got my first board, have a few questions

[Salty]

Not a good choice for a board to learn on!

[Kyle]

I live in the North Palm Area....find myself using my 6'10 funshape more than any other boards...lots of mush here in FL bud.

Unless there's a good hurricane swell, the shorties don't get a ton of use.

[ThatSlyB]

A misconception is that surfing is like skateboarding and snowboarding, or that the basics of it can be learned fairly well in a day, as they can be with those sports. This is a wrong assumption. But good luck.

[cole]

Thanks everyone, ill think about renting a funboard while down there.

[Erock]

when you go to sebastian inlet, make sure you paddle out to the main peak and introduce yourself to everyone. it's common courtesy when visiting a break.

Don't forget to sit as close to other people as you can, touching is preferred. The locals are really friendly, touchy-feely people.

[seldom seen]

Holding hands helps prevent drift in the lineup.

[DawnPatrolSUP]

Super friendly crowd at the Inlet, staying as close to the jetty as you can will show them respect and they'll welcome you into the lineup with open arms.

[pinkstink]

I learned on a 6'0 from the 70s (thing was probably 3" thick). What everyone's saying is right. It's a gonna be a b*tch to learn to surf on that thing, although it's a really nice board. If you're really committed to surfing then it's gonna be a good board to have in the future, but you might want to consider grabbing a fun shape for the time being. Since you've already dropped the cash you might as well try it out in FL but know that it's not gonna be easy or that much fun for the first couple of months, regardless of your skill with other board sports. Balance is only important once you've learned to catch waves, and unless you're exceptionally fit, catching waves is going to be tough at first. Despite all the wise guys, there's some really good info in the forum. Search through the older threads and you'll find plenty of info on surfing basics. Just starting out though, you might be better served just doing a bunch of push ups and pull ups before your trip

[Erock]

In all seriousness, try to rent or demo a Firewire Sweet Potato if you don't want to lug around something 7' long but have similar stability and wave-catching ability.

Don't actually surf IN the inlet, unless you are down with noodling Black-Tips and Bull Sharks.

[CBSCREWBY]

Don't forget to sit as close to other people as you can, touching is preferred. The locals are really friendly, touchy-feely people.

Cole, there are just as many sharks surfing the web as sharks in the surf.... Erock... you of all people!!!!