beginner board

[bumfluff]

Hey all, im new here, just wondering what would be the best board to buy for a beginner? I can ride a mini mal no worries and want to get something shorter in a thruster. I know someone who has a 6'6 thruster for sale. Its very wide all the way through, kind of looks like a disc shape with a pretty flat rocker. Its a thin board but seems pretty wide. I am about 5'7 and about 60kg.

Do you think this board would be ok?

[billie_morini]

Try it. You might like it.

[isaluteyou]

without a picture or proper dimentions its hard to tell exactly. but by the sounds of it you should do ok

[garbarrage]

try renting one before you buy. thrusters are a lot harder than minimals. How long you been surfin and how you getting on?

[bumfluff]

I ended up buying it. I went out on it today and it was a bit of a disaster....LOL. Im having real problems getting out the back. I dont know if im just not fit or if im doing somthing wrong but by the time i get out there im rooted and basically from then on im getting thrown around by the waves.

Im fine once i catch a wave and stand up, i can turn and stuff but its just getting back out again....

Heres a pic of the board:

[isaluteyou]

learn to duckdive to get outback. That board has certaintly a good amount of beef what are the dimentions?

[RJD]

Mate how ware you on the minimal? Get out back in 3-4ft and catch clean waves or...?

Even small changes in board dimensions means a lot less float and different charactistics.

[bumfluff]

The dimensions are really hard to read. Although the board was sold to me as a 6'5, it looks like it says 6'1 or 6'4. Then it says somthing like 19 something/16 x 2 something/16.

Ive only ridden a mini mal a couple of times when ive borrowed my sisters, but ive had no trouble each time. Im used to riding my original board which is a 6'6 thruster, but its much thinner and not as wide all the way through. Much easer to paddle. Though I have a bit of trouble standing up on this one.....lol.

Heres a pick of both of them side by side:

[RJD]

Uh minimal a couple of times and cant stand up on your thruster?

Have you on any board paddle dout back on a 2-3ft day and caught a clean wave, got a bottom turn in and trimmed down the face?

IMO if your a proper begginer i.e. in your first few months of surfing, go for an 8ft+ board, more like 9. or at least a very chunky floaty shortboard 1ft+ longer than you are tall.

[bumfluff]

Yea im still a bit all over the place. Some days i can get up on my thruster, turn and basically ride it....maybe not down the face of the wave yet.

Hmmm maybe i should get a mini mal and stick with that for a while.

Anything to look for in a minimal? or are they basically all similar?

[RJD]

Buy a log (8-9ft), learn to pop & catch waves properly then move on!

Something floaty and nothing extreem.

BTW I surfed on a 9'2" for 6 months (borrowed) then bought a minimal (8ft) HUGE difference, I got nowhere, 6 months later I bought a mal.

[garbarrage]

rjd's pretty spot on. started on a 7'9 minimal and got on really well have a 9'4 now which is loads of fun and a 7'2 thruster which is sittin on the backburner for a while. I'd really recommend sussin out "try before you buy" deals. some shops keep demo models around. or try renting a few different ones to see how you get on.