New to the surfing scene.

General Discussion
1

Hello everyone.

Im getting into the surfing buzz and I wanted to know somethings about picking out a good surfboard. I am 6’1’’ and weigh 255 lbs… yes I am a big boy. I dont know SQUAT about how to pick a surfboard or anthing about surfing for that matter. Ive been surfing the web( no pun intended) and have read alot about surfboards in general. Im guessing since Im a pretty big boy that I would naturally purchase a longboard. I would like to know size/width/thickness of a board I should get. I dont know if one brand of board is better than any other but I dont think it really matters since Im still new at this. One last thing… does anyone know of a good website that I can look at to know as much about surfing as possible??? ( boards, accessories, gear… EVERYTHING)… Thanks in Advance…

2

i know people well tell you dirferent but get a bic or a used board not a new board and get a board thats at lest 1 foot or so bigger than you (but i learned on a 5’10" rocket fish and it wasnt that hard for me and i was 11)

3

get a used board with these aproximate dimensions: 9’6", 22"-23" wide, and 3 1/4"+ thick

4

I started surfing later in life (my thirties) and was also close to your current size at the time. For your first board, I would certainly recommend something used - once you get the hang of it, you will have a better idea of what will work for you and you can then go find what you want or think would work better.

For starters, you want something that will float you so you can catch waves (which is the fun part). Without getting too technical, you need volume in your board. That can come in three dimensions, length, width and thickness. My suggestion would be something around 10 feet long, 23 - 24 inches wide and at least 3 1/4 inches thick (preferably thicker). I have a 10 footer that is 3 1/2 inches thick and it is a great board - performs well in all conditions. You can play with those dimensions (longer, shorter, etc.) and there will be plusses and minuses to any change. You may have to look a little harder to find a board close to those dimensions, but I think it would be worth it. Having the proper equipment for YOU is the key to learning and having fun.

Check out your local shops and Craigs List - something appropriate for you is out there for sure. You used to be able to get a great used board for $400 - I think that figure has gone up lately, but you should certainly be able to find something decent for close to that.

For now, focus on learning water/wave etiquette, paddling and just standing up. Once you get the hang of things a little bit, you can start to learn how to read/judge waves and improve your paddling technique. Most of all, just have fun.

5

okay

beginnners on longboards are scary imo

so you have to go somewhere not crowded

or everyone will hate you and drop in etc

the “scene” is for wankers and and label slut wannabes

so just do the solo man missions for a while

ie. get up early before dawn winter sun or rain or snow

surf at least three times a week for a few months and you will eventually get the hang of it

get a friend if you feel lonely in the water

i would recomend a shortboard for you beacuase they teach good waterman skills

and will get you paddle fit

and you willl learn to duckdive and good wave positioning

then longboarding will be easy

long bording is easier so if you go to it from shortboarding experience

you will be much better off

just like shortboarding is easier, if you can bodysurf or ride a shark biscuit before hand.

iff the waters cold and your on a budjet spend more money on the suit rather than the board

ie 500$ suit 100$ board

you will get far more water time if you do this

i would recomend a mcoy nugget or merrick big guy try or fat fish or old school single

try to get three inches thick if you can

20 inches wide. 15 in the tail

6’ 6 "long

wider noses and tails are good

wide nose thrusters are really stable

and wide tails catch waves easier

ten foot board 8 ft 9 ft makes hardly any difference when you hit someone in the head with it

or chuck it when a wave comes

6

if you are not in your teens, i would not recommend a shorter board for your learning experience.

you will need all the help you can get to make learning how to surf enjoyable and safe, for yourself as well as those around you.

so, i recommend that you start with a good used longboard, preferably 10’ long…or longer, 24" wide and as thick as you can get it, and don’t worry about the weight of the board. at this point, you want stability. after you learn the basics, then you can trade for a more performance oriented board. brand name doesn’t matter, although i would stick with a standard polyurethane board.

i concur that you should start at a beginner friendly spot. for instance, if you were starting in my area, i would recommend surfing any of the numbered streets in cocoa beach, rather than sebastian inlet.

if you give your general geographic location, i’m sure there is someone who posts on here who could make a recommendation on a suitable learning spot.

i’d suggest you use a knee leash if there are crowds. not using a leash will improve your swimming skills in the first few months.

3 or 4 times a week for 3 or 4 hours a day for 3 or 4 months should get you to the point where you can select a wave, drop in and turn and trim up, and complete a ride. the better athlete you are the faster it will go.

