New board advice?

~Rebel~

Hey folks, I'm looking for a bit of advice on buying a new board (well, second hand)

I've been using a beginners Bic, about 7'9 which was great for beginning, but is getting a bit torturous paddling out to the linup. Im looking to get a long lasting board that i can progress on to get better at turning etc. Looking at 2 second hand at the moment, a Bic 7' 3 Malibu and an NSP 7' 2. Both are fairly close in price, the NSP is 40euro's more expensive (Bic is 200, NSP is 240). Have seen pictures of both, the NSP is far nicer looking, but both look in very good condition.

Anyone have any advice you could give me, beit from experience or even just what you've heard?

Incidentally, if it helps, im about 5ft 7 and 10stone 8.

Decos

I have that NSP 7' 2 man. Twas my first board and i really like it. The nose is slightly pointier compared to the Bics and it feels slightly easier to turn and manouver in the water. I got a new board in march, a Westbay Slayer 6'10, I like it and didnt find it too hard at all to transition down to a shortboard (was standing on my second wave with it). That said, im still getting used to it.

Being honest if i were you i wouldnt go for either of the boards you mentioned. Id say you'll be well able for either boards and they probably wont challenge you enough after a month or two and you might want to get another board again very soon.

Just a thought because I moved from the 7' 2 because i found it a bit cumbersome in the water when trying to get out the back and in general when turning etc.

ben bennett

hi think you made the right choice or even bigger, as i have said before so many people go small way too early, getting out the back and turning can be done on any board once the knowledge and skills are there. Stay big for as long as you can, be riding waves, turning up and down waves and some type of cut backs before you move down. Or at least hold on to your long board if you buy something shorter. one of the replies above said he is looking forward to a few frustrating months on the new short board, why not surf the longer one till you have most of the skills and then when you transfer down it will be much easier and a lot less frustrating.

Train yourself for the shorter board on the long one, sit closer to the peak, pop up later, use the whole wave etc. then when you are on the shorter board and you need all these skills you have them.

One other point , a lot of people focus on weight and height when on beginner board threads but skill level and technique is much more important. Shops do the same they sell 7'3' bics the petite women as a beginner board. Yes they are easier to carry but if your pop up is poor they stop straight away. The amount of girls i teach who have 7 3 boards and have never stood up is crazy. trust me go big and get your technique solid.


best of look and enjoy the board


if you need any more info or advise give me a call

MarkHobBray1977

Hi ..Ive a 7'3 bic....perfect and I mean perfect condition ..€175 euro

celtia9

Hi there,

I'm new to the boards and surfing but I'm looking for a board and the more I look the more confused I seem to get. I am 5.5" and 9st and I was thinking of a Bic or a surfrider (7.2). I know the Bics aren't rated but as a beginner I don't need anything exceptional. I can't afford much and thought that thr surfrider at £200 was pretty good but is it too short for a beginner? Any suggestions would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance :-)

~Rebel~

Hey folks, thanks for your comments and advice!

I was in a surf shop in cork recently, asking the guy there about boards in general, and he was saying in terms of minimals, that really theres only 1 size minimal for each person, and thats the size they should stick with. Was saying mini mals are made with particular heights in mind, and that it would be an actual short board one would progress to rather then a smaller mini mal. He was saying rather then get a smaller mini mal, id be better off getting a better, lighter, right sized mini mal, about 7'6. He was an experienced guy and spoke with a lot of conviction on it, but when someone's trying to sell you something, it's hard to take it full at face value, so would you chaps agree with his comments?

Since he said that, i've been looking at other boards, and found a 7'6 Voltage light epoxy resin board second hand that im thinking of moving for for 200euros's. (though i think ill give my bag and roof rack business that that guy for his advice).

Also, thanks for the offer Mark, but im thinking im going to move away from Bics though.

Bucketceann

~Rebel~ wrote: »

...he was saying in terms of minimals, that really theres only 1 size minimal for each person, and thats the size they should stick with. Was saying mini mals are made with particular heights in mind....

Gross over-simplification!!!

While length of board tends to have a fair bit to do with the person's height, it's FAR from being the only matter to consider even with a mini-mal. If that was the case all long-boarders would be giants and all short-boarders would be dwarves.

Yes, the person's height is important, it will determine their centre of gravity.

So is the person's experience surfing.
So is the person's weight.
So is the person's fitness.
So is the person's sense of balance.
So are the types of waves the person surfs most often (crumbly onshore, clean offshore or somewhere in between)
So is how often the person will get to surf (will determine how quickly you'll progress on any given board)
So is the surfing style the person aspires to.

I totally agree with the idea of going as long on early boards as you can handle. Virtually everyone I know got shorter boards before they were ready. You don't just go shorter when you can regularly stand on a board you should wait until you can really surf it. I had a couple of shorter boards, after my first couple of mini-mals, before I got a longboard around four years after I started surfing.

In the year or so since I got my first longboard my surfing has improved more than in the previous four years. People when they start out often think that shortboards are the way to get the board turning and stuff. This isn't true. If you're still working hard staying standing on a shorter board, even a mini-mal, then you haven't a hope of having the time to get turns in on a wave. Longboards allow you to get into a wave earlier, pop up more easily and yes, get loads of turns in. The other thing is that most mini-mals have a squash-tail which makes it really stable for a given length and volume. If you go for a longer board with a rounded tail it'll be way more maneouverable (spelling?) but pretty much as stable.

Just my tuppence worth!

loctite

Bucketceann wrote: »

Gross over-simplification!!!

While length of board tends to have a fair bit to do with the person's height, it's FAR from being the only matter to consider even with a mini-mal. If that was the case all long-boarders would be giants and all short-boarders would be dwarves.

Yes, the person's height is important, it will determine their centre of gravity.

So is the person's experience surfing.
So is the person's weight.
So is the person's fitness.
So is the person's sense of balance.
So are the types of waves the person surfs most often (crumbly onshore, clean offshore or somewhere in between)
So is how often the person will get to surf (will determine how quickly you'll progress on any given board)
So is the surfing style the person aspires to.

totally Agree......... but what is everyone's obsession with the length of a board? Yes it is important, but equally is the thickness and width... you could be getting a 8ft which could be fairly narrow and thin and could be less stable than a floatier 7'6". Made the same mistake when progressing down. Bought a 7ft spider and was like trying to surf a matchstick, then got a 6'10" and was like being on a mal again... Not just the length thats a factor... if you are going