Surfing Waves

So I started surfing last August on the Florida East Coast. Took lesson from a small shop so I feel like my technique is pretty good. I'm riding a 9 ft longboard down line/ face pretty well on small and medium size days, but I want to get more familiar with shortboarding. So, I bought a 6'4 (2 5/8 thick) shortboard with what seemed like a ton of volume for me (I'm 5'7, 145 lbs), I can pop up and ride it when it's weak and mushy, but the problem I have is that I can't seem to paddle out back with it on the days when the surf is big enough (4+ @ 12+ secs) to use it in a way that's going to benefit me since it's impossible to duck dive efficiently for me. I'm thinking I need a much smaller board for bigger days, but I'm not sure how much smaller and what shape. So, what's a good size/volume for someone 145 lbs as an upper level beginner..?

Chocotaco9 wrote:it's impossible to duck dive efficiently for me.

No it's not. You should be able to duckdive that board. Not super-easily like a wafer-thin board, but more than adequately. Keep practising your duckdiving, and getting out back is about experience and route, not your board.

Chocotaco9 wrote:I'm thinking I need a much smaller board for bigger days, but I'm not sure how much smaller and what shape. So, what's a good size/volume for someone 145 lbs as an upper level beginner..?

If you go any smaller, you'll struggle to catch bigger waves. Bigger waves move faster, and you need to get onto them earlier, so a smaller board will hinder you on bigger waves, not help.

Get used to surfing your current board before going out and buying another one.

There's a saying in Motorcycling, " Dress for the crash, not for the ride ". I often get laughed at by guys in tanks tops and shorts on their 1000 cc. superbikes ( of course there's a girl in a bikini on the back ) since I ride my moped wearing a helmet. They won't be laughing if( when) they go down.

In your case, it's a bit opposite. Get the board that gives you the proper "ride" , not the board that gets you out past the "crashing" waves. What does it matter if you can get out, but not catch the wave when you finally get there. Or one that you can't control.

I am 5'2" (159cm. ) 122 lbs. ( 55 Kg ) and I can duck dive my molded-epoxy 6'4" fish. You can to, if you learn the right technique.

Thanks for the feed back guys. Paddling out on that board is just exhausting for me. I'll probably just stick with the longboard until I have a certain degree of mastery.

Going from 9'0" longboard to a 6'4" shortboard is a huge jump. Try looking for a 8'0" mini-tanker ( mini-mal ) or a 7'10" funboard.