7

YOU ARE ALL FORGETTING THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!

where does this guy live?

what kind of waves is he going to be surfing in?

there is no “outta the box beginner board”. a surfboard is a personal thing. it needs to be tuned, not only to the rider, but to the waves as well.

as for the previous suggestions, a longboard about 9’6" should do you right. the specifics depend on where you are and what kind of waves you intend to put this thing in.

8

Welcome Jalberto67.

First of all, tell us your location in order we know what kind of waves you will soon face. Second, could you say if there’s a surf school around there? It’s good to start surfing with some help from people prepared to do this. In addition, you can surf with different boards and build your own opinion. Try some lessons, then you will be able to say yourself if it’s what you really want to do. Good luck!

P.S. - Surfing world info? Just type “surfboards” into a search engine and delight yourself with thousands and thousands of pages with everything you want to know about.

9

I live in San Diego California.

10

Hey Jalberto,

Sorry Bro, there’s no surf where you live…

Just kidding! Couldn’t help it. I’m with Silly, get a good wetsuit. You’ll be kissing it once you’re in the water during the winter. Go get a used board if you can’t borrow from a friend. There’s alot of cheap ones here. Don’t be caught in the mindset that big boys should only surf longboards. Oh yeah, read this:

Cheers,

Rio

11

yeah begginers on long boards basically ruin it for everyone!

one you can put up with, but three or four

is dangerous to be there

why

  1. they paddle for waves out on the shoulder and cant see or anyone surfing in the pocket

so often they drop in

  1. they flail about in the white wash trying to get out the back ,board going everywhere

sometimes throwing there boards

3.they cant the turn the board when there surfing so often run people over .

4.they are always in the way (in the takeoff zone)cuz they are so hard to turn and duck dive

5 they often nose dive becuase of small waves and board length combined with little nose rocker.

btw. not wearing a leash when there are other surfers around is stupid

especially if you are on a ten foot board.

going for a swim is a better way to get fit

hundreds of thousands of peple learned to surf on soft bodyboards or shortboards or body surfing

soft popout shortboards are a lot better these days and are good to learn on cuz they are soft thick and wide

much better then a 8 kg longboard travelling at X speed capable of knocking out Y amount of teeth

I might add

where i live and surfed for the last twenty years

if a begginer turns up with a ten foot board and flails about or runs over someone

he will be labeled a kook for the rest of his surfing life in that area

if he gets up early and learns to surf in marginal conditions

and sneaks in to the lineup on a reasonably short board

he may be excepted

but only maybe

if its a hot chick in G string

she can do anything she likes :smiley:

learn to body surf with a hand thingy

and when you can catch a wave and go along it

then your ready to progress to a standup

if you cant handle the surf without a board

you shouldnt be there.

unless your a hot chick in a g string

wanting to be rescued:)

12

actually

thats over a hundred kg right

maybe 7’ 4"

3 thick

20 1/2 wide

16 tail

deffinately no longer than 8 ft please

13

get the biggest board you can afford 10’-11’-even 12’ 4" thick

Craigslist is a good start

garage sales are even better…

The reason is once you get better and move down in size you can always use the big board to teach others how to surf like your kids, girlfirend, wife, relatives or friends visiting for the summer. If you get a really big board you can even use it to SUP or sell it to someone for tandeming or SUPing later.

really big boards can really come in handy later on in your surfing life cycle

a 10-12 sunset softtop is a good beginner board.

Why big?

Paddling

Stability in getting to your feet and once up

and ease of catching waves.

Remember practice on land first until you get the rhythm of getting to your feet

then ride a bunch in the prone postion

then ride a bunch on your knees learning how to control the board with your weighting

then when you stand up go straight and stay low until you feel comfortable

you don’t have to standup starightup right away (classic beginners and bad instructers mistake)

stay warm

and most of all you don’t have to go outside right away stay close to shore until you feel comfortable with your board and your paddling ability.

I see so many beginners who want to paddle or flapple outside of the whitewater where they don’t belong and also see so many trying to standup right away without learning how to control their surfcraft in the basic positions.

And don’t worry about looking like a fool proning a ride or riding on your knees for awhile.

The crew will appreciate you having fun no matter what your style is just as long as you are in control and not a danger to others or yourself.

Its about having fun

later on if you are in Hawaii and want to experience mach5 surfing. I have a devil board gemini that might fit you…

Oh yea and you aren’t that big

one of my dearest friends is 5’6" and 350lbs size 5x-6x

he wants to learn to surf one day too…

14

Hey there

personally I wouldn’t bother, it’s nowhere near as much fun as it looks. Tres over-rated!

