New Longboard

[TommyGun]

Hello all,
I'm looking to buy my first longboard. I'm 45 yrs old, 5'8", 165lbs, fairly fit, and have been surfing for about 10-11 months now. Skill-wise I would say I'm about where you would expect me to be given the background I just provided - not surprisingly talented or un-talented, just somewhere in the middle (I posted some videos in my first post for anyone who wants to see). I started on a 9ft soft top (9'x24"x3 1/2" 98L). After that I moved to an 8'6" 67L Torq. I can ride both (to the extent of a beginner anyway); but of course, the Torq is more challenging. However, now that I've had some experience in the ocean with my local breaks, I've decided that a true longboard is probably my best option. The more I get into surfing, the more I tend to lean toward the longboarding side of things - I just like the style and soul of it. Anyhow, I'm now in the market for a longboard. My thoughts are: (1) I'm not good enough (or rich enough) to warrant buying a fiberglass $1600 board; (2) I should probably stick to a durable construction (rather than fiberglass/pu), as I'm probably going to ding it up - lots of rocks at my break; (3) I want something stable and traditional, I think - something that requires more from me than the softtop, but that is a bit more wave-catchy than the 8'6"; (4) I think maybe a noserider is the way to go (?)

[jaffa1949]

Tommy, a good choice, durable and a good basic shape there are similar in the torque range, fortunately BIC no longer look like a pen or razor gone wrong. Enjoy

[TommyGun]

Thanks Jaffa! So, a quick update: went to the local shop today to buy the board. The owner was awesome. She was high on the Bic but picked out a bunch of other boards to look at as well in a similar price range. She also gave me her thoughts on whether I should just make the jump to PU. After a long discussion, I decided to make the jump on a Byzak PU 9’6”. I’m in this for the long(board) haul, so why screw around with the wrong board when I can marry the right one

The board had a pressure bump in it from shipping, so I got it at a discounted rate. Otherwise it’s brand new. Here’s my new baby:

[jaffa1949]

Keep up the good relationship with that surfshop. If it is not a Brand name franchise then they will appreciate your custom!

[TommyGun]

Will do. Definitely not a brand name franchise shop. Local surf legend started it decades ago. Good people - will always try and support them when I can.

Thanks again for the feedback!