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What surfboard should I get?

What kind of surfboard should I get?

  • I live pretty close to the beach, maybe 20 min. So I know which waves are good or not and etiquitte. I can carve on a longboard skateboard really good. I'm also very good at snowboarding (8 years). I want to get a surfboard to start off with (I figure I can get the hang of it pretty quick, considering my other board sports) but I don't want to look like a retard out on the water. What should I get?

  • Answer:

    Before you even think about surfing, there are some things you should understand. Surfing is an ocean sport, that should only be practiced by persons who are already competent ocean swimmers. Swimming in a pool is neat, but it's not ocean swimming, with undertows, rip tides and sometimes BIG waves. I have seen lots of great pool swimmers get rescued. So, my first tip on how to surf is to be at home in the ocean.There are way too many dangerous people in the water now. They are a danger to themselves and other surfers, don't join their ranks. While all of those other board sports are great for balance, but you don't have to paddle up hill to snowboard. If you really don't want to look like retard in the water, lessons are the best way to start. Lessons can come from a professional instructor, or surfing family members or experienced surfing friends. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don't want to drown you), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave. The last thing experienced surfers want is for inexperienced people to just grab a board, rush into the surf and get in our way. Lessons shorten the learning curve significantly. And they help keep ignorant, un-prepared kooks out of the water and out of the way of more experienced surfers. Beginners should take advantage of renting boards and wetsuits while taking lessons. If it turns out you don't like surfing, you haven't wasted a whole lot of money on gear that you are not going to use. When you are ready to buy, don't waste your time on line, go to a good local surf shop to discuss your size (weight is import, height isn't), skill level and local wave conditions. After over 43 years of surfing, I still get my surfboard buying advice from good local shops in the places where i surf. Almost ALL instructors will start you off on a longboard. It is just too difficult for most people to learn how to surf on a short board. Most get quickly discouraged, and just quit. Now, over the years, I have seen some young surfers start out on short boards and master them in time. But it's just common sense to learn on a long board. When you are ready to buy please avoid popouts in general, and especially popouts made in third world country sweat shops by People who have probably never seen the ocean. Here is a list of sweat shop popouts:http://bp3.blogger.com/_hPACOtZKKko/RkST%E2%80%A6 And here is why to avoid ALL popouts:http://www.mckevlins.com/nopopstory.htm Anybody who would give you SPECIFIC advice as to what size or type board to buy on-line is foolish. Anybody who would take that advice is more foolish And, I know there are lots of nice kids who want to share information with you on line. But don't take the advice from youngsters, who may know even less than you do about surfing, a surfboard is a big investment. I hope you are mature enough to read through the BS that lots of people throw at you on line. You don't know anywhere near enough about surfboards to by one from an on-line web site without getting disappointed. Don't waste your time on line, go straight to the source, a good local shop I have been surfing since 1966, and it has provided a lifetime of fun for me. Good Luck.

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Head down to a local surf shop and talk to them. We can't tell you which exact board to buy cause we don't know where you surf, how big the waves are etc. But be prepared to start on a longboard. The Surfboard Man http://www.twitter.com/thesurfboardman

The Surfboard Man

If you can't catch waves, you can't surf, so get a thicker, longer board, say an 8 footer, so you can paddle in to waves easily. An 8 foot mini mal will also be easier to stand up on. Try surfing on smaller days and pick a spot that isn't crowded. An 8 footer will be hard to duck dive so the smaller the waves, the better. Don't go for a short board like the pros use. You have to be elite to ride them properly. A lot of people get them cause they think they're the right boards, but unless you're a professional, they're a waste of time. Even though you skate and snowboard, don't be surprised if you find surfing hard. I do all three as well and surfing was by far the hardest to learn. Undoubtedly. But also the most fun. But you probably won't be carving like you do on your skateboard on the waves any time soon. Have fun though, keep at it. Every one looks like a retard when they're learning to surf, but that's half the fun.

Odax

If you live close to the beach, you probably have friends that have surfed for a while, so you should probably go with them first, on a long board or something that they can hook you up with. Certain people that I won't name may try to tell you that getting advice online is 'foolish', but it's really not much different than what a surf shop employee will tell you, which is that they'll base what you should ride on your weight (mostly) and skill level. The truth is that you may have to endure looking like a retard for a while (very few people pick surfing up very quickly, I skated for a couple years before I surfed and it still took me a while) before you get the hang of it. But that's part of what makes surfing so rewarding is that you have to put in the time to get good, but once you do it's for sure worth it. The bottom line is that, if you have the option, it is best to go with experienced friends since they know you best and will be more stoked on showing you the ropes and giving you better insight on what to ride.

Paul

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