Bic 7'9 deckpad or wax ?

[Silvery]

Greetings, getting my first hardboard after learning to surf on an 8ft softboard. Tried the bic 7'9 waxed and really liked it, thinking about the padded bic . Any opinions, pros cons . Thanks for looking.

[dtc]

Padded boards tend to be really heavy, so harder to carry and turn. At a higher level of performance the soft rounder rails (edges) may also be a negative, but that probaby won't affect you too much. Otherwise they are much the same - I guess you don't get the joy of waxing the board as much.

So - the padded boards aren't common for a reason; their advantage is safety related but their disadvantages are as above. Personally the safety advantage is over rated - they will still give you a broken nose if they hit you, but they will be less likely to cause a cut.

[Silvery]

Thanks for the reply. Thought the only difference was the 'padded' has a deck pad for the feet instead of waxing, don't think it's actually padded?

[waikikikichan]

Are you going to be surfing in a Full wetsuit ( long arms and long legs ) all the time ?

[dtc]

Thanks for the reply. Thought the only difference was the 'padded' has a deck pad for the feet instead of waxing, don't think it's actually padded?

ahh - there are board with full deck padding (like softboards, except that they are proper hard boards just with padding on the top and rails).

Personally I dont see any downsides to wax, other than the relatively minor cost. As wkk indicated, if you are surfing without a wetsuit then deck pads will be umcomfortable. Even with a wet suit, laying on them might not be as nice (although it might offer protection if you have bony hips).

[Silvery]

Thanks for the reply's, I'm in England mostly be surfing south west, East coast easter till October Atlantic coast France in august' maybe portugal spain, so full suite ok. Shortie I give my arms/knees a sandpaper with the pad .

[pmcaero]

just wax it

[Silvery]

Thanks for the insightful reply, anyway been reading some positive feedback elsewhere, got a couple of weeks till my six weeks in SW France to decide.

[pmcaero]

Thanks for the insightful reply, anyway been reading some positive feedback elsewhere, got a couple of weeks till my six weeks in SW France to decide.

or better yet don't get a Bic. (spoken after 5 years of Bic riding)

[Silvery]

Why not? What about them do you dislike? What size did you have?

[pmcaero]

Why not? What about them do you dislike? What size did you have?

7'9" plastic. I think it's held me back in my surfing progression because it's so heavy it is hard to turn, so you go in without realizing what a board should be able to do.
At the same time it doesn't have the glide of a longboard so you also don't get as much riding time.

[Silvery]

Food for thought, when I hired one I was thinking how light it was compared to my foamy ! the other board I was thinking about was an 8ft cortez.

Need to get this right first time haven't got the time to fk about.
Thanks for the advice.

[waikikikichan]

[7'9" plastic. I think it's held me back in my surfing progression because it's so heavy it is hard to turn,

I've ridden the BIC 9'0" in the Bic Sports One Design Longboard Challenge. Got 2nd place in Japan qualifier ( only 1st goes on to the World finals ). The board rode fine. Would I rather have MY board, Yes. But everyone competed on the same board. It came down to the skill of the rider. ( and getting the lucky wave ).
If Plastic is so hard to turn, what do you think they were "turning" before Foam and Fiberglass came along ? Balsa and Redwood. What were they using to glass board before 4 oz. cloth. Thick heavy weaved VOLAN cloth 10 oz. cloth. Even now, surfers can turn those heavy glasses "Logs", because they know how, when and where to turn them.
If you put your foot on the right spot of the board, using the right amount of pressure and angle, in the right part of the wave, you can turn even a 12 foot tanker. So turning a 7'9" Bic shouldn't be a problem.

[pmcaero]

It came down to the skill of the rider. ( and getting the lucky wave ).

yes I understand that, I am talking about using a Bic as a learning tool. It's a bigger investment than a foamie and hence you would assume one keeps it for longer in their quiver. At some point it becomes a hindrance. And yes, you can turn a Bic on a dime with appropriate back-foot pressure, but to get to that level in skill it takes far longer than with a more nimble board. Not to mention the fact that a beginner does not understand speed management enough to quickly recover speed after the turn.

