Board Recommendations

I think, based on this being your first board and your size, you should probably get something inbetween a longboard and a shortboard.
something like the Rusty terminator or Desert Island, or something like Lost Glider model. these are basically short boards for bigger guys. From what I read on this forum there appears to be a bunch of guys in our size range that surf short boards, in the 6'6" range and smaller. I have no clue how they do it but Im certain years of experience and being in good surfing shape help. When I sit on my 6'6" short board in the water, my shoulders are practically at water level. lol. basically sinking.

 

Dude, go big. You'll have much more fun getting the hang of surfing. You'll catch more waves, and progress much faster. If you get too small of a board, you'll be sinking all over the place, paddling like a bastard to catch waves, and end up very frustrated. Too many big guys buy these potato chip boards and wind up quitting. Im 6'5, 230. The smallest thing I ride is a 7'6 Kingfish. Just accept that you are a big dude and you need some foam...and have fun. I'd go with a longboard. Perfect for small to overhead. Always a good time.

 

Agreed, foam is your friend. For a first board, you want to go big, then as your surfing progresses, you can go smaller. Longboards are stable and catch waves easy. You say you're in great shape, but it is not the same as being in great surfing shape. I was a collegiate athlete in the best shape of my life when I started, and surfing kicked my arse. I saw fat old guys paddling circles around me.

Small boards are harder to paddle and less stable to stand on

Big boards are easier to paddle and more stable to stand up on

I'm a big guy, 6-6 255 and I started on a 10-2 longboard but have progressed to surfing boards as short as 7'. All my boards are fat and wide (just like my women) to support my size though.

Like the previous poster said, surfing a board that is too small is frustrating and might lead to you quitting. Good luck.

 

Don't get a 9' longboard... that's a huge misconception that length is where your learning is crutched. It's not. You'd be sitting in the water trying to get a huge log turned around and spending all your time just controlling where your boards pointed. Don't get a fish either. They require a certain type of riding style you definitely won't have off the bat. Get a 7'6 fun shape or an egg.

Look into a Channel Islands M13 or something similar (M13 might be a little pricey for a first board.) Id put you on a 7'6" ideally. Paddles well, catches waves well and you won't sacrifice too much stability.

 

I agree with this last post. I have been surfing for about 20 years, but one of my good buddies didn't decide to pick it up until around age 30 (I am 34). Luckily, he was on vacation in the OBX with me and another friend who has been surfing for over 20 years. He got a chance to try a funboard, longboard and big guy shortboard over the course of a week and wound up purchasing a 7'2" funshape later that summer. He felt the longboard was too hard for him to control and felt more comfortable with the funshape. Although, now he wants to buy a longboard. We are all over6 feet tall and foam is our friend. Grovelling for waves sucks.

 

no. that board is not right for your size or experience level. I think you'd be in the 7 to 7'6" range as mentioned before....

 

I still say go big. A guy whos 6'3 200 lbs should have no trouble whipping a 9 footer around. Come on, lets be realistic. While there are some things that are harder to learn on a longboard, a big board for a big guy. Thats all. Not everyone is a blonde shaggy haired gnome weighing in at 85 lbs who can diddle around on paper thin boards doing aerials 360s and ****.

"Most of my boards are fat and wide, like my women"...hahahaha thats classic

 

It depends LOT on where and how often you will be able to surf. If you plan to learn this summer on the Delmarva like Assateague or OC on a bunch of weekends, you will be lucky to see chest high waves even a few times and will mostly be learning in knee high surf. Id recommend a fun shape in the 7'6”+ range. >If you will be able to paddle out on a regular basis all year you could start on something smaller like a 6 8” egg or something. It will be more frustrating on the smaller days, but will help help your paddling ability progress more quickly.

 

I think it really depends on what you want to surf. Just because you want to learn to surf, doesn't mean you ultimately need to surf a short board. I personally started out ona longboard, progressed shorter and went back to longboarding because I like it more. It is really your own personal preference. If you want to surf only shortboards in the future, start shorter. My brother did that and surfs a shortboard fairly well, yet he is clueless and intimidated by longboards which is silly.

 

I'm about your weight but shorter and my boards go from 6'5'' - 9'8''. I suggest going with a 7'8" fun board. I would start there,then decide if you want to go with a shortboard or maybe a longboard. One thing I would stay away from is big guy shortboards. All the ones I've tried were way to thick and wide. They turned like crap and just feel like junk.

