First Board Purchase - Advice?

[Erinelli]

Hi! Greetings from Canada! (land of cold water surfing & in my area, Great Lakes Surfing)

I'm 5' 4 1/2" & weigh 125 lbs.

I just spent 3 months last autumn learning how to surf (we were in the water at least 2-3x a week) in Ireland. Needless to say I fell in love with the sport!

-Surfed predominantly on foamies - Swell Surfboards and Vision Surfboards - I'm thinking they were about 7-8 ft long. Tried out a couple of fibreglass shortboards (sorry don't know the specs) for fun, but naturally it was pretty tricky on small waves.

-Looking to buy my first board in Puerto Escondido Mexico while on holiday there in March - plan to improve my surfing there in future (parents retired there), and later this summer back in Ireland. So I'll need gear that will adapt to both COLD & WARM water temperatures and TRAVEL well.

-Not looking for anything too advanced, but definitely want a board I can grow into.

So far, my research is pointing me to a Fun Board or a longish Fish Board - any thoughts on either? Advantages/disadvantages?

Secondly, what dimensions should I be considering given my experience, weight, height, etc?

Fibreglass, vs. epoxy? Is this something I should be considering? Once I have selected the shape of my board, what brand(s) should I consider? There's so many out there, it's a bit overwhelming! I think I might purchase second-hand if a new board is out of my $250 price range.

Single vs. Twin vs. Quad vs. Tri fins? So many choices! Again what type/brands should I consider getting?

Any recommendations for leashes? 6ft, 9ft? Any brands?

Lastly, any tips for transporting my surfboard? Is there an ideal way to protect the board from damage in cargo? Any padded surfboard bags to recommend?


Thanks surfing community! - I really appreciate any advice you might share!

[travelzomg]

Hi! Greetings from Canada! (land of cold water surfing & in my area, Great Lakes Surfing)

I'm 5' 4 1/2" & weigh 125 lbs.

I just spent 3 months last autumn learning how to surf (we were in the water at least 2-3x a week) in Ireland. Needless to say I fell in love with the sport!

-Surfed predominantly on foamies - Swell Surfboards and Vision Surfboards - I'm thinking they were about 7-8 ft long. Tried out a couple of fibreglass shortboards (sorry don't know the specs) for fun, but naturally it was pretty tricky on small waves.

-Looking to buy my first board in Puerto Escondido Mexico while on holiday there in March - plan to improve my surfing there in future (parents retired there), and later this summer back in Ireland. So I'll need gear that will adapt to both COLD & WARM water temperatures and TRAVEL well.

-Not looking for anything too advanced, but definitely want a board I can grow into.

So far, my research is pointing me to a Fun Board or a longish Fish Board - any thoughts on either? Advantages/disadvantages?

go for a mini-mal/fun board... fishes are allways edgy to progress on since they are quite unstable compared to other boards... you should get something minimal ish.. around 7.4... venon has a nice 7.2 epoxy mini mal with extra float... that might be something..

Secondly, what dimensions should I be considering given my experience, weight, height, etc?

nothing too big since you are quite light... as said, around 7.2 to 7.6 ish... a modern epoxy (not an NSP-Tank)

Fibreglass, vs. epoxy? Is this something I should be considering? Once I have selected the shape of my board, what brand(s) should I consider? There's so many out there, it's a bit overwhelming! I think I might purchase second-hand if a new board is out of my $250 price range.

go and look and see what you can come up with... epoxy generally are a bit tougher... yet it depends on the amount of resin used...
check it out, take it into your hands, get a feeling... 2nd hand isnt a bad idea.. .try to test it before you buy if you can..


Single vs. Twin vs. Quad vs. Tri fins? So many choices! Again what type/brands should I consider getting?

go for a classic thruster 3 fin set up... that should do it for now...
i like FCS fins, since they are very easy to replace, have a decent price and the range of options is just huuuuge..
thing of preference...


Any recommendations for leashes? 6ft, 9ft? Any brands?

leashes are usually the board size+1 foot... so id go with an 8ft leash...


Lastly, any tips for transporting my surfboard? Is there an ideal way to protect the board from damage in cargo? Any padded surfboard bags to recommend?

get a decent boardbag... thats the most important.. good padded.. again, FCS has good stuff.. but so does dakine...
at least 10mm padding, good straps, propper outer materials and then just pad it out with clothes, wetsuits, towels etc...

Thanks surfing community! - I really appreciate any advice you might share!

[surf doc]

great advise from travelzomg.
I'll just add that my first couple of boards I bought used off craigslist and am glad I did. You'll save a lot of money and be less concerned about dings which will inevitably happen while learning. A fish can be a difficult board to surf as a beginner, I've only been on one a handful of times so I can't speak to that a great deal. A fun board with lots of volume will be a good option to learn on.

