im gonna start learning to surf next year. im gonna get myself a longboard, but how do i know which size to go for??

any help would be appreciated.

 

many thanks

jim

Pretty sure Royal goes surfing.

start in the lounge with an ironing board and repeatedly shout surfs up dude!!

 

you will soon get the hang of it.

 

hth

how bored am I tonight...

 

Nothing is more important to the beginning surfer than having the right board. Those thin, narrow rockets the stars are riding sure look exciting, but they are a disaster for those learning initial techniques. Therefore, keep these tips in mind when making your choice.

Go Cheap!!!

 

You're going to ding and scratch a board if you really put it to use, so don't spent too much. A $400 board will ding as easy as a $100 board. It's not about looks, so ignore minor yellowing and small dings. However, dings that show foam or any delamination should be avoided. You're going to beat the heck out of your board, so pay the least amount possible.

 

Go Big and Thick!!!

 

All the cool girls and guys have small, narrow boards, right? So what! You're not cool yet. Get a board that will give flotation and allow for easy paddling. A good average size would be around 7 feet long and 19-21 inches wide and at least 2-3 inches thick. This all depends on your size, so be sure you can comfortably carry and wield the surfboard in the water.

 

Generally, a 120 pound surfer should look for a 6 feet 10 inch board while a 140 pounder might look towards a 7 feet 2 inch board. At 170 pounds, try to go above 7 feet 6 inches.

 

Don't Chase Tail!!!

 

Don't worry about the tail or number of fins. For the first 3-6 months, you really shouldn't worry about turning or doing maneuvers, so whether your board is a swallow tail or a pintail or even if it only has one fin is really pointless. For the record, 3-fin boards are the easiest to turn and the most functional fin set up for the advanced and intermediate surfer.

 

Final thoughts...

 

Several companies make soft surfboards that consist of a bodyboard-like material, and the fins are flexible to help prevent injuries while learning your craft. this is a good way to get the kids up and riding without a ride to the emergency room

awesome, thanks hun

Ok heres some real life tips to beginning surfing bud

 

Dont go for a massive malibu to begin with if you intend on going for a shorter board in the future learn on a mini mal, do not get a board with too much nose rocker to learn on as nose rock just makes it harder to learn take offs

http://www.islesurfboards.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=74

 

look here for ideal surfboard size weight

http://www.rusty.com/index.cfm?page=2&Creator=1

 

FIND IF POSSIBLE A QUIET PLACE TO LEARN

you do not want to be cutting in on someone elses wave in fistral when they have been fighting in the line up for the one killer wave

 

LEASH yourself to the board, there is nothing worse than a board shooting along the beach with its owner 300 yds behind chasing it

 

SMALL WAVES FIRST BUD, you may like the look of that 6ft barrel at porthmere but believe me you wont when you are doing the washing machine impression, on a side note choose a safe break , find out about rips and avoid reefs ( porthleven )

 

my personal preference is for wax rather than pads on the board

 

Winter surfing needs a winter suit , doing winter in a summer suit IS cold

 

EVERYONE pees in their wet suit to warm it up

 

 

THE FIRST WAVE YOU RIDE WILL MAKE YOU SMILE SO MUCH

 

THE FIRST WAVE YOU RIDE ALONG WILL MAKE YOU SMILE EVEN MORE

 

THE FIRST BOTTOM TURN YOU DO WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO SCREAM

Or do what I did.........

 

Start with an 8'2" gun, get pretty good at it fairly quickly, get bored with it, sell it and buy a 6'2" hot-dog board, get fed up 'cos it's impossible to stand up on, trade-in for a decent bodyboard and fins and then ride tubes that stand up surfers can't :)

 

Oh, and you're not a real surfer until you've been out at 12ft Fistral. I did it on a bodyboard.

 

THE FIRST WAVE YOU RIDE WILL MAKE YOU SMILE SO MUCH

 

THE FIRST WAVE YOU RIDE ALONG WILL MAKE YOU SMILE EVEN MORE

 

THE FIRST BOTTOM TURN YOU DO WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO SCREAM

 

 

 

And the first tube you ride will change your life forever.

i had a 6,4 with lots of nose rocker so it behaved like a 6,2 man was it hard to get the hang of