Given that there are a multitude of boards to choose from at the surfshop, would a beginner benefit from a custom board? Be able to tell the difference? If not, at what skill level will you benefit from a custom board?
regards,
Håvard
No.
They benefit from floatation.
I don’t think surfers benefit from custom boards until they know a little about what they want? How proficient they are at surfing. 1) Can they stand up? 2) Can they stand up and turn? 3) can they stand up, turn, and keep going to the lip. 4) can they stand up, turn, keep going to the lip, hit the lip, stall, and pull into the tube?
The decisive factor here is time…it takes time to learn how to surf. And having a new good board to learn on is really a waste of money. Also new surfers are brutal on surfboards, they bash, ding, bounce there boards on everything that could possibly give them a ding. They stomp on the board when surfing, and usually get hit in the head with the board more time than a blind MMA fighter.
My 10 cents worth. What’s yours…This is a very, very important topic!
Some may have a particular spray or fin system in mind that they cannot get with NSP or Bic. They might also want something that they can grow into performance wise. Having said that I think that the majority of custom orders are for experienced surfers which is why I think NSP and Bic have little effect on custom orders.
From personal experience… After I had been surfing inconsistently for one year on a borrowed 10 ft. longboard that had plenty of float for me, I decided to order a board from a local shaper that I met. I ordered a custom 9’6" Michel Junod pintail, and my surfing improved DRAMATICALLY in a very short period of time. A custom board benefitted me greatly. I was so impressed with the board and the work that went into making it, I decided to build my own board a year later. Everything came full circle two years ago when I started polishing for Michel Junod. Now I’m learning from all the masters that work in our shop. So in reality, a custom surfboard not only made a difference in my surfing, it gave me a whole new skill set and knowledge that I never knew existed before I started surfing. Funny how life works out…
…yeah
in most cases is like Resinhead said
I think if you re a beginner woman surfer
you need a custom board
for ex. due to the foot size and the legs strength
-Dutchy
very interesting
how did you obtained a job polishing very good shapes?
I mean, may be you re not a rookie polisher…
thank you
I own a few longboards and my girlfriend, who can’t surf, has got here preference. She surfs 10 times a year at most.
A GOOD board can make a huge difference learning. I am sort of a surf instructor( i passionately hate surf schools but for $35 per head per hour i will set my gripes aside) so I have pushed plenty of spoiled little $h!+s into waves on all sorts of boards. Soft boards are the worst thing ever to learn on. no rocker and those fins? yea they work(sarcasm) BICs and NSPs? have fun paddling, they push so much water that the new kids can barely get into the waves.
Every now and then I run into attractive females (or relatives) who want to learn to surf. Throwing my better judgement aside I teach them(free of charge) on my longboard. Once they figure out where to lie on the thing, they are usually up and staying up with in the first few waves. The only variable which has changed through this whole process has been the equipment. I teach the lessons exactly the same, the students all have the same level of expierence.
This is not to say every beginner needs a brand new Bing Longboard before they start. They can go with a surftech board or a something off the used rack(not fun shapes which don't have enough float to paddle but have too much to really turn) they will have a much better expierence.
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After I had been surfing inconsistently for one year on a borrowed 10 ft. longboard that had plenty of float for me, I decided to order a board from a local shaper that I met. I ordered a custom 9’6" Michel Junod pintail, and my surfing improved DRAMATICALLY in a very short period of time. A custom board benefitted me greatly.
I think the key for you (Dutchy) is the one year of experience. By the end of that you’d learned about the water and waves and catching waves and standing up plus all the other stuff…where you surf, tides, people, wind and weather. The guys I surfed with in my early days pretty much agreed it took a year to “learn” back then…that being pre-leash, pre-softboard, pre-surf school. There was a lot more to learn back then, but some basics don’t change.
Given the entry level surfing service economy of today, I can’t see why an absolute beginner needs a custom. Float is the key until the beginner can catch waves and stand and turn comfortably and actually ride on most basic waves. These days I’d ballpark guess that at 2-3 months of surfing at least 2-3 times a week. Nearing the end of that time it would be good to start trying other boards once in a while, but not at the expense of learning the basics. Obviously some may learn faster or slower.
After that period I would still question the need for a custom, as the world is just opening up and there are a lot of different board types and styles to try out. Two used boards vs. one custom? If money is no object or the beginner is really focused the a custom can be a great call…plus with a custom an experienced shaper can guide the beginner into a suitable board of any type for the next step, something one can’t count on from shop rats…and at that stage there truly is dramatic opportunity for improvement.
Sounds about right.