Just kidding, go build something as big as you can and double your stoke. My first board was a 7’4" hollow wooden that I built after reading stuff here on my return from holiday and trying surfing for the first time (instantly hooked) Enjoy!

15

Hi there,

You seem to be getting a lot of different suggestions from lots of people, so I might as well add my opinion as well.

I would suggest going for a something around 9 foot x 23+" and plenty of thickness to make it as buoyant for you as possible. If you go for anything longer it’ll be more unwieldy and dangerous for you and everybody else!!

When you’re surfing, the thing that will give you the most stoke is catching waves, if you go for something that’s too small you won’t catch many, which will mean you don’t improve quickly and you don’t enjoy it as much.

I learnt on a 6’5" and it took me ages to get to being able to catch waves and ride them properly on a regular basis.

I would probably be a much better surfer now if I’d started on something sensible when I was 17 (13 years ago!).

I’d definitely go for secondhand, you’ll be wanting to change your board soon enough!!

Most importantly, have fun!!

16

Hi again,

So, if you live in SD area, you are in the center of where everything happens (at least for me, a Brazilian shaper). You have all the info available around you. But, if you the kind of guy who preffers the “I can do it alone”, remember that, as most of things we learn in life, we learn through observation (like language, for instance). Surfing isn’t different. It’s harder than having a teacher, but sometimes it’s a richer pathway. Go ahead!

17

I agree, 2 ways to go. A big-guy tri isn’t a terrible idea, since once you figure out where to set your feet, it’ll all come together. Sometimes, a longboard presents too many variables. I agree with the 7’2 to 7’6 with a wide tail and 3" thick idea for that.

If you go longboard, I’d agree with Oneula’s recommendations. At your size, for learning, 9-9’6" is too small. You weigh 100 pounds more than the industry’s “average” surfer! Get a board between 10 & 11 feet long. Maybe look for an Infinity - they’re fron Dana Point and specialize in boards up to 4" thick. Its not easy to get a board that thick to work right, but they do better than most. I have a 6’2" 220 lb friend - my height & +5 lb - who struggled to learn for a year on a 9’8" Robert August & a 10’0" Hunt. Then I talked him into getting a 10’0" 3.75" thick Infinity…he finally started catching waves, getting his count up, finally progressing. Now he rides the Hunt & Jim the Genius round pin but it would have taken him 5 years to get there without the time on the Infinity.

And yeah, you also have to be able to commit to surfing at least twice a week or you just won’t get any better. The guy I was talking about surfed onshore dawn patrols for a year, when nobody else wanted them, and put in enough water time. When we all saw what he was paddling that giant board out into, everyone laughed and his wife bought him an orange helmet. Drive to Linda Mar any 3-4 mornings a week, and you’ll still see “Pumpkinhead” out there in the junk, but he’s got superstoke and can’t help himself.

18

Boy - is your head spinning yet?

I’ll cast my 2 cents with the short longboard or funboard crowd from 8’ to 9’ (arm’s length over your head or so) single fin or 2+1.

In my experience teaching at a few surf camps excess length can become a problem. Yea, they paddle well, but they also typically have little rocker and the newbies spend alot of time burying the nose unless the break is particularly gentle. They also take skill to maneuver and push out through the wash and end up becoming dangerous to others in the water. Add volume to the board for flotation by increasing width and thickness rather than length. IMHO width contributes as much or more to stability than length.

I like the BIC concept for beginners: inexpensive, indestructible and decent beginner shapes, but I’m also old-school so I would probably opt for a glass board if a used one in decent shape was available.

As a New England surfer I concur with the good-wetsuit/beater-board theory. You’ve got to be in the water to get better. If you can’t get in, it won’t matter if you have your own personal shaper on permanent retainer. Same theory applies to wave quality, if you’re not willing to slog around in the slop to develop your skills, then don’t plan on having long-timers like me cut you any slack when it gets epic. “You gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues …”

Always wear a leash as a beginner, especially in crowds, for the safety of yourself and the surfers around you. If you want to swim, go to the Y. And always be aware of what’s going on around you: surfers outside coming in or inside coming out or going for the same wave. I swear that my 10 year old daughter has more water-sense than 90% of the kooks out there regardless of age simply because I’ve ground it into her head that when she’s in the water she has to act like no one is looking out for her, but herself.

19

anyone given any thought to the big guy mccoy nugget???

20

“Butter Boards”, South Coast Longboards, Ocean Beach. Made for big guys by big guys!