I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a stupid newbie and I really apologize in advance for that, but I am truly trying to learn.
I have been surfing on and off for about 6 years. I have family in HI that I visit and surf with, and I am a regular board renter at the OBX and VA Beach. I was at the beach on Sunday to catch the swell, and the shop I went to didn’t have any rental boards available. I saw on their discount rack (should have been a red flag) a brand new Al Merrick Flyer - 6’5 x 20 x 2.75. I’m just under 6’0 and 170 lbs. I was told it was a great board to transition from my longboard rentals to a shortboard - a long time goal of mine, so I went ahead and bought it. It was pretty much on impulse. Now, I’m realizing that the specs of this board could float someone 60 lbs heavier than me, and the board was very floaty in the water. I want to stick with the Flyer because it really does seem to be a good board for someone that’s beginner-intermediate level and surfing in the east coast mush.
I was wondering if anyone could offer advice about whether the dimensions I got are okay or not. I’m very much considering selling this board and getting one a little shorter and smaller, like 6’2 x 19.5 x 2.5. Any advice would be really, really helpful and please, I know that buying an expensive board off the shelf makes me look like a wannabe, but I am really trying. Thanks for any help!
Keep it and ride it. I am 190 and ride a 6'4"x20.5x2.75 as my daily driver in VB. If you are transitioning to shortboards from rentals, the extra float will come in handy here more often than not. You will learn to deal with the extra floatation, but there is nothing you can do if your board isn't planing.
Yeah, I rented a while, it made sense at the time. I learned to surf in Hawaii and live 3.5 hours from VA beach and 6 hours from the OBX, so between work and school, I wasn’t able to get out very often. I’m just now deciding to put more time and effort into it, hence buying a board. My family is in no way a beach or surf family so I’m really winging it - case in point: my father decided my brand new board was in a “bad spot” in the garage and decided to shove it in-between some stuff laying against the wall… it now has a pressure ding on the bottom from the leafblower it was wedged against
But anyways, thanks everyone for the recommendations, it’s definitely good to hear. I am coming from seriously floaty and stable boards like NSP epoxy longboards, so maybe having a little flotation isn’t the worst thing in the world. It will also help with paddling into the smaller waves I think. Are there any major disadvantages at all to having a thicker, longer board under me in the water other than having to work a little harder to duck dive?
Are there any major disadvantages at all to having a thicker, longer board under me in the water other than having to work a little harder to duck dive?
[/quote]
the bigger they are, the less manuverable they are generally. but, at your stage, the extra size will help you to progress much quicker than if you were on a smaller, more manuverable board...
surf it 'til you progress beyond it. then, keep it forever, it's your first! i still have mine. be diligent about fixing your dings.
Yeah, the board’s been moved to the basement and my family is now under strict orders to keep their hands off! Thanks for the advice everyone, sounds like this board will serve me well as I learn. It does have a special place in my heart as my “first,” I’ve even named it already!
If you've been riding longboards up to this point, I would have recommended going to a 6'10" or bigger egg shape as a transition board. I'm the same size as you and even though I used to shortboard about 10 years ago, I went to a thick and wide 6'10 to transition down. About a year later I'm on a 5'9 x 19.75 x 2.5 as a daily driver.
I seriously doubt that a 6'5" flyer is going to impede your progress.
