First Time

General Discussion
1

Hello All.

In advance I apologize for my possibly dumb question, especially if the answer was posted elsewhere and I just didn’t find it in my searching. I am going to be building my first board.  Before I ordered the stuff I need, I had a question that was sort of answered in the posts I looked at but I just wanted a little clarification.  I’m 6 ‘2 ish, 180pounds  haven’t surfed in about 12 years and my fitness level is, well, not great but am working on changing that.  Being that I am almost starting over in surfing  I was hoping to get some advice as to what size/ shape board I should build. I am stuck between a typical longer shortboard  7’ or so that is typically recommended for beginners  or, if feasible a fish 6’3- range.  I like the look of the quad fin fish boards and the size would make transporting/storing much easier but it isn’t really worth it if the time out on the water is “wasted” because I can’t catch anything as a result of my atrophied abilities not matched to the right board.  So to make my ramblings just slightly longer the waves I will hopefully be riding are the typical east coast central florida waves (daytona, new smyrna and cocoa beach) 1-3 ft mush. Thank you all for your advice.  

2

6’2", 180, probably over 30, need to (re)-learn how to surf, out of shape and you are going to ride East Coast 1-3 mush? I think you would have the most fun and get better the fastest by spending a year or two on a 9’6" longboard, preferably single fin.

3

Of course you have to find your own answer to that question, but tsimpson did not steer u wrong.

i was 23 years away, and starting over at age 54, 175 lbs.  I started at 6-10, then went to 7-4, 7-6, struggled and struggled, finally went and bought me a 9’ rockin fig longboard, just to see what it was like.  Bingo. Wave count up, fun factor up, made me wonder why I waited so long.

Now I seldom ride anything under 8 foot.

4

A 9’6 will help you get back to riding waves, but you may end up wanting something shorter once you get back to where you want to be. I consider an 8’ egg shape or short longboard with square tail a great all around board. They turn easily, and they paddle great.