first shorter board?

[matteob]

Hi guys, i'm a short time surfer from italy, and i'm seeking for some help in selecting a board that fits.


I started surf three years ago, since then i surfed(in portugal, spain,france) only during summer on rented boards. i totalized about three month of surf, and i came to surf decently on a 7' fun board shape. I recently found out we sometime have decent waves here in italy too, and had a bounce of nice sessions on borrowed boards (about 7', fun board shape).
I've just had a trip in peniche portugal, where for the first time in my life i had to deal with serious surf condition (chest height to overhead perfectly shaped waves).There i surfed a 6'6'' fish with plenty of volume, and i really wished something lighter and shorter and faster under my foots.

Long story short, the rental time is over and it's time to get a board. I was thinking about one of that hybrid fish/shortboards which the market is plenty of. But i'm on a tight budget.
So i have this crazy good deal for an almost new LSD renegade blue 6'0'' http://www.lsdsurfboards.com/boards/entry/renegade_blue , i really love the shape but i'm afraid it's a bit too short for me.

What do you guys think? Could i make the jump to such a shorter board?
Keep in mind i'll hit the water hopefully 2-3 times a month from now to april/may here in italy, plus about 3/4 weeks on the ocean all over the year. I'm 23, 187cm (6'1'') and 75kg (12stone, 165 pound) and i work hard in the pool to keep my paddling strong.

[drowningbitbybit]

There i surfed a 6'6'' fish with plenty of volume, and i really wished something lighter and shorter and faster under my foots.

...but Portugal is a world away (in surf terms) from Italy.
I can't imagine at your height/weight that a 6' board will be suitable in Italy all that often. Portugal has not only size, but power, and that's makes catching waves relatively simple and keeps you moving. You're likely to get surfable waves in Italy far more often if you stick to a high-volume board like the 6'6 fish.

[matteob]

Yes you are right. But sometimes it can get better than you think (chek out some pics from levanto or varazze on msw, ). Nothing similar the glassy power of portugal by the way, and we're talking about once in a month maybe.

So i also have this other deal on a RT magic carpet http://rtsurfboards.com/english/boards/magiccarpet , which is custom shaped in this measures:
6'2" 22'' 3'' quad fins set up. Wide and thickness make this one sounds a bit like a boat to me, surely will works great in most italian surf condition, but will it be manoeuvrable, what when it get a little bigger?

Other chance i have is to purchase one of that fish with some plastic inside like this
http://www.torq-surfboards.com/fish-66.html or this http://www.surfseriessurfboards.com
which are sold cheap at a local shop. I've tried this kind of board and i like it, but i feel bad spending money on it knowing it's not a good product. And i'm also afraid that in a few time they will keep me from progressing.

With the budget i'm on i have no other chances, except wait till someone will sell something more closer to my needs, but i want a board to hit the water as soon as possible so...

[surf patrol]

I would recommend a hybrid like a firewire dominator, this was my choice when I was coming down from a 7'2 and I loved it...got me where i needed to be, its the perfect step-down board or first time short board.
It's got plenty of volume and float but its also very responsive and will work in a variety of conditions which is probably what your looking for in Italy and if your travelling as well, this is truely a 1 board quiver in my opinion!.
Would probably recommend a 6'6 or if your feeling brave a 6'4. Defiantly would choose this over a fish if your looking for something more responsive and versatile!

I found 2 reviews on youtube you should check out aswell, they will explain in allot more detail than I can!

These are the best reviews I could find!

ENJOY!

[matteob]

Thanks man, that's sounds like a great advice!
I finally got the torq 6'6'' reaaally cheap from a friend who was stepping down and i'll have the winter/spring on this one. So i have time to progress and save some money too. But for sure I'll keep your advice in mind when the time for a new board will come

[Big_mac321]

No worries dude, always here to help

yer the firewires ain't cheap but when it comes to it they are worth the money, the FST technology as well means they can last a hell of allot longer than most boards so you can sell them for not much less than you originally paid for them as long as you look after it! would definitely recommend getting one after your 6'6 you'll find you will be surprised how quickly you progress on them!