My son who's 9 years old (4'11" and 80 pounds) is ready to stand up. He got some decent rides this past summer (nothing like seeing the stoke on your son's face!) on a 7' pos rental but there's no way I'm gonna buy him one of those. I got a deal on a (used) board that I thought would work for him (Biolos Mayhem 5'2" x 15 x 1 5/8) but he's been struggling on it and isn't quite ready for it yet. I don't want to put him off by having him struggle too much. He obviously needs something with more volume that will paddle better and let him get his confidence up. Any advice? Especially from any groms out there who may have been his size/age in the not so distant past? Much appreciated.
I see a lot of groms at my local beach riding fish type boards. Both like a Lost RNF or even a twin fin. Both can be found pretty short but still have a lot of volume.
2 cents worth I'm trying to get my girlfriends 12 yo into it, so we sent her to a few surf camps this year. I think your on the right track as far as more volume. More volume neans better paddling to catch more waves and more stability to get to his feet. They are putting kids his size on fun board shapes, 7-7 1/2 x ~22" x ~2 1/2" thick. Try Craigs list. I've had some good luck buying and selling board on there. Good Luck!
When i was his exact age and exact height and weight, i got my first board. a 5'9 x 19 x 2 1/4 Cannible round nose....much like the RNF. i think thats your best bet. its short which all groms want, but theres still that volume there and its easy to balance on which is crucial for any early grom.
I got my daughter a fish when she was 9 (on the small side for her age) and she had a tough time progressing and got banged up a bit which made her a little apprehensive. After taking the advice of a few friends I bought her a used 7' soft top which she loved. It took the fear away about getting hurt or cut on the fins. After a month or so on it I got her to switch back to the fish which she pick up in no time. She mainly rides the fish because its "Cool" with her friends - shes now 11 - but she still won't let me get rid of the softy.
I'd say go with a nice 7'10" x 17' 5/6" x 3" pintail burn. He (your son) is going to want the extra inches. Burn has some perfect shapes for everybody out there! Good stuff Mike Baron!!!
I have seen some groms around here riding a board called "The Beater" it's a longer version of a boogie board with a single fin; its also all foam just like a soft board. Saw one at a local shop here for 149$ which is cheaper than what Ive seen online. I rode one a couple of times this past summer and it was a lot of fun.
the beater will most likely turn him off from surfing, just because its so unstable. i guess you could say its a beginner board because its so cheap, but if you know you're kid is going to be into it id avoid one of these
ron jon always has a few cheaper boards especially during sales. i think of them as the perfect beginner board because they're not too expensive, and the funboards have great stability. ive had one for about 8 or 9 years and its held up great without any problems
That's an interesting statement especialy when I said the kids I saw were ridding them (that means they were standing up) 4 to be exact.
thanks for the advice guys. probably looking at getting him a 6'-7' funboard/fish for now. have to see what i can find a deal on before xmas. nothing like finding a board under the tree. i was also checking out the beater and might get one but it would be more for just messing around than anything else.
