Which board for a beginner

[sheep boarder]

Hi All
Can you give some advice for 2 complete novices.

Which is the best board type to get for the UK surf, foamie or epoxy?

Which size is best for
me @ 6 ft 1" / 230lbs, &

my wife @ 5ft 8" / 170lbs

we are looking to surf about once or twice a month & are looking for 2nd hand boards.

thanks

[billie_morini]

sheep boarder,
I'll throw in a couple of notes here and you can find many threads on this topic on this website. You both can and should use a 9ft fiberglass long board. Foamies are ridiculously heavy and many hundreds of thousands of people learned to surf on a fiberglass board long before foamies were invented. So, they work. One thing I don't like about foamies is the surface is soft and you don't feel the waves and board like you do with a fiberglass board. Oh, to provide additional clarity: fiberglass boards are identified by the resin used to make them. Polyester resin is more flexible than epoxy resin, but both are fiberglass. Epoxy resin takes beatings in the hands of beginners better than polyester resin. Highly experienced surfers can tell the difference and perfer the polyester resin due to its flexibilty. You will be several years, minimum, from being able to discern this.

Used boards are fine. We have 3 of them. You may find good quality used wetsuits, too. Our first two suits were used. After a few years, I bought myself two brand new suits. My wife still uses her original used suit.

[sheep boarder]

Thanks for the advice.

Would like to go fibreglass, but still a bit confused as have read & been told that a foamie is best for a beginner. It seems foamies have greater bouancy than fibreglass so helps the beginner.

Terminology looses me a bit as well, do we need a pop out, minimal, funboard etc etc

Have also found it difficult to find used foamies at 8.5 to 9ft, so may be forced to go fibreglass.

sorry to be a pain but dont want to waste money on the wrong board, or worse, buy the wrong board so we both end up not surfing because we dont enjoy it.......

thanks for any further advice.

If there are any other posts that help let me know.

[surfnoob]

Why don't you take a lesson and ask them to bring some different boards so you can try them out and get a feel for them?

[sheep boarder]

Hi surfnoob

Had lesson in Croyde last week, used foamies.

After your post I have spoken to the guys at the school this morning & they said epoxy board would be good for both of us.
8.5 ft for the wife & 9ft + for me, around 21"+ wide, 2.5 to 3" thick.

If anyone can add anything else that would be great.

Thanks All

[gianni]

how much heights of wave? Where u are surfed?

In Italy I cry.....toooooooo flaaaaaat

[billie_morini]

dear sheep boarder,
am glad you went from: "but still a bit confused as have read & been told that a foamie is best for a beginner"

to: "the guys at the school this morning & they said epoxy board would be good for both of us"

because: foamies are the answer to a question no one asked

have fun now!