Board advice please...

[paulstratton]

Hi all - looking at getting a second hand board for my 15 year old son. New to surfing, has done 05 days in Morocco and manages to stand up. Wondering what kind of board/size so that not too advanced but also that will allow progress...he is around 5 foot 8 ins and weighs around 8 stone 4lbs...thanks for any advice Paul PS: will probably surf 06/07 times a year

[dtc]

If you read around this forum a bit you will come across lots and lots of advice. It will boil down to: something large (8ft+), something thick (2.5 inches+) and something wide (22inches+) - a 'mal' (long board). Greater volume = easier paddling and wave catching, greater size/surface area = greater stability. The bigger the better, really (although, in my opinion, no need to go over 9ft6). Yes, it wont fit in the car, yes it looks huge and, yes, it doesnt look like what Kelly or Taj rides. But, yes, it is the best board to buy.

Keep in mind that as an irregular surfer his progression will be quite slow, so there is no need to focus too much on a board 'that allows progression', as he might be several years away from much progression - all boards will allow him to stand and ride the wave and do some turns; if he can manage to get to that level within the next three years surfing 6 or 7 times per year, then he is doing well (and can then buy his own board at 18, if he needs it).

Also, at 15 he has some growing to do, so while a smaller board might seem ok now, when he is 18 and another 3 stone heavier and 6 inches taller, it might not be as good.

There are multiple brands, styles and manufacturers. Just keep an eye on the classifieds and get a board with the right dimensions that has no dings ('holes') in it - if its within the dimensions I mentioned above, it will almost certainly be appropriate. One with three fins ('thruster') is (I think - others may differ) better for a beginner than a board with one fin. And, there you have it - happy teenager (relatively happy!)

[surf patrol]

Hi paulstratton, welcome to Surfing Waves!

dtc has you pretty much covered with that post.

[paulstratton]

Hi DTC

Many thanks for your reply and very useful and precise advice...

In terms of 'category' I am looking for on the web what would the terms used for this kind of board? Would a 'funboard' or malibu/minimal be the right or wrong kind of board?

Thanks again,

Paul

[dtc]

Paul

The problem is a bit of 'loose' terminology about boards; but in general a malibu ('mal') is a long board (over 8ft) with a rounded nose; while a mini-mal is just a shorter version of the same design (usually 7-8ft).

so these ones are longboards http://www.mctavish.com.au/surfboards/p ... longboards (these are 'upmarket boards', so dont worry about the pricing!)

A 'funboard' is a less well defined term - some companies use funboard to mean mini-mal, for others a 'funboard' is a 'hybrid' (7ft or so board but with a more pointy nose).

here is a site that explains with pics (although I personally suggest a slightly longer board than this site recommends)

http://www.saltwater-dreaming.com/learn ... z25MIeQhaK

(but, for example NSP, who make good budget boards, call their mini mals 'funboards - http://www.newsurfproject.com/funboard-76.html)

The benefit of the rounder nose is stability and ease of paddling, and it allows the board to glide over smaller waves/operate with less speed. All good for learning.

There are plenty of other design concepts built into a surfboard, but in general the other parts of the design in a mal/mini mal design will be suitable for a beginner. The biggest risk is buying a 'gun' board, which is long board (often 8ft plus) and thus sometimes people think it is a mal, but they are much narrower than mals and designed for big waves. If you get a board around 22inches wide then you will avoid this risk (in other words, don't look just at the length of the board, the width and thickness are also important).

So a mal/mini mal is definitely the right kind of board; a funboard might be the right kind of board but it will depend on the manufacturer. Rule of thumb - rounded nose is good; any nose that looks pointy enough to be dangerous is bad.

[paulstratton]

Thanks DTC - excellent advice...

You have clarified many things...the terminology being a nightmare...so it's all clear now...thanks again this will make my search so much easier...cheers and happy surfing...

[paulstratton]

Hi dtc

Sorry just a quick one - what do you reckon of Nalu 7ft Minimal? cheers Paul (also fits the budget!)

[dtc]

Hi dtc

Sorry just a quick one - what do you reckon of Nalu 7ft Minimal? cheers Paul (also fits the budget!)

It looks like a foam board - is that right (rather than a 'fibreglass' board)?

Personally I wouldnt get a foam board. Firstly they arent quite the same as a 'real' board, so when your son transitions to a proper board there will be some re-learning (although not a lot, admittedly). I reckon they are harder to learn on than a real board, actually, as they are less stable and float differently and tend not to 'grip' the wave.

Foam boards are really designed for safety, in that if you hit someone with one then the damage is minimal. So its good for surf schools, where there are people all over the place who dont know how to control their boards.

But for surfing I'm not convinced. They arent terrible and I've seen people do some impressive things on foam boards, but they just arent as good as a real board. For surfing only a few times a year, perhaps it would be ok as a fun thing to do without being too serious about it. But for 'learning and advancement', its not a long term proposition.

Others may have a different view!