I didn’t learn on a custom, but it was a board that was selected from the rack at the neptune factory by some knowledgeable surfers. I think that having a board with the right amount of float for my weight, and the right combination of stability and responsiveness made a big difference. In those first few months I advanced pretty quickly, but also beat the heck out of my board. Mostly with my head. In that time I tried a few other boards and had a really difficult time. So maybe custom isn’t necessary, but a board well suited to the waves, weight, and ability level of the surfer do make a difference.
Pat
Second hand surfboards are clogging up racks in surfshops around the world.
Any surfer who has an inkling of passion about the ocean should be aware enough about the big environmental picture and your footprint on it.
Absolutely unnecessary to create another surfboard to be banged around by a learner when there are so many already.
I agree that it should be used, but it should not be an nsp type board or a softboard as those impede one progress. A friend of mine started surfing year 3 years ago after having been a bodyboarder forever and he started on a used chip that our pro friend lent him. he surfs with the pro every time there are waves in NJ and he is now ranked 4th in the local contest scene. Getting a board with a rocker that isn’t pushing water when paddling and enough rocker so it isn’t pearling every wave is key.
I agree with you fully, if you can get someone to help you pick out a used board that will work for you, that is the way to go. If you are not the normal body shape ie: way over size, or way under size, you may have trouble but it is still the way to go. As a beginer you don’t need a custom, hell as a beginner you done even know what you like or don’t like in a board. I’m a long boarder so I can’t talk to short boards, but the most important thing in a long board is float, and rocker, if the board paddles you easy you can catch waves, which means you can surf if your not catching waves your not surfing your just getting wet. For the first year you are just having fun it takes at least a year to figuer out how bad you really are and what you need to do to get better.
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Second hand surfboards are clogging up racks in surfshops around the world.
Any surfer who has an inkling of passion about the ocean should be aware enough about the big environmental picture and your footprint on it.
Absolutely unnecessary to create another surfboard to be banged around by a learner when there are so many already.
Custom boards are not needed. While not a surf instructor, I have taught my 5 kids and all of their friends, so I do have some experience. Start on a long board for going straight on the white water. Drop down to a fun board (mini-tanker) 6’8" to 7’6" depending on size of the student. Once they are proficient, then its shorter or back up to the longboard depending on what they prefer. Soft boards suck for beginners as well as experienced surfers. I used ride one at the wave pool in Palm Springs once a year and it was awful. I agree that combing the used board racks is a good idea or better yet garage sales.
There’s a difference between a novice and a beginner. For the sake of argument, I’ll define “beginner” as someone learning to catch and stand up on waves. I don’t think most beginners need a custom board, but need someone guiding them with their best interests in mind on their first purchase. The fact that they’re just learning is just one piece of the puzzle.
Where they plan on learning is another. A longboard works fine in small, mushy surf like Waikiki or just catching the whitewash after the wave breaks. But what if a small, dumpy beachbreak is going to be their primary classroom? A longboard might not be the best choice.
And of course their physical size and ability is an even bigger part. Someone with a strong swimming background or a lot of body board experience is going to have an easier go at it than a couch potato. My 3 year old was already standing on his body board, so why would I put him on a 9 foot log? I shaped him a 5’4" egg (because I felt this was the appropriate size/shape for his size and surf conditions and there aren’t too many used ones around) and on his very first day he was riding it beyond my wildest expectations. Every time he surfs, people on the beach cheer for him after every wave. Why? Maybe because when we see young groms starting out, they’re riding boards so big that all they can do is catch waves and take 'em straight to the beach. I think his board gives him the ability to ride, not just stand. Give up just a little wave catching ability and add some maneuverability and watch their stoke level go through the roof because, not only can they stand up, but they can turn and trim.
Factor in all of those and you can get an idea of what might be a good choice for a first board. If you’re lucky, you have a friend that’s been surfing a long time to give you some direction (or even loan you a board to learn on). If not, the salesperson at the local surf shop have enough knowledge and experience to guide you in the right direction. Otherwise, it’s time for a shaper to show his expertise. Doesn’t mean he needs to shape a new board - but provide guidance on what board is a sensible choice.
And along the lines of there being too many used boards around, I’d never suggest a board for a beginner and another for a novice. If they’re friends visiting from the Mainland and just want to “try” surfing, I loan them a longboard and take them to Waikiki. But for someone who wants to get into surfing on a more regular basis, a novice-appropriate shape (like maybe a 7’10" egg) is my suggestion - something they can learn on today and still have fun on tomorrow. And if they can’t find one on the rack or on craig’s list, send 'em to a shaper.
Aloha,
Steve