Selecting your best surfboard includes a decision about how much fun you want to have and do you want to have the maximum fun. The other criteria many new surfers make is do they want to look cool.
Its one thing for a coach to pontificate about what he thinks is the right thing to do, but surfing is an individual sport and the independence people love gives them the right to select their dream board.
Beginner Students Dream
As soon as surfers begin, they want to emulate the experts they saw in the movies ripping and shredding great waves. It would be like me watching Top Gun and enrolling for flying lessons. I want to be like Maverick.
Surfing and flying are slow learned processes and are more complex than they appear. The first thing new surf students say is this is more difficult than I imagined. The second thing they say is it is more tiring than I imagined.
This might indicate why the culture of surfing is so special. Those who know, have climbed the ladder, made the sacrifices, learned patiently, and put in the time to improve. Each has a great respect and love of the ocean and knows the risks of advancing to bigger waves.
One secret for lasting in the sport until such time as you can wear your stripes is make the smart moves along the way. Surf on the board that suits your learning status, your body size, your conditioning, and your courage.
Starting with High Volume Boards
9′ soft tops are the best place to start for teens and adults. They have the volume to help you catch foam waves and learn the fundamentals of getting on the surf board in the right posture. Many master this in one lesson.
I move these students to an 8′ soft top which is more maneuverable and more demanding while requiring more stamina to paddle. This board can catch 7′ high real waves, so there are no limitations for awhile. I have had students progress to riding bigger waves and even real waves in one lesson.
If students get to surf often, they can consider moving to real boards which means fiberglass or epoxy. These boards deliver more performance because they are more maneuverable. Caution here because if the drop is too radical, they are harder to paddle, harder to catch waves, and harder to ride. There goes the fun.
How to Progress Shorter
I suggest if dropping in size to move down six inches in length and keep the width and thickness. A fun board is 7’6″ long, 21″+ wide, and at least 2 3/4″ thick. This is a great first move down.
There is also nothing wrong with going bigger. Weekend surfers might enjoy a longer board like 9′ or 9″ because week end warriors can paddle for an hour or two as opposed to twenty minute sessions on a short board. The longer board catch waves easy and therefore in a session, one can ride a lot of waves. What’s not to like?
Read Other Posts:
Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops
5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance
3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves
Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board
Short Board Surfing Techniques
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Why do surfers surf? What is it about the culture that attracts and holds millions of people in the world? Why is the culture growing and how has it infiltrated our world with clothing, music, fitness, and stoke?
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