Short, fat, and clumsy in Newport Beach

[hparra]

After some life-changing epiphanies, I have fallen in love with the beach. I go almost everyday now since I make my own hours at work, which is 15 minutes from Balboa.

I just finished a four-day surf class. I can swim out, turn really quickly, and even catch the wave. Pop up needs a ton of work. I was taught using a 10" spongy longboard at Newport Pier.

I really want to keep doing this, but I'm a little confused from all the things I've read on this board (this section, and the Longboard one). I'm 5'5", 190 lbs, both fat and muscle. Is 10' too big? Does a few inches really make a difference? Should I just go with epoxy? Do longboards vary greatly in width, and is that a bigger factor in stability than length?

Buying a rack for my Honda Civic is putting a dent in the fund pool already, so I don't have too much to drop on a board. Recommendations? I've debated renting to try out a few boards before committing. Any suggestions on a store that rents in the OC?

Thanks.

HGP

[IB_Surfer]

The bigger the board the easier the laerning curve. You can try some smaller boards that fit in your car but it will mean learning will be more difficult, but it has been done before and you could try it too.

[HBSurfNerd]

Hey HGP,

Welcome to surfing in the OC. First off, I would say you're in the right spot. The Newport pier is a good place to get in the water for your beginning sessions. The waves stay pretty small there and the vibe there seems to be much more beginner friendly than other beaches. I've taken many there to learn to surf and have been quite successful.

As for the type of board, as you will always hear, the longer the board (more surface area) the easier your learning will be. The more surface area, the more floatability (is that a word?? Haha), the more stable the board will be, which will allow you to pop up and ride the waves easier. With that said, don't take that as a strict hard coded rule. Experimenting with boards can be good. Some people will just naturally be better with different boards. For example, when I was learning, my friends had me on a 9'6" board. After about 2 months of really frustrating surf, I was about ready to give it up when a friend gave me a 7'8" fun board, and something clicked triggering my obsession

As for renting: I've always used HSS on Main St in HB, but I've heard very good things about renting boards at Sports Chalet. It may be worth a look. There's a Sport Chalet on Beach Blvd (up near the 405) and I think you can get the board for a few days for a pretty reasonable charge. I've heard that the deal is something like you rent the board for what they consider 1 day, but the fee gets you a pickup day (the day before) a surf day (the day of) and a return day (the day after), so realistically you can pick the board up early one morning, surf it that day and the 2 following days as long as you return it before they close on the 3rd day.

I'll end this long post here... Good luck!

[SurfScience]

I agree with the posts above. HGP, when you're ready to buy, definitely consider getting a used board. I've talked to the guys at Boardhunt.com and it's legit. Not a bad place to look if you're tired of hunting on Craigslist.