first surfboard for 7 year old

[pjaywhy]

Hi! My nephew- who will be 7 next month- has taken a hand full of surfing lessons and will be going to a surf camp in July. I would like to buy him his own surfboard and have heard that the foamies were a good place to start. I would like to know if that's true. Also, how long should the board be? Thanks so much!!

[jaffa1949]

If your nephew has had a few lesson and a surf camp is next , maybe you need to talk to your nephew, he might have an idea of what he wants!
Temper that with a little adult wisdom, ( which BTW. You are doing by asking) I feel foamies are a surf school special as they are soft, and float well but progress is really on decent boards.
Telling us his weight and height and how fast he is growing will help us help you.
You could also talk to the people who ran the classes to see if he is ready to go beyond foamies.

Have a look at Global Surf Industries' website it offers some grommet series boards with weight and volume recommendations, which you can apply to other boards you might be thinking of!
Good on you ! Lucky nephew!

[dtc]

I might, for once, slightly disagree with Jaffa

I agree that softboards are primarily surfschool and not for significant progression, but their main benefits are ease of catching waves and 'safety', as they are soft.

A 7yr old, if anything like mine:

- wont have the stregth to control a board when hitting white water etc (eg 'duck diving'), so it will be flying around a bit

- probably will spend a lot of their time near or inside the flags, where softboards are allowed (usually) but hard boards are not

- will not create too much damage when they smack their parents in the face with board when the parents are helping out - if its a softboard

- will struggle to catch waves (unless an excellent swimmer) by themselves, so the more assistance the better

I have seen little kids very capable on grommet boards, but most of them are still being assisted by their parents and the parents always look like full on full time surfer types; the casual non surfing parent or casual just learning to surf kid is a fair way from this.

I reckon a good quality softboard around 6 to 6.5ft is the way to go, maybe 7ft if he is a bit larger than average. This will keep him going for 2-3 years and by then he will be ready for a proper board.

Softboards do vary in quality; some are just heaps of foam (like a bodyboard made larger) and these flex and are terrible. Others are much better designed and are not a huge distance from a standard hardboard, but of course are more expensive.

Either way, I would also try and find some soft fins, or rubber edged fins, just as extra protection.

A good quality softboard are the el nino boards (eg the flow or the fluid) https://www.elninosurf.com.au/ but I dont know if they are available where you are. The prices may also be more than you are thinking about

Others I have seen recommended, but cant vouch for personally, include



Of course, as jaffa said, maybe discuss what he wants before springing something.

good luck - great uncle!

[jaffa1949]

A good review there DTC and show a good side to foamies, I keep thinking of the Costco type . However the ones you mention are a much better product?
I wonder if they are available where our poster comes from
Added I'll look at the rubber edged fins when I get home so I can mention them!

[drowningbitbybit]

A 7yr old, if anything like mine:

- wont ...

Where I surf (Currumbin Alley - a point break, but with a very sheltered inside break) I see 7-year-olds absolutely ripping. I've seen kids as young as 3 on foam boards, and kids as young as 5 on 'real' boards. By 7, some of them are out at the point proper.

Being totally outclassed by a 7-year-old girl is something that every surfer needs to go through once in a while to keep their ego in check

[dtc]

A 7yr old, if anything like mine:

- wont ...

Where I surf (Currumbin Alley - a point break, but with a very sheltered inside break) I see 7-year-olds absolutely ripping. I've seen kids as young as 3 on foam boards, and kids as young as 5 on 'real' boards. By 7, some of them are out at the point proper.

Being totally outclassed by a 7-year-old girl is something that every surfer needs to go through once in a while to keep their ego in check

Yeah, I imagine that in surfer heavy areas they start at 3 or 4 and by 7 they are ripping. I started skiing at 6 and by 10 was pretty good and my dad (who didnt start until he was grown up) used to get very annoyed with me. Me, being the 'innocent' young brat, would in no way take advantage of his lack of skill, well, other than just about all the time. And then point it out now and then.

What I really hate is seeing the kids spin, take 2 paddles and catch the wave. And I'm this big lump that takes 15 seconds to turn, oil tanker like, then paddle hard for 10 strokes and barely make the wave and am then too exhausted to do anything. Meanwhile, they have done a few airs and paddled back out ready for the next wave.

Jaffa, those boards I mentioned are generally made with solid stringers and EPS core. The downside is that they can be a bit heavier than a 'real' board, foam being a weightier material. But they dont flex too much and can be surfed pretty well. There is youtube footage of people using softies at pipeline....

My favourite 'rubber edged' fin is the Pro Teck fin http://www.surfcohawaii.com/Pro-Teck-Fins-s/26.htm. I found them good confidence builders when learning; I dont use them now only because I bought a new board and needed some fins straight away and the pro teck fins are hard to find in the shops (but you can order them online). I do still sand down the edges of my fins to make sure they arent too sharp - maybe it affects them but not by enough for me to notice or care about.

[drowningbitbybit]

And I'm this big lump that takes 15 seconds to turn, oil tanker like, then paddle hard for 10 strokes and barely make the wave and am then too exhausted to do anything.

Ooh, ooh, ooh! I do that!

Damn those pesky kids with their youth and their talent!

[jaffa1949]

"Youth is wasted on the young!" somebody said. JOB surfed pipe on a costco 3 waves then kabloowie!
All of the above postings are true!
Question is have we helped our poster get an answer?
Pjaywhy, please give us feed back, have we help or left you dazed?