So you’re ready to get your first board. You’ve learnt everything you need to know from a Foamie right now and you’re feeling ready to get a hard board. But what do you buy?! There is so much variety out there and it is so easy to get lost in what you need and what you want. The best thing for your surfing to progress and continue is for you to get out there and keep catching waves.
A really common first board is a Minimal. 'Mal' (short for Malibu) is the traditional term for a longboard, so a Minimal is essentially a small longboard. Minimals have a nice round nose and straight rails which gives the board lots of volume. The length and volume will help you to continue catching waves. The other benefit of the Minimal is the surface area it has. You could easily get a smaller board with the same volume as a Minimal that’s nice and wide, but as it doesn’t have that surface area it will be harder to catch waves. When looking for a Minimal, we would normally recommend in the region of a foot to a foot and half taller than you are. Although do be conscious of the width of the board, if you’re quite short and you go for a board that's too wide, then you may struggle to manoeuvre the board in the water, let alone carry it to the beach! Always stick a board under your arm before buying.
The other thing a Minimal does is gives you that appreciation of different styles of surfing. You can work on your turns which may lead you to looking at progressing on to a board that allows you to carve a lot more like a Fish. You may love getting more radical and hitting some bigger turns on the wave which may lead you to a more performance board. Or you may love cruising along and making bigger and wider turns, leading to you progressing onto a longboard.
When searching for your next board, whether it's looking on second hand sites or heading to the shop and getting one off the rack, make sure you pick it up and look at it. Can you carry it comfortably? Does it fit under your arm? Can you get it in your car or on the roof? Does it fit in your home or up the stairs to your home? Are there any dings? Is it water tight? These are all things to consider when purchasing your first board.
So when is it time to get a shorter board?
This is very dependent on your surfing and you have to be very clear on the reasons why you want a shorter board. Is it because you feel you should be on a smaller board? Or is it because you feel restricted on the board you are currently surfing? Maybe you can’t turn as tightly as you want to. If it's because you think you should be on a shortboard, it is probably not the time. Remember, you want a board that allows you to catch lots of waves! You want to make sure that you’re catching every wave you’re going for. If you're surfing down the face of the wave and maybe feel the board is a bit stiff when you're trying to turn, then definitely have a play around on shorter boards and see what feels right.
Longboard size guide and tips:
As a size guide, generally everything over 9ft is classed a longboard. But remember if you're quite short, something like a 9’6” maybe far too much board for you to handle. The shape of your longboard is also very dependent on what style of surfing you want to do. You can have a traditional style that allows you to drop down and find your line on the wave and cruise along. If you like making big turns and still carving the wave a more performance board with a thruster set up may be better for you. Then there is dancing up the board and hanging 10, where you will need a nose rider that will have a big scoop towards the nose.
Like most things, don’t rush into buying your first board. Do your research, decide what you love about your style of surfing and where you want to progress to. That way the investment will be a much greater one for you and your surfing progress! Here at Big Green Adventures we have an ever growing range of boards that you can rent for a little try-out, that way you can find out what you like so that you can make the right purchase. When you hire a hardboard from us you're welcome to pop back and swap between different models as many times as you like until you find the one that fits your surfing.
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