Struggling with my board

[84Breakfast]

Hello,

I am surfing from 1 year and a half.
I have surfed a 7’6 foamie for 1 year then i moved to a 7’ foamie, when i started riding 90% of the wave i paddled for.

After two months of struggle I managed to comfortably riding 60% of the waves with my new board then I left to Bali for 2 weeks where I had several sesson with a 7’8 board on pretty big and powerful waves ( I usually surf in Italy where average conditions are 60cm to 1.2m vs the 1.5m-2m perfect waves of Dreamland Beach in Uluwatu where i managed to ride a good 70% of the waves i was trying to catch).

After I came back home, I am struggling again with my 7’ foamie and I am quote frustrated.

What should I do? Do you think my board is wrong size for me? (175cm x 72kg) I dont know what to think.

I am thinking about getting back on my old board or selling the 7’ to buy an hard 7’6 or 8’ for the winter.

[one0one]

lifes too short to surf foamies.. my first board was a pu hard board.. round nose minimal.. plastic fins and all.. surf powerful waves even when small on west coast but it done the trick.. sound like you love surfing.. how often do you surf? I surf only weekends once, but in holidays as a teacher i surf 4 times a week if i can.. I used to skateboard which helped riding the board but the hardest thing was standing up..

get a real surfboard maybe second hand, and a bag and fins.. look after it and it will last.. take fins out every surf etc.. you'll have better fun.. make the most of your time in the water.. only my thoughts though

hope you get sorted !!

[Geezer]

Honestly Id say that at your size, current ability and for the waves you surf, Id get a bigger board. 1.2m swell at dreamland and people wont even try to surf, even at low tide. I imagine wave periods are bigger here as well as compared to your local, meaning you’re on smaller, softer waves than here in Bali for sure. And even here in Bali with our good waves and my shortboard preference, my quiver still holds 3 boards over 9’ and two more at 8’ and 8’2”. Sometimes you need the right tool for the job.

A common goal that seems to be held by alot of beginners is the popular misconception that progressing in surfing means moving to a shortboard, and if you’re not on a shortboard then you won’t be able to turn and progress.

I surf most days and in alot of conditions and differnt breaks, including double overhead plus as well as knee high at your dreamland beachie. Ive ridden guns there and alternatively used my 10’+ log. There are others I see in the water daily who are years/eons ahead of me on boards of all lengths. I hold my own but have long since resigned myself to a surfing life of endless possibility of progression on whatever length/style/conditions I might find myself trying I have seen guys rip on foamies and while not the most nimble, those boards wont be the reason you're not improving so long as it is big enough to allow you to get waves.

Point Im trying to make is that you can progress on any size board THAT YOU CAN CATCH WAVES ON. You won't progress if you cant get a wave. So get a board that you can catch most waves you paddle for where you usually surf. From the way you describe conditions at your local, I would guess you'd be best served on a longer board.

[84Breakfast]

Thx everyone.

Yes now that i came back to Italy, I am realizing that i will need a bigger board because here conditions are usually small (60-70cm) or big and chaotic (1m-1.5m windy or mushy and often punchy).

When i was surfing in Bali instead the waves were clean and easy to read even if they were scary and bigger than I was used to ride.

Considering that here in Italy there are waves only like 6-8 times a month, and considering my skills height (174cm) and weight (72kg) which board to you suggest me to go for replacing my bad squishy foamie? I was watching at the Torq range:
1) 7'6 mod fun (53l)
2) 8'0 Long (60l same as the 7' foamie)
3) 8'6 long (67l)