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Beginner?
Hello!
I picked up surfing 2 years ago and started with an 8ft foamie (not the best from Walmart). Unfortunately I’m inland so I only get 5 or 6 weeks a year to surf and it’s on the east coast so not the best surf. Spend a lot of time in the gulf so many times the waves can be non existent except in storm or hurricane. In those cases the waves can have a very short period and quite choppy. I’ve gone out there but have a hard time. When I go to the east coast Florida I’ve had better luck. Still smaller surf but I can catch the occasional green wave. Broken waves pretty easy. When I went to Peru a few months ago I had a great run catching many of the green waves I went for but I won’t have access to those waves as often.
I know it’s recommended to stick to a foamie and long one to catch the most amount of waves but I’ve been considering switching. I’m around 80kg and so charts suggest between 41-44L. Surfing friends have suggested I go for a 6’5 but wouldn’t recommend a foamie since I’ll need to relearn on a regular board anyway. I’m conflicted. Either way if I went for a new board I’d probably get a wide nose for stability and between a flat or fish tail. Am I getting too ahead of myself?
A stick to your foamie don’t buy a new board
B get the 6’5 wide nose but stick to foamie
C go for same style dimensions but regular board
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3 Replies
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Hi Teo
Not sure if I can answer your question, but I can share with you my experience of recently buying a new board which might be relevant for you. A bit of background on me. I used to surf a lot as a teenager but I had to stop in my early 20s. I am now in my (very) late 30s. I am 180cm and around 85 kg.
I was riding a decent 9′ foamie to get back into surfing and it was great. But as I was getting better and paddling out the back, having to position and focus more on turns on the face of the wave, the 9′ foamie was too cumbersome. I didn’t want to drop too much volume but I wanted something a bit shorter, more maneuverable and that I can duck-dive. I came across the ‘Performance Softboard’ by Island Surf (link below) and decided it was what I was looking for. I have gone with the 7’5″. A board like this might be a bit of compromise between your options.
I have surfed it once and it took a few waves to get used to, but I was still catching everything (like on my 9′ foamie) though deeper take offs and a bit more effort to paddle (as I was expecting). Once I was up and riding I could feel the greater speed and maneuverability. Looking forward to taking it out again this weekend.
I am lucky to live only a couple of hours drive to some great surf spots. There is also a really good wave pool only around 30 minutes drive from my place. Even so, I think this might be a good board for someone who can surf, but might not be able to get out as much as they would like.
And just a note – I am not affiliated with Island Surfboards,
I hope this is helpful.
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Hi Sean!
Thanks for the help! Can you resend the link? Doesn’t seem to work.
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<div>Hi Teo</div>
No worries, please see link below. The board I mentioned is the ‘Performance Softboard’.
If that doesn’t work try this link:
http://www.islandsurfboards.com.au/
I took it out again last Saturday and I had a really good session – best turns I have done in around 20 years,
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