[Toj]

[quote="travelzomggo for a mini-mal/fun board... fishes are allways edgy to progress on since they are quite unstable compared to other boards... you should get something minimal ish.. around 7.4... venon has a nice 7.2 epoxy mini mal with extra float... that might be something.. [/quote]

Sory to hijack a post, but ive been looking at a really nice Venon Retro fish for myself, and as you are the first person to mention them, you wouldnt happen to know their website, i have googled it, but nothing really comes up.

also i agree with the advice that travelzomg has given about a board. many people make the mistake of thinking that just because they can stand up they can go straight for a quad fish or something like that. i see many people that have done this when i go surfing and struggle to stand up. they spend all day trying to and not catching a single wave. go for a minimal and enjoy some nice long ride times. Surfing isnt all about standing up on the board, its about turning your board, catching the green waves, bottom turning. always trying to progress. you'll be amazed at what some people can do on a longboard. with the right technique and practice you can perform the same turns on a 9/10ft longboard that some can on 5-6ft shotboard (but jsut not as fast) there is cracking video that i used to help me progress with my surfing as i was far to stingy to hire an instructor. 110%surfing techniques. its brilliant.

regards

Tj

[dklay]

nothing too big since you are quite light... as said, around 7.2 to 7.6 ish... a modern epoxy (not an NSP-Tank)

I'd recommend you get a longboard. I'm 5' 6" and 165 lbs and my first board was an 7'6" NSP "tank" minimal / funboard. I struggled something awful with it (although the waves I was trying to learn on were quite small). When I was with an instructor, I seemed to do OK... but trying to get into those small waves on my own was tough. I sold it after trying some longboards... I tried some 8' and 8'6" BICs and the extra length helped but they were still tanks. After trying a good 9'6" longboard (Oxbow) I decided to get a 9' 2" performance longboard (Isle). It's a tri-fin with concave in the nose to double concave tail. A little bit more nose rocker than most longboards (helps prevent pearling at the beginner stages).

The result? I was standing up catching almost everything I could on my first day riding it. Going for a shorter board may seem cooler, but as a beginner you'll catch alot more waves and have more fun on something a bit longer! Where you're smaller and lighter than me, you could go down to something between 8'6" and 9'. Epoxy will be tougher and lighter than poly resin glass... although most epoxy boards are popouts (mine included). When you've stopped progressing on a longboard or are ready for faster turning, then move on to a shorter minimal or fish.... you'll have no trouble selling a good used longboard.

[Erinelli]

Thanks everyone for all of your helpful advice! You guys rock!

I now feel much more informed about my choice so I'll have a better idea when I walk into the surf shop in Puerto.

Cheers!

[travelzomg]

Sory to hijack a post, but ive been looking at a really nice Venon Retro fish for myself, and as you are the first person to mention them, you wouldnt happen to know their website, i have googled it, but nothing really comes up.

tbh, i have looked for them on the net as well, and havent come up with anything either.. i saw venon boards out in the surf a couple of times and switched over with a guy from our school to have a ride on his 7.2 minimal (which was pretty cool)... yet i have only seen them in stores, never on the net... so cant help, sorry...
didnt know they were so scarce and hard to come by... it was well made, had a cool shape and seemed to ride well too.. dunno whats up with them... i know you can get them on the canaries... dunno tho if its a local thing tho...

with the right technique and practice you can perform the same turns on a 9/10ft longboard that some can on 5-6ft shotboard (but jsut not as fast)

thats absolutely true.. however.. i have found 8+ longboards rather hard to ride, cuz it needs so much momentum to get em round a turn.. and you can only ride em like longboards, where you have to lift the nose to turn propperly.. and thats just not my thing (i am used to carving turns with weight shifting from snowboarding), so i find the long longboards not so cool to ride...

I'd recommend you get a longboard. I'm 5' 6" and 165 lbs and my first board was an 7'6" NSP "tank" minimal / funboard. I struggled something awful with it (although the waves I was trying to learn on were quite small)

tbh, i find the bigger NSP 7.6 - 7.10 quite good for learning.. i started on an 8ft foamie and then went down on a 7.6 and i remember it beeing way easier to surf... however its true, that those boards need a certain speed to run propperly... yet i find the learning curve is different, if you are having to get a 7.10 into waves than a 9.2...
but then again, its a question of the rider too..

[Erinelli]

tbh, i find the bigger NSP 7.6 - 7.10 quite good for learning.. i started on an 8ft foamie and then went down on a 7.6 and i remember it beeing way easier to surf... however its true, that those boards need a certain speed to run propperly... yet i find the learning curve is different, if you are having to get a 7.10 into waves than a 9.2...
but then again, its a question of the rider too..

