Hi all I'm a short time lurker just wanted to say hello. I recently took up surfing and have gotten some lessons and done some board rentals this summer. I don't yet have a board but would like to get one soon. I'm tall and thin (6 foot and 150 lbs) and not yet sure what type of longboard I need. Most of my surfing has been done on 9, 11 or 12 foot softops but they chafe my legs pretty damn bad when sitting up on them. And I've rented some 11 foot hard tops that didnt chafe but left me bruised to hell (lower ribs and front hip bones) Hopefully I'll toughen up or learn to lay on the board w/o getting so beat up. I've been told to get a flat rockered, long, thick, wide board for Texas waves. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks
yo Pearling (like the name,) yeah i would say the advice you got was pretty solid. i feel like you're going to want a 9' base model longboard of some sort. you specifically asked about a longboard, so that's why i'm saying something that's at least 9'. to me, most people on here would tell you that a true longboard would start at a minimum of 9', but also as long as it's 3 feet taller than you are, i guess technically that's a longboard too. to me (somewhat of a purist) it's got to be 9' at a minimum. yeah, your time spent on the soft-tops was well spent. you realized you enjoyed doing it enough that you want to progress to the next step. awesome! well, go find you one that's fiberglass or even epoxy. it's been hurting your ribs because they're not used to having the pressure on them like that; that's normal for all of us. after a few sessions in a week's time, you probably won't feel that pain any longer. maybe you should be looking for something used/second hand, that way it will save you a little money off the top & you won't feel like you have to baby the thing because it's brand new. a spanking brand-new one might run you anywhere from $550 on upwards of a grand! whoa. you can probably find a solid used one for $300-$650... something like that. maybe ebay, craigslist; but i would start at your local shop in town, see what they have to say. STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT SAYS "BIC" ON IT. for the love of god. you shouldn't have much trouble finding something that's American made. best wishes to you! see what some other folks have got to say about it....
Go with what u were told. 9'6" or so. I wouldn't go more than 10' tho. Fact: only 3% who take lessons on soft tops - and get to their feet - actually keep going to become a surfer.
69% of all statistic are made up. Go for it bro, but keep it around 9'6" or 9'. You sound in decent shape and even though the waves you plan to ride are usually small, you want something you can turn and trim instead of a big ole log. Get a single fin with a fin box, and experiment with different fins and fin placements for different conditions. You can get a 3 fin longboard once you learn the basics. The rib stuff will go away with time spent. Get an old used one and find a bro to help you fix the dings. Just make sure it has a bit of a nose and tail rocker so it is forgiving, and soft rails in the middle and thin rails in the back.
Hey guys! Thanks for the great info, I really appreciate the advice. I was thinking I'd need at least a 10 foot long board but maybe not? So far I've done most surfing at Galveston near 43rd street jetty b/c I have a woman there. But the waves have sucked recently. I spend alotta time in Corpus / Port A fishing but never tried surfing there. I think I'm gonna try packary channel on Tues/Wed b/c surf forecast looks good. Here are some 4th of July surf pics. If you see me on the gulf coast feel free to say hi....or drop in on me haha The GF on left, badass big wave rider Jamilah Star on right. At Chuns on north shore In front of Canoes break @ Waikiki At Chuns Sharks Cove Turtle Bay
Thanks for the info Gaffer! Yes I definitely want to spread out and stay away from everybody until I learn how to turn a little faster.
Hey Gaffer, no must be a different gal as I dont think this one has been in any magazine spreads (that I know of haha) Man I need to get a board and soon! Looks like there'll be decent waves in Texas all week and it sucks having to plan my days around the opening and closing times of surf shops, especially since I'm a commuter . Do you think 9'6 will be long enough or should I go 10+ foot? I'd like to be able to surf often even when waves are small so I'm thinking bigger is better? I've been searching craigslist but used longboards are still fairly expensive. I'd like to get a beater for cheap b/c I dont yet know enough about what I want/what I need. But beater longboards seem hard to come by!
I have a 9' single fin and it does great in Galveston. I usually let the guys ride it that haven't surfed much before. I found it on the sea wall for 100 bucks. It's a lot of fun, especially when it's too small for a short board.
I rented 9'0 and 9'6 boards from Breakers and Kook's in Surfside when I started out surfing, and got all the bruising and chaffing as Pearling descibed. However my neighbors kid had a 7'6 NSP that he let me borrow. And I surfed that board till I stood up and then made my first bottom turn. I acquired most of the basic surfing skills on that board. I am 5'11 and 170 lbs. So you dont have to learn to surf on a longboard when starting out, I didn't. Surfing and board selection is the ongoing conversation that surfers get to discuss. "You should try this board!" As surfers we will always feel like a different board will work better, but the board we learn to surf on will always play role in how we surf and what type of rider we are. Because groms learn to surf on shortboards usually, and adults that pick up the sport usually start out on longboards.
