Confused beginner

[Millsy82]

Hello everybody. I recently tried surfing after moving to Cornwall and loved it. I've had a couple of lessons and want to look at getting a board of my own.

What gets me is what type of board do I go for? I have been to a couple of surf shops and they have said go for a softie with the one trying to sell me a Californian 8ft and another trying to sell me a redback which he said is hard top and bottom and not just the bottom.

Are they right or are they just trying to sell me what they have.

[oldmansurfer]

What kind of board did you use in your lessons? Surf shops can only sell you what they have but they can't stay in business if they sell the wrong boards very often. I hear soft boards are good for beginners because they are less like to injure you and because they are often quite cheap (Costco wavestorm) but if you have been riding hard boards and doing ok then you might stick with that. There are quite a few surfers familiar with that area here that can offer you more advice.

[drowningbitbybit]

If you've just moved to Cornwall, the chances are you'll get plenty of time in the water, and you'll soon outgrow a soft board. So it's probably best to take a few more lessons or hire out a foamie for a few days, then take a lesson on a hard board, and then think about buying a "real" board. The length and type of board will depend on your weight/age/fitness, but longer is easier to learn on (up to a point).

[Millsy82]

Thanks for your replies, they really are appreciated.

I have been on a swell board and a vision? Both foam boards. I have had a couple of lessons and have another booked in for the weekend, I can stand and to a degree I can turn but still not exactly when and where I want.

I was hoping to grab a cheap foam board to mess about on for a few weeks but it seems they are more rare than unicorn pee 2nd hand and those that are are usually damaged or go for almost the same as new.

I have read maybe a mini mal would be ok I'm 6ft 1 and around 82kg (too many pasties and ale! Lol) so maybe around 8 ft? Is what I have read. There are a few 7'9" would that be ok? I don't mind a steeper learning curve.

[waikikikichan]

There are a few 7'9" would that be ok? I don't mind a steeper learning curve.

Since you like making things harder on yourself, you should try deflate the tires on your bike before you go out on your next ride. Surfing takes times to get better at, why make it harder ? Surfing is 90% paddling and 10% riding. Getting a too small board, makes it hard to float, paddle and balance. But since you "don't mind a steeper learning curve", I guess that 7'9" will be the challenge you're looking for.

[saltydog]

When they say steep learning curve in surfing they mostly mean more labor intensive to paddle out back and then more missed waves which you paddle for. So basically you could be paddling pretty much the whole session and barely catching a few waves so you wouldn't get to the point of popping up and riding. BUT if you feel like the challenge I guess it can be done. I've stuck w/ a conventional wisdom of the longer the board the easier to learn. I'm glad I've been able to have fun while learning and seeing myself progress slowly buy steadily.

[Millsy82]

What I am saying is a few people have said an 8 foot would be OK, would going on a 7'9" board make that much of a difference from an 8' board? Is 3 inches really going to make a huge amount of difference.

[jaffa1949]

For a beginner YES! you are being given worthwhile advice, but you are free to do otherwise and understand in hindsight what is being suggested you you!

[Tudeo]

I liked my Bic 7'9" Natural Surf a lot for learning to surf, I was around 80 kg in that time. But I was in great shape and could compensate lack of technique, timing and positioning by sheer power.
Also that board is indestructible, you can drop it on the rocks and there will be no dings.
But off course a 9ft+ board will get you into waves much more easy.

[dtc]

Tudeo you had better waves and probably surfed quite often

Not that 8ft is an impossible learning board, it's just going to cut down waves caught and probably knock off 20% of surfing time

[Tudeo]

Tudeo you had better waves and probably surfed quite often

No, this was way before I moved to Bali. In that time I surfed maybe 2 weeks a year, mostly in the Southwest of France.

Actually when I started my recent stay in Bali in 2008, I was there 25 yrs ago for the first time, I couldn't find the right size surfboard. I stayed in Oldmans/Batu Bolong mind you.. How fast things have changed in those few years, now the place is packed with rentals and shops, and surfers..

In 2008 I asked the guide who installed me there for a 7'9", because of my good experiences with that size. But he couldn't find any and I didn't know where to look in that time and I made the classic mistake of accepting a smaller board, an mini malibu 7'3". Thinking I could handle that..

Until the day of today I regret that choice because I missed so many beautiful waves in that time, when the crowds where so much smaller then today.

The 7'3" minimal was a terrible board for me, not big enough to get in early and an even worse board for late takeoffs. Only my paddling power got really good from missing so many waves every day.. From the 7'3" I went to smaller boards and stayed a while with a fully rockered 6'10" hpsb, that was great for late takeoffs.

In later years I brought the 7'9" with me to Bali because it was only collecting dust back home, I have since then never ever missed a single wave with that board. Seriously..

[pmcaero]

I liked my Bic 7'9" Natural Surf a lot for learning to surf

That's what I learned to surf on, granted, I was/am a bit lighter than the OP. But we have crappy waves all summer.
As long as they're not too steep the Bic is OK and it's a sturdy board that will lats many years. It's pretty heavy and thick railed so probably not as easy to ride as a longboard, but it's definitely NOT a handicap for a beginner.