I don't know where you live or your budget, but one of these - or something siminlar - would probably be fine (subject to them being in good condition): (the first one looks really nice)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8FT-ROGER-COO ... 2575012ab2

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/nsp-surfboard ... 416a602bbf

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Surf-Board-Mi ... 416a500502



Like all second hand purchases, its a matter of keeping an eye out on the relevant sites/ads and pounching if/when something comes up. If you live anywhere near a surf store, it can be worth asking them about 2nd hand boards - they often 'trade in' boards and so have 2nd hand ones around.

[paulstratton]

Thanks again for the advice. I wasn't quite sure about the difference between foam and a real board and now that's clear - we'll take your advice and look out for a real board and also see if we can get to some shops. We live in Wiltshire, nr Bath, but my wife's from Porthcawl and the grandparents live down there so plenty of opportunity! cheers

[Albie999]

Might see you on the waves down at Porthcawl then Paul ... seems to have been a bit flat all week, hope this weekend is better

[paulstratton]

Hey Albie, sounds good...my kids really want to surf (especially my 15 yr old) we had a week out in Morocco (Taghazout) last April, it was great fun, we all managed to stand up but our kids outshone us... It's all set up for us as my in laws live in Newton so we can come down anytime. We may pop down next weekend as probably need to go round a few of the shops in Porthcawl to look for this b'day present (board). Hope this weekend is good for you...cheers

[Albie999]

Yep, the younger ones seem to have the advantage on us lol. This weekend looks like might be a bit flat, still optimistic though. Looking at the forecast for next weekend, surf looks better, so will be heading down on Sunday probably. It's only about 30 mins away, so not to bad

[dtc]

Thanks again for the advice. I wasn't quite sure about the difference between foam and a real board and now that's clear - we'll take your advice and look out for a real board and also see if we can get to some shops. We live in Wiltshire, nr Bath, but my wife's from Porthcawl and the grandparents live down there so plenty of opportunity! cheers

You will find most surf shops carry a few second hand boards, and the vast majority of them will be white pointy nosed 6ft boards that all look the same. But down the back there are usually a few bigger boards (just look for the rounded noses!). You may need to be patient or trawl a few shops; give them your number and they may call you when a board comes in.

If the boards have any dings (cracks/holes), get the shop to fix them (ask for it to be included in the sale price). Dings are easy to spot - the boards are covered with hard fibreglass sheets, so any dings look like shatter marks. With proper fixing they do not affect the board at all, apart from the colour scheme.

Most second hand boards will come with fins and, if they do, the fins should be ok - ask the shop if they are the right size (in general, for a longer board, the middle fin is longer than the 2 side fins). As a safety tip, some fins have very sharp edges (particularly the back edge) - I recommend getting out some sandpaper and sanding the sharp edge down a bit (the effect on performance will not be noticeable to a beginner). You dont want to land on something with a knife like edge.

You will also need a leash - sometimes boards come with an old leash but its probably worthwhile springing for a new leash as they are important for safety. Get one about the same length as the board (go the next size up if there isnt one exactly the same length).

Then send your son out into the waves. Then steal the board from him and do it yourself. Then buy yourself a board...

[paulstratton]

Sound advice especially me getting out there as well:) thanks again

[[surfthosewaves]]

I am 12 as Im sure most of you know by now since i have posted plenty of these things.I have once again been let down, as the NSP fish 6.4 board could not be found anywhere for a suitable price in my area. I have found some more boards that look okay, but im really worried they're gonna be too thin, and i wont be able to stand up without falling down. I am 167 cm, 50 kgs. The board ive been renting is 20 7/8 width, and 2 something in thickness. There are plenty of boards in the range of 6ft to 6.4 but a lot of them are a little bit thinner, and 17-19 in width. I am still very beginner, but i can now stand up and ride the whitewater waves perfectly, and down the face of the waves, if i can get a wave in the horrible conditions i can now stand up and ride to shore. In these choppy conditions, i havent been able to attempt any turns or things like that.
The waves are usually tiny, when im standing in the water, they usually go up to my chest or lower. Now i am VERY aware i am not ready for the transition from funboard to shortboard, but right now, we are not in a situation where we have money to spend on these 3000 rand custom boards or those other expensive ones. I found a local shop, where they sell second hand shortboards for under 1000 which is what i need to convince my parents to buy it.
I live 5-10 minutes from the beach and can ride there whenever i want- which means there is no limit to the amount of practice i can put in. Do you think i will be eventually able to ride these boards, or will i just wobble and fall over. I know i will need loads of practice and wont get it for a while, but my question to you is, IS IT POSSIBLE. and if so , how long will it take if i practiced 2-5 times a week? Please answer soon, Im desperate to get back in the water!
note: the boards are mostly 6.0 - 6.4 performancy boards and i dont know any tricks or cutbacks and can hardly even turn....
if you think it will be possible could you also tell me the best dimensions to get from those limited shortboard ones.