Surfing Waves

Hey everyone

I've been thinking about surfing for too long so it's time to jump in
I have no friggin clue on what I need....

i'm 30 years old
5'11" bare foot
220lbs (some of that needs to go!)

i'm about 2.5 hours from folly beach southcarolina, 3.5 from myrtle beach
so the waves are pretty small

what size/type of board should I be looking at?
do I need a wetsuit or just a rash guard?

I plan on signing up for a one on one session this summer.

Thank you for any advice you may have!

Still dunno what size/shape board I will need...
I purchased a pool so I can do laps and practice paddling and what not.
32'X16' was scheduled to be filled today.

get a longboard....9'2 -9'6. this will float you well and let you catch waves easier. I wouldn't waste time or money on lessons, nike (just do it). Time in the water is your friend, it is the only thing that will get you catching waves.


Don't give up,,it is hard as hell, and will take many years to get "good".....power through the frustrating times, and keep the stoke!

Thank you for the info!

220lbs and not slim, you need a longboard, the bigger the better. Later if you get better you can go down in size, but the bigger the board the faster you will stand up and the more fun you will have sooner. I'd go 9'6" or even bigger. I agree, with the above, no lessons, just read up on the forums and look at some training videos on youtube.

Also, start on the whitewash, concentrate on catching waves first, not on paddling around. Once you can stand up regularly you can graduate to the lineup, but it doesn't do you any good to paddle out to the break if you can't stand up.

hope that helps

^ what he says - sounds good to me for you.

Thanks guys!

starting back in the gym soon. 10 years of a deskjob has fattened my butt up

surfing should help you lose your office ass

I still have my notebook where I recorded losing 18 lbs in the first six months' of daily surfing. What was left changed from flab to muscle. Wasn't even looking to lose, just tone up. Pretty radical change, girls liked it

Good advice in this thread, follow the wisdom here.

I started surfing last year, 30 years old, around 200 pounds. Not in the best shape, but not a couch potato either. I started with an 8'4" Bic and now ride an 8'6" x 23" x 3 3/8" Shane Smith. I still miss some of the smaller waves (probably due to my poor wave selection), but this board feels like it has plenty of volume for me. Keep in mind, however, that I've never tried a bigger board (have tried smaller though). Something around 9' to 9'6", as suggested above, will definitely get you up and going quick.

Also, I didn't take any lessons, and I didn't have any difficulty progressing steadily. I do have some other boardsport experience as well as balance training, so your mileage may vary. If lessons will give you some confidence it may be worthwhile, but definitely don't consider it a necessity.