[waikikikichan]

7'9" plastic. I think it's held me back in my surfing progression because it's so heavy it is hard to turn,

I am talking about using a Bic as a learning tool. It's a bigger investment than a foamie and hence you would assume one keeps it for longer in their quiver. At some point it becomes a hindrance. And yes, you can turn a Bic on a dime with appropriate back-foot pressure, but to get to that level in skill it takes far longer than with a more nimble board. Not to mention the fact that a beginner does not understand speed management enough to quickly recover speed after the turn.

The OP seeks advice from moving from a 8'0" sponge to a hard board. The beginner-friendly 7'9" Bic seems a logical step. If and when, he feels it "hindrance" and not a beginner anymore, he'll seek advice again and move on to another board. Speed management and coming out of turns with speed is more an advance move. He is not at the more advanced level of "Pumping" his board . Beginners need to learn how to be in the right spot, catch waves, bottom turn, set the rail /line , and do simple turn downs and ups. The 7'9" Bic we'll do those fine and be durable for the time needed. It refreshing to hear someone NOT asking if he should get a 6'2" Fish as his next board.
Question : What is ( brand / model ) a more "Nimble" board that a beginner moving down from a 8'0" sponge should get then ? If you say 7'9" Bic is NOT recommended, than what are some good recommendations? I'm sure the OP would like to hear some options.

[pmcaero]

Option 1: Fiberglass/epoxy longboard 9'. Good to have a longboard in your quiver even if you progress to shortboards.
Option 2: 7'6" Fiberglass/epoxy funboard, but not a Mini-Mal. Something with a bit more rocker and sharper nose. Will help with progression to shortboards.

[waikikikichan]

Which exact brand and model of 9'0" longboard or 7'6" funboard is more "nimble" and recommended for the OP to purchase ? As you know, brand to brand, model to model, the ride varies. You can help him/her narrow down his search.
And why not a epoxy 8'0" mini-mal ?

[Silvery]

Thanks for the advice you two I really appreciate it.

Scanning the surf forums for genuine information on bics is a lottery at best, so much biased even hatred opinions of them,beginning to think trying to turn a bic would be like surfing a lump of concrete.

At my age I'm not concerned about the 'cool' factor, done some bb in but didn't stand on a board till last summer at the age of 55 not interested in trying to progress down to a short board just something I can enjoy the pure pleasure of gliding on the ocean.

Size got to be around eight ft max to get in my car.
Thanks again and keep the advice coming.

[Tudeo]

I learned to surf on a Bic 7'9", mostly surfed southwest France and Portugal then, I'm 6ft 75-77kg. Later I brought it with me to Bali and, in those waves, slowly understood it was time for an other board with more performance. It was the weight and the too big flexibility of the board that, I felt, was holding me back to do more dynamic surfing.
But for learning this board was perfect for me, it was a very good wave catcher and very ding resistent, as in indestructible.

[jaffa1949]

Silvery , you are right on track in your thoughts. Various 8ft epoxy boards offer durability, the BIC even more so, flotation is better with the BIC but the epoxy boards are lighter. Gaining skill at your stage is about wave catching and learning positional surf reading.
Usual progress... white water catching and side to side slight turning , catching green waves riding the wave across the face, beginning to turn , increasing the dynamic quality of your turns both front and back hand. All can be done on BICs, epoxy or PU longboards.
If 8ft is your aim then I would suggest a program of BIC, then Epoxy ( that being the board to end up on.
This especially if your home break is liable to cause dings.
Be prepared to expand your limitations slightly each session and come back regularly for tips.
Video of your sessions uploaded here, we can advise further on how to enhance your journey.
We love to see success.