First Longboard Purchase

[RiverHill]

I will start off by saying I am new to surfing. I have done a couple lessons, but would like to purchase a good quality longboard that I can learn and grow with. I will be using this board on the East Coast from Maryland to Florida.

I am 46, so I am old to be getting started, but something I always wanted to do. I am 5'11" and 190# Any suggestions on boards would be helpful. I did stop in 2 local shops, but the kids tried to talk me in to short boards. I know better than that, as a first timer.

[dtc]

9ft X 22 X 2 5/8

With all measurements being minimums ie you can go a longer or wider or thicker, but try not to go under. Epoxy or traditional PU/fibreglass doesn't matter. I prefer 3 fins but single fins are fine as well

There are literally 1000s of different shapers and manufacturers who make a board like this, so suggesting one or two really means we are only going to be able to point you to one of the bigger global companies- who are fine but there are plenty of other suitable boards as well.

Happy to look at any specific boards you want to link to

[billie_morini]

"I am 46, so I am old to be getting started,..."
Balderdash!
There are threads in this forum in which guys started at the very same age.

[Oldie]

I am also a beginner and slightly older (50) and heavier (90kg/200lb). I now have around 40 days of surfing experience, so not much at all but I do see continous improvement and get more and more successful in catching waves, popping up and riding down the line with some small turns (that probably still look very silly). I am not at a level yet that I can do bottom turns or top turns.

For me, my longboard at 9.0 x 23 x 3 1/4 works quite well in terms of catching waves and has 77l volume. But i also rode over the last weeks a BIC Magnum 8.4 with a bit less volume (71l) and had a lot of fun with it, much more than I expected. But when we had very small and weak waves (1-2ft), I had most success in catching waves with a 8ft Softech Softbard from my surf school that has 83l. So I would be generous with volume and find Firewires Volume calculator quite helpful.

[saltydog]

Plenty of people start later in their life as you can see from this thread: https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17676
I'm 42 and started last year and finally trimming down the line both sides(mostly backside) with mild turns. Currently I ride a 9' x 22 1/8" x 2 3/4" longboard with lots of buoyancy and glide for a lightweight like me. The guy the board was originally shaped for looked to be around 5'10 and 170lb, so it's pretty close to the minimum guideline dtc has given you.

[pmcaero]

You should get a Wavestorm from Costco for starters, for 99 bucks it's not much of an investment. Once you outgrow that, you will have a lot more experience in deciding what you want. And a foam board is always good to have for crowded summer beaches.

[icetime]

Take dtcs advice he knows what he's talking about and welcome to the community it's never too late to start, plus a large part of the surfing-waves community are your age or even older so you will find lots of advice