Choosing a surfboard

[LuckyLucy]

So, I need to purchase a surfboard for a female who is 13 years old and weighs 86 lbs, but is 5' 7"... she surfs 2-4 days a week for about 2 hours. She's generally good at swimming, having been on a swim team from a young age. What size of board should I get her?

[jaffa1949]

What is your daughter riding now? At her age the whole world can come together for her, longboard, shortboard, what her surf soul desires.

[LuckyLucy]

What is your daughter riding now? At her age the whole world can come together for her, longboard, shortboard, what her surf soul desires.

Currently, she's riding a foam soft-top board, but she's only been surfing for less than a month...

[jaffa1949]

Stick with the current soft top, let her find her own desires in surfing, gently keep her on her own wishlist, if she gets the surfing bug, it will be her own unique desires that need to be answered:

[LuckyLucy]

Okay! Thank you so much for your help! Is there a size you'd recommend? Sorry, I'm completely unknowledgeable in this area xD

[jaffa1949]

A question that is ok,, what is she capable of doing right now in her surfing? What is fun for her? Given that she is going to grow without answers of where she is in her surfing journey could mean we advise you poorly.
Good news she will thrive if she loves it!

[LuckyLucy]

she adores surfing and has been practicing riding 3-4 ft waves

[jaffa1949]

If your daughter adores it and has an idea of what she wants post her idea here, we can help.Does she have surfing friends? They can tell you how she is doing.
Keep talking. can she go across the waves and is beginning to make turns and do other manouvres,this answer will help board choice

[LuckyLucy]

hiya, this is LuckyLulu's daughter!
I've been surfing with a group of teens who are 11 to 16 and some of them have been surfing for a few years. An instructor who had been watching me surf, suggested I get an epoxy board. He didn't suggest a length, but I've been surfing on a board that's 6' 2". Even though he suggested it, I'm not sure if I have the skill or experience to ride an epoxy board. I've been working on catching green waves. I'm not exactly erm good at it though.

[dtc]

While softboards are good for beginners for a few reasons, you don’t have to surf a softboard when you are a beginner. Many people learn on hard boards from the start. There is no reason to think you need to have a certain skill level to get one

The main thing to remember when switching is that a softboard is thicker and ‘floatier’ (more volume) than a hardboard of the same length; so your 6’2 softboard is probably around 45-50L volume, which is similar volume to a 7ft funboard. Thus in terms of looking at hard boards, you don’t just swap your softboard for the same length hardboard and expect it to be the same. Volume is not the only difference or factor, of course

As Jaffa said, if you feel that you are still learning and progressing on the softboard, then stick with it. If you have the chance to borrow someone’s hard board, or even rent a board (the instructors surf school might offer this), you can give that a go and see what you think. Ask your friends if they have some suggestions or have old boards laying around that are roughly the right size

Given what you are surfing now, your size and age and frequency, if you asked what I would suggest as a hardboard I would say a 6’6-6’10 funboard. Something like the Torq modfun or NSP elements (but those are just 2 big brands, there are literally 100s of others just as suitable).

But I warn that if you keep surfing as frequently as you are, the funboard probably is only going to be a board for about 12 or so months; you will progress quickly and likely want to try other boards. So I wouldn’t go and buy a new one (unless your parents are very nice people!), see what you can find secondhand (albeit that if you did buy a new one, you can probably on sell it pretty quickly if needed. Or your mum can use it...)

There is no magic answer, the main thing is to understand that volume and size are your friends - go too small and you make things harder than they need to be. At this stage the aim is to learn and bed down basic skills, not to get too far ahead of yourself. In 1 or 2 years, go nuts and get that Steph Gilmore shortboard

Hope that helps

[LuckyLucy]

Thank you so much for your help! I just for her a 6' 3" fishboard and she loves it. She just finished waxing it for the first time, and is going to go try it out on Monday! Thanks everyone!