If you haven't bought boots or gloves, I suggest 7mm boots and mitts instead of gloves. The 4/3 will be quite chilly but you can do it. Be careful of the wind with a suit that thin in the winter and have fun.
Very good info. Yea I'll be doin nollie shovits on this surf board in no time. Skateboarding is the shiznit. I'm just looking to try something different that may be a little easier on the body as I get older. Shin ding and road rash fn hurt. I'm sure they are very similar. I picked up snowboarding on a double Damond in one hour! I know where to go for surfing just gotta wait for the right temps and waves now.
I agree. That board it too short. It is easier, or quicker to learn on a long board or a longer board. Skating, IMO, has little to do with surfing excepting maybe how your body follows your head... 4/3 will do you okay for an hour or so in md or delaware but not up north. shooot - just go and try it and see what's what. everyday you will learn something new and never worry about what others think. you will meet a tremendous amount of assssheads out there but you will also meet some very cool, calm people.
I agreee that learning on a longboard is way overrated!!! I actually understand the concept that its more stable etc.. but its harder to manage and it doesnt help once you want to get on a shorrt boars your timing is all off! I learned on a normal 6'6 thruster then had a longboard for small days which helped get more water time. Then dumped the LB for a fish. I have taught several people to surf on that fish. Your board is fine and with your background you'll be good!!! Nest year you will want a smaller stubby quad to skate on the waves...Have fun!
I really don't think you know much about skating.... The reason people don't start on HPs is because of the insane turning radius it has in the water, and the fact that it has less stability on a longboard. The turning radius of loose trucks on a skateboard is much greater than on a standard shortboard. A skateboard is also much more responsive than a HPS not to mention a longboard. If your dropping in on a 8 ft quarter pipe w/ semi loose or loose trucks not only are you going to have less of stability than a longboard but your dropping in on something that is as steep if not steeper than your average wave. The balance IS exactly the same. If your an avid skater surfing will come to you much faster than if you have never done a boardsport in you life... and surfing wont be the hard part it will be the paddling out, wave selection, duck diving, etc. Surfing influenced Skateboarding at first than Skateboarding influenced Surfing. Have you ever seen a half pipe? It emulates a wave. Not to mention how almost every single air that is pulled in surfing was influenced by skaters. Reverting and Powersliding are some of the obv. examples. when people do FS air reverses they are using a skateboard manuver. Not to mention going completely vertical was taken from skaters in pools and later influenced surfboard design. Basically you have to understand many things from both surfing and skating are incorporated in each other.... they go hand and hand. You can get alot better alot faster in skating and surfing if you do both. Many pro surfers are very good at skating like Jordy Smith and John florence. and vice versa like Danny Way and Tony Alva. The more progressive surfers will know what im talking about and (No offence) you middle aged people on LBs wont. The morale of the story is if your a good swimmer and a good skater you should have no problem learning how to surf on a shorter less stable board and you will get it much quicker than your average beginner.
