I haven’t been around for a while, so hi guys, my hideous skimboard is functioning perfectly and I guess that’s the important thing. I got accepted to Cal Poly SLO, so I’m pretty stoked, and I have already gotten a friend saying I should teach her how to surf when she comes to visit, :P. Needless to say I need to learn first, so I’m trying to decide what kind of board to make. I need something big enough to have two people on, but I don’t want a slug, how big is big enough and stable enough to learn on, and then teach on? I was thinking of something in the 8 foot range. Maybe a funboard? I’ll for sure make a short board after this but I don’t want to have a complete dog now. Any suggestions? I’m open to anything, and if a long board is what it is than I’ll build it. (Logistics may be a problem though seen as how I might not have a car down there)
If you’re gunna be on a board with a girl, i dont reckon you’ll care what the boards like haha. I’ve seen the surf rescue people when they do the tandem rescue on the big kneeboards. Those guys sure get a faceful, if you know what i mean. Sorry to be rude to anyone i may offend.
Go longboard. The learning curve is less steep. Not only that, but at least in my experience with Cali. waves a longboard you’ll be able to surf a good 80% of the time and have fun. I never understood the whole fun board thing. usually too short to nose ride well, and too long for a steeper wave. But that is just me. In addition, if you are learning don’t waste money on a foamy and I would go for a beater board. That way you don’t have to chuck a lot of money to find out if you want to stick with it as well a not getting too bummed if (when)you damage it. But then again for all the people that love it, I know we appreciate getting a nice practically new board for 1/2 the price off the used rack or from craigslist.
Half the problem is keeping the board in my dorm room, I don’t see hauling a 12’ board around in the dorm halls, it wouldn’t be able to get through the doors. I will be shaping it myself, so that opens up alot of options. I’m 6’2-3", 150 lbs or so, the only girl I know for sure is 5’1" 110, but most likely in the 5’ range.
Oh, I forgot, I do like the idea of a fish, since they are usually pretty wide for their length a fish would be pretty stable I would think, yet still be fun. I’m no expert though, I just like to mow foam.
Sorry, missed that part. Well an LB doesn’t need to be 12ft, could go 9ft and still have your minimum length shorty. Still have the promblem of maunering that thing around a dorm (which I remember being not unlike a jail but dirtier.) fishes are nice I’ll agree with that, but personally I think starting out that the back will slide too much for a beginner, just a thought. It aslo depends how stubborn the rider is. I have had friends that got a shortbard (6’2 thruster) snd would not quit until they got good at it or at least decent and then the converse of that. Depends how determined the person is riding the board. I still feel an LB would be a best bet and you could use it as a beerpong table when not in use.
If I’ve read your question correctly, your surfing isn’t advanced (at the moment), you want to learn a bit and then will probably help a few people who will be smaller than you surf for a bit of fun. You also will be keeping it in a dorm room, so size is an issue.
I’d be thinking of something around 6’8 with a bit of width in the nose to help paddling, somethinng not to “skittish” or responsive which makes it harder to get the hang of it. I’d think a single fin egg shape at 6’8 - 6’10 would do the job. Pretty stable, easy to catch waves, if you advance you can keep it as a fun board. It’s not to big to handle in a bit of surf, the 5’x" females should still be able to handle it ok in surf at their size (stength issue not gender). I wouldn’t expect you will be jumping into sucky barrels just yet.
Maybe you could go and look at garage sales and second hand stores and just get a cheap single fin around those dimensions, then when you advance a bit you could make something more attuned to your surfing.
Build a good beginners board for yourself. You’re both beginners and the board will work for both of you. I hope you are not hoping to impress this girl with your surfing. She will soon see through the sham unless she is completely smitten with you already. Find another way to impress the girl. Take her to the beach, have fun, be honest, be YOU, and let the chips fall where they fall. Good luck with the girl and the board. Mike
yeah, i would tune in your own skills first.try a longboard around 9’ at the rock or perhaps a “funboard” at 7’6"-8’. go see mike at wavelengths in morro bay along the strand-he will dial you in on proper board.when the bird comes up for a visit, plop her on a 9"’ softop rental board(you’re going to have to get her a wetsuit as well) and push/paddle her out in the small, rolling, surf along side or in front of you…make it comfortable, playful and fun.THEN you will be set up for the evening “activites” big time because of the positive experience you gave her in the water…
another tip-check out sycamore hot springs out towards avila beach.take your gal for a surf, a nice meal and cap it off with an evening soaking and whatever in a mountainside hot tub…as austin powers would say: “yeah baby!”
Impressing with the surfing skills was never the point, it was just something to do with her, loosen up etc. Of course, I won’t invite her until I am really comfortable alone, getting a second board is actually a good idea, build my board for me and then rent one when she comes up that will be really easy for her. Anyone else agree? That frees up my board choice some, and I can rent a real big one so that if “she” wants (A little nudging may be in order :P) we can ride tandem. Of course, since my board will be decent sized since as of right now I’m a complete beginner, once she gets that down she would probably want to try it too, so that would be good.
Oh yeah, I am completely set on building the board myself, I’m a DIYer to the core. My skimboard cost just about as much to make (Well, a little cheaper maybe, but not enough to justify it $$ wise) as a basic Vic Foamy, ($150 or so when all was said and done I would say), but I get so much satisfaction from riding it because I made it that I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So since I’ll rent when she comes, what would you suggest for just me learning? I like to carve, basically go fast, I’m not really into nose riding etc. I don’t know alot about the advantages/disadvantages of different board types. I have slalom skiied and wakeboarded, so my balance is pretty good already. (The first time I got up on a Slolam ski was quite the experience, those things are pretty tippy!)
If you haven’t shaped a board yet or had much experience surfing I’d suggest buying a used LB off craiglist as some have suggested.
A longboard is really the way to start. You can catch the most amount of waves and get the most amount of time up to practice. With a shorter board, the number of waves you can catch drops a decent amount. Moreover, in my own experience with the take-girl-surfing-to-get-girl, their interest is mostly because of the surf hype. This does not go a long way towards the patience that it requires to learn on a shorter board–making a longboard the superior choice.
Shaping a longboard is pretty hard stuff. Long, drawn out lines. Shortboards, fish, etc are much easier to shape, but since a LB is so much easier to learn on I’d go with buying a LB this time around then when you get better at surfing go ahead and make a fish or something.
Goodluck with both avenues, the surfing and the girl!
I guess that’s probably best, but how am I going to keep it in the dorm? Also, my thought and part of the motivation to shape it myself is that when I build something I get attached to it, and I’m more motivated to use it alot of the time.