You can find a surfboard size chart for weight and skill level of surfer on this site.
Try this chart:
https://surfing-waves.com/board/board_size.htm
Or look at this size discussion:
https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2305

[optic8]

Thanks for all the replies guys...

I think I have it narrowed down to a few boards

1) Becker LC-3 (7'6") -
http://beckersurf.com/browse/productDet ... skuid=7682

2) Quiet Flight Jumbo Stingfish, around 7' http://www.quietflight.com/surfboards.asp

3) Rusty Mini Tanker
http://www.rusty.com/index.cfm?page=2&board_id=29

Are these good choices??

Thanks,
optic8

[oldwashaway]

You may want someone with more experience than me to weigh in on this since I've only been surfing 2 1/2 years.
But, it looks to me that the Becker LC-3 and the Rusty Mini Tanker would be better boards to learn on. The 7' Quiet Flight Jumbo Stingfish may just be intended for someone who already knows how to surf.

My two 100 lb. beginner kids just had surf lessons in Hawaii They were on 11 foot soft top longboards and had a great time. I think for them we'll now buy a couple of 7 to 7 1/2 foot mini-mals (mini tankers or funboards - you know what I mean). As long as they don't get damaged too much, they will always be able to use them no matter how proficient they get. I think of the funboard or mini-tanker to be "investment boards". They're great to learn on, and they will always have a place in your future quiver as it grows.

But don't listen to me, wait for more opinions to check in here.