 

I agree with what you're saying, although I don't know if there is too much of a point in worrying about what he might want to do in the future (with surfing). I rode only longboards for the first couple years I surfed (was sure that was what I wanted to do), then became obsessed with tiny shortboards. Now I think I found my perfect place/the best of both worlds - weird retro shapes (closer to shortboards, just a little more volume than the rip/shred/narly/radical potato chip boards).
I'd say get a funboard and learn the basics, don't get too carried away with wanting a short board too quick - it might come back to haunt you.

 

I'm your hieght and weight and you should listen to the foam is your friend comments. The more waves you catch the more you'll like surfing and you just arent going to do it starting on a shortboard. Ultimately yes.... the longboard will catch more waves than anything but if you are bent on starting smaller then I like to reccomend a round nose fish. The board pictured below is 6'8 x 21.5 x 2.75. It has a full outline and boxier rails and easily floats a 250 lb person. The tail is cut down and will turn much like a shortboard but it's a very stable platform for a noob like yourself. Get a custom made stick and you'll get exactly want you want and it will cost you less than buying from a shop. Remember you're a big guy and you need more glass under you than what a shop board has to offer. Hope this helps you out.

 

Solid advice from Mitchell... If you've already decided to learn on a shortboard, and not a longboard, then get a hybrid or eggy type board. 7'+ is about right, too, but don't go longer than 7'6. If you don't know a local shaper, Challenger makes several models. The CI M13 or the CI Waterhog... an example of an eggier style hybrid... are also options, but the M13 is for bigger surf than you'll see in the summer outside of tropical swells.

You want something that looks like this: http://www.wavejammer.com/surf/brds/shortbd095.shtml

or this: http://www.wavejammer.com/surf/brds/shortbd052.shtml

You'll learn quickly that muscle isn't everything when it comes to catching waves. Position, timing, glide, and adjusting on the fly. You don't need a log to do that if you dedicate yourself and start with a board that floats you well.

 

Try a biscuit for your first board, they are expensive but worth it. Im starting out on a 7'2'' Channel Island biscuit, it has alot of foam and floats my fattass and is easier to stand up on than a shorter board. I have a 6'2'' Tuflite Biscuit as well, that is harder to learn on but will be my stepdown board. Go big! And Go thick too! My 7'2'' board is 3 1/8 inches thick.

 

I can see that you're from Jersey, so i'm not familiar with the shops there, but I'd suggest going to a shop and talking with some knowlegeable guys there - they know about the breaks and which boards word best for them, and you can tell them the type of surfing you're interested in - old school (longer lines, longer boards) or modern styles (shorter boards, more maneuverable for cutbacks, quick turns, etc.) but MOST OF ALL - get a used board!!! It's cheaper, you could get better quality for $ than an expensive new board that you're going to grow out of (as you inprove!) Good luck!

 

First off don't purchase a board, try renting first. A longboard, shortboard for a hour or more and then decide what you want to buy first. You will need at least a couple of different sizes boards for the variable conditions of the surf we get on the east coast along with the tide changes affecting the wave conditions. I'm 151 lb and have no more trouble turning a 9 ft longboard than a 6' 8" surfboard. You will ride a longboard more than a shortboard on the east coast. All i can say is, if you surf and have never surfed a longboard your missing a completely different type of surfing expierence. HANG TEN!!!

 

surf em all! Longboards, shortboards, hybrids, and everything you can get your hands on. One of the comments above that mentioned getting started on a funboard if you have you mind made up to surf shortboards. That comment stuck with me.

I started on a longboard, and I love surfing longboards, but found that I enjoy surfing off the tail much more than noseriding and stepping up and down the board. I have to wonder perhaps if I had started on a funboard perhaps I would have progressed faster in the style of surfing I enjoy the most. Who knows, you have to accrue some time and experience in the water to know what you really like.

I know I weighed in already, and hope that you find this advice useful, but no matter what you do, make sure you get a really floaty board for your first. Also be sure to try longboarding and shortboarding because they all have their place given the conditions and the wave type that you're surfing and I believe that each type of board you ride teaches you something and makes you a better all around surfer.

One word of warning before you get started. Make sure you are ready to partake on the most rewarding, frustrating, fun, disappointing, fulfilling, and addicting activity ever. If you get bit by the bug, you will never be the same.

 

Go to your local shop and see how many used longboards they have than look at the number of shortboards.
Ask why are there so few used longboards for sale. Good surfers have a longboard in their quiver. Ask why?
It's easier to learn, paddle, and catch waves on a longboard and here on the right coast we generally have more
days when you can surf if you have a longboard available to you. Learn on a longboard and once you feel
more competent and able get a shortboard. Please learn appropriate behavior in the water irrespective of what type of board you buy.