Tips for selecting my 1st surfboard

[alimac2411]

Hi all - i've been bodyboarding for 12years but think it's about time i got myself a surfboard! From reading other posts and surfing guides i think a mini mal board sounds like the most suitable beginners board that i like the sound of, (don't really fancy a longboard).
I'm now thinking about which size of board i should go for, is 7'6" reasonably suitable? Could i maybe go for 1 that is only 7foot?
I'm 6foot and weigh about 10 and a half stone, (67kgs roughly).
Thanks for any help!

[isaluteyou]

The 7'6 is going to be a good board to learn on. Hoever if you are competant at DK'ing then i dont see anyreason why a 7 ft board would prove too much of learning curve. Also unless you plan on surfing a great deal then id go for something bigger.

[surferdude_scarborough]

7'6 sounds fine to learn on really. 7' might be a bit on the short side unless you get something thick and fairly round in the nose like a magic carpet. 7' is usually approaching funboard more than a minimal.

[Farno]

I've just gone through the 'Buying a first board' bit and after phoning loads of shops and asking a few questions on here (it seems everyone has a different opinion) i bought a 7'6 NSP minimal. I'm 75kg and 5'11

Hope this helps

[Surfing-Innovation]

Bit of a cut and paste reply from me - find a local shaper if possible, if not, email or phone one 'not so local'.

Tell him what level you're at, where you plan to surf and how often and what sort of style of surfing you prefer (mellow old skool stuff or more progressive, etc). Tell him about your break, how much you weigh, how tall you are, etc, etc, etc, etc - et voila - he'll be the man to make you the EXACT board that you want - and chances are you'll save a few quid over one you'd find in a shop!!!

Why more people don't use shapers is, quite frankly, beyond me..........

[alimac2411]

Thankyou all for the help - yeah when i get this board i intend to use it a hell of a lot! I will keep trawling the net for the right board - there's no board shaper locally were i stay unfortunately but i might check out were the closest one is though!

[kitesurfer]

Well i reckon you should go for the 7ft one. At 67kg and 6ft your tall and light and you've been body boarding already so you should have no probs catching waves.
If you want to eventually go down the thruster route to a short board then i'd recomend a big thruster/fat boy flier style of board. 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches thick with quite full rails as this will give you all the volume you need. 20 inches wide should give you all the stability you need too. A wideish tail will also help with catching waves.
However as SS as said a magic carpet style board is also a great board to learn on. Fast, stable and fast, catches most waves.

KS

[alimac2411]

kitesurfer, you're input is appreciated. I quite like the sounds of the magic carpet board and am going to investigate into it a bit further.
One of my friends got a fat boy flyer as his very 1st board and said he struggled to get to grips with it for 3 months but now he loves it, me i think the 7' mini mal or a magic carpet board. Then i reckon the fat boy flyer once i am competent and ready to step up a level.

[drowningbitbybit]

Good grief - the most sensible newbie we've had on here for a long time!

Absolutely no hint of a from me!

A difficult choice between the mini-mal and the magic carpet - they'd both be suitable for you, but they have a different 'feel' and it'll all come down to preference. Mini-mal is probably marginally easier to start off on, so it comes down to whether this would be your first board to learn on and soon to be replaced, or whether its a board you'd like to progress on and keep.

I'd go with the magic carpet with the intention of keeping it, and then get the flyer as well when you've progressed a bit. You cant beat a good varied quiver

[alimac2411]

sensible? me? Hahaha thankyou.

Well i think ideally it'd be a board i'd like to keep and progress on, so i get my moneys worth out of it. I intend to be surfing most days it's possible to surf too, so hopefully that'll help me progress at a fairly fast speed.
Thanks drowningbitbybit i'm pretty much sold on the magic carpet board now - just need to find a shop selling them, then call the shop and speak to the person to see which of their magic carpet boards would be the most suitable for me!

[alimac2411]

anyone have any thoughts on this one? I'm thinking 7'2" in length as that's as small as they go. If anyone has any advise it'd be appreciated before i splash the cash! Thanks.

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