Travelzomg, just to clarify, does that mean a 7.6 - 7.10 mini-mal is better for small waves or both small (2-4 ft) and bigger (4-6 ft) surf? What speed is needed for them to run properly?

Are you anywhere near my dimensions? At 125 lbs and 5'4 1/2 ? If not your size/weight, would my size/weight make any difference if I were to try a 7.6 mini-mal? Should I go for a 7.10 instead?

+ Could you explain what you mean by "learning curve is different, if you are having to get a 7.10 into waves than a 9.2"? Just trying to understand what the difference is.

e.g. Would a mini-mal be easier to get out the back than a long board? Is it easier to catch waves from out the back on a long board or a mini-mal? Which would be best for paddling power?

Thanks again for the advice - super helpful!

[travelzomg]

Travelzomg, just to clarify, does that mean a 7.6 - 7.10 mini-mal is better for small waves or both small (2-4 ft) and bigger (4-6 ft) surf? What speed is needed for them to run properly?


you can surf with a 7.6 - 7.10 in both wave heights.. you could surf such a board even in bigger surf... its just the general rule, that the smaller a board gets, the less float it has, the more speed is required to stay afloat and going.. so you will have to take a slightly steeper take off which means more paddling power and some positioning is required.. so this solemly depends on your current lvl and the way you wish to progress... might want to take a 7.6 into the water and see how it goes... if you wont catch any waves with it, go bigger...
and about the speed, you cant pinpoint a certain figure.. it allways depends on wave height, mesurements of the rider and its skill...

Are you anywhere near my dimensions? At 125 lbs and 5'4 1/2 ? If not your size/weight, would my size/weight make any difference if I were to try a 7.6 mini-mal? Should I go for a 7.10 instead?

i am 135 lbs and 6' and i started off with 8 and 7ft foamies, then went down to a 7.10 malibu, then 7.6 minimal, then down to my current 6.8 funboard and 6.4 shortie.. the difference realy is in the way they ride and react to the rider... the longer the board is, the heavier it is and the more momentum it needs to turn...
i have a friend, which is 100lbs and she simply needs a board 7ft and shorter to ride, cuz she hasnt the weight to shift the board propperly into turns.. so its about knowing what works best for you and that you can just figure out by trying..

+ Could you explain what you mean by "learning curve is different, if you are having to get a 7.10 into waves than a 9.2"? Just trying to understand what the difference is.
e.g. Would a mini-mal be easier to get out the back than a long board? Is it easier to catch waves from out the back on a long board or a mini-mal? Which would be best for paddling power?


as mentioned, an 9.2 is easier to get into waves but ride different, like a propper longboard.. 7.10 is harder to get into waves but you can ride it more like a shortboard...
the point only is, if you wont get into waves, you wont be riding at all.. so its about finding the sweet spot in the middle that fits you, your lvl and your prefered way of riding...

Thanks again for the advice - super helpful!

if there are any more questions, shoot!

[Erinelli]

Cool - thanks Travelzomg - you're a legend!

I will have to test out a few lengths of rental boards in Puerto when I head down to get a feel for where I'm at. I'll likely be a wee bit rusty on my first day out!

Ok - another question for ya - since you don't seem to mind me pestering you with so many! ;P

In a post above you mentioned I should look at an epoxy mini-mal - but not a "NSP tank". Why is that? Or is it just personal preference?

You suggested a Venon. However, it was established in a later post to another forum member that Venon's are perhaps a bit tough to find outside the Canaries. So do you have any other brands/types I might consider when shoppin' in Mexico?

"Tank"s Again Mate! (hah, sorry couldn't resist)

[travelzomg]

its realy just a personal preference....
NSP boards generally, are good boards.. they are durable, ride quite ok and the price tag is fits as well..
however, they arent performance boards.. meaning, they are cool to learn on, but the natural progression will take you beyond the board if you can go surfing regularly...

thats why i emphasised the testing so much... as jaffa allways reminds us... surfing is about fun... and surfing is about catching waves... so if you wont catch any waves, its no fun... so the aim realy is to find the board, whit which you can catch the most waves and have the most fun...

tbh, i wouldnt really know.. there are so many shapes and manufactureres out there... id go into the shop and walk along the board rack.. look for about the sizes we talked about and then just grab hold of one that looks sympathetic...
it should be propperly made (epoxy or not), tri fin set up, extra thickness (so not too slim a board) and some extra nose-width for paddle support...
however... i wouldnt rule out NSP-boards per se.. if you can get your hands on a nice example for a good price (maybe 2nd hand), i suggest you take it and go have fun with it...