First Board Advice

[Dogg]

Hello

Please forgive me for the highly unoriginal first post on the forum.

I'm looking at buying my first surfboard after having several lessons on softboards. I'm never going to be a fantastic surfer as I live to far away from the coast so I want a board thats fun and easy to use but will also allow me to progress if I do manage to get enough practice in.

I dont fancy a Bic or NSP, I have seen these two which I quite like the look of which wont break the bank ....

http://www.circle-one.co.uk/surfboards/ ... -thruster/

http://www.circle-one.co.uk/surfboards/ ... -thruster/

I'm 6ft 2" and weigh about 85kg

Am I looking at boards that are too small for a beginner to progress on? Should I really be looking at Mini Mals? I know its difficult to say without actually seeing me on a board but some "generic" advice would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Dogg

[surf patrol]

Hi Dogg, welcome to Surfing Waves!

Generic advice - the bigger the better. You'll progress faster and have more fun. You'll see this advice again and again on the forum, and it's sound. Do yourself a favor, go big!

[Dogg]

Hey thanks for the advice

I know what your saying, but I have this voice in the back of my head telling me to get something slightly shorter. I was learning on an 8ft soft board, would 10 inches less really make that much difference ... I'm awaiting smutty responses on that one.

[jaffa1949]

Oh My Dogg, please read the myriad of replies on this very subject, losing 10 inches will be as painful as you expect it to be. If you plan to use your equipment only at irregular intervals then length and volume will be needed to keep you from being frustrated and suffering from premature incompetence and eventual withdrawal from the surfing scene.
I would recommend you stay at 8ft and get a board that you won't have to relearn each time you go to the beach.

If something you purchase doesn't do the job then maybe you won't have broken the bank but you will feel ripped off.

Ask yourself why the voice inside your head is saying "go short" when it doesn't really know what it's talking about?

The reason why I ask this is I'm exceedingly curious as to why newbies are thinking this way and if I knew perhaps I could frame a better argument to help them feel comfortable about their length.

Please keep the 10" until you can wield your weapon well.

[Dogg]

Hey Jaffa

Thanks for the reply.

I think the reason why most newbies think this way is because they want to buy something that will last them a while, well that's my thinking anyway.

Its not like i was planning on buying something just over 6ft which i know would be a complete waste of time and money at this stage. I have been snowboardig for just under 20 years now and I understand the importance if getting the right size board. I was just wondering if either of those two boards would be suitable for a novice of my height and weight?

I know a mini mal would be easier to get to grips with but is the learning curve between a mini mal and a fun board really that steep?

Plus when you embark on a new hobby it's easy to get tempted by all the shiny new gear that's on offer

There's always this one ... http://www.circle-one.co.uk/surfboards/ ... -thruster/

Cheers,

Dogg

[garbarrage]

Unless you are going to surf at the very least, 2-3 days a week, religiously,( and lets be realistic, unless you live within an hour of a beach that's not going to happen), the right board for you is something about 9ft+. You want to catch loads of waves, and this is how you'll progress. If you get a decent longboard, you haven't a hope of outgrowing it.

Outgrowing a board literally means, the board won't perform well enough for you. As an occasional surfer, this could be years.

[[surfthosewaves]]

heyyy, I have been surfing for 3 weeks now. I had one lesson with an instructor , and i learned to stand on a tiny whitewater wave on a longboard. I later moved to a funboard type thing that is 6' 8 and i really love it i am having so much fun. I can maneuver a little now, but not really , and i am still riding on the whitewater waves. The main reason for this is that the conditions have been horrible and choppy and so i havent been able to get passed the whitewater. Although i am not sure that even if i did get there that i would be able to ride them. I am 12 years old, around 166 cm tall, and i weigh around 50 kg.s. I was renting the funboard, but my mom decided it would be cheaper now to buy a second hand one. I have found a couple options but I am not sure if i would be comfortable riding them. These are two links to the boards i have considered:
http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co. ... Z424276090

http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co. ... Z406015366

these are not the final options, we plan to hit the shops tomorrow , but id like to know what size you think i should buy and what type of board. I am really comfortable on the one im renting, but i do eventually want to move to a shortboard, although i am aware im not ready for that yet. But do you think i should get something slightly shorter, or stick with what i m using now.

The waves are usually quite small, under 1 metre most days. and keeping in mind the conditions should get better soon, and i will be wanting to move to the unbroken waves. Thanks so much for any advice!

[jaffa1949]

heyyy, I have been surfing for 3 weeks now. I had one lesson with an instructor , and i learned to stand on a tiny whitewater wave on a longboard. I later moved to a funboard type thing that is 6' 8 and i really love it i am having so much fun. I can maneuver a little now, but not really , and i am still riding on the whitewater waves. The main reason for this is that the conditions have been horrible and choppy and so i havent been able to get passed the whitewater. Although i am not sure that even if i did get there that i would be able to ride them. I am 12 years old, around 166 cm tall, and i weigh around 50 kg.s. I was renting the funboard, but my mom decided it would be cheaper now to buy a second hand one. I have found a couple options but I am not sure if i would be comfortable riding them. These are two links to the boards i have considered:
http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co. ... Z424276090

http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co. ... Z406015366

these are not the final options, we plan to hit the shops tomorrow , but id like to know what size you think i should buy and what type of board. I am really comfortable on the one im renting, but i do eventually want to move to a shortboard, although i am aware im not ready for that yet. But do you think i should get something slightly shorter, or stick with what i m using now.

The waves are usually quite small, under 1 metre most days. and keeping in mind the conditions should get better soon, and i will be wanting to move to the unbroken waves. Thanks so much for any advice!

The second of the those two boards you put up would be the better for you as it allows some space for growing, also something similar would suit if you see something in the shops

[[surfthosewaves]]

I have been surfing for 3 weeks now, still very beginner. I posted on this post earlier, but have since changed my mind. I have been renting a NSP 6.4 fish board, but live in Cape Town, where it is very difficult and expensive to buy these boards. I finally found a second hand one . The only difference is that is its 4 inches shorter. The 6.4 was already quite wobbly as before I was using a 6.8 version, and just 1 week ago starting using the 6.4 fish. I found it much much more fun and easy to turn, although it was hard work standing up and catching a wave - but i could do it and i found it all worth it after practicing and finally catching a couple waves. My question to you is, will the 4 inches make a huge difference? I know that when i ride a wave with it it will be different , and maybe hard, but will it be so hard that i wont be able to progress? Or will it just take some practice? Thank you

Rental board dimensions: Height : 6.4
Mid: 20 7/8”
Thick: 2 9/16”

and the board im considering buying dimensions:
Height: 6ft
Mid: 20 7/16”
Thick: 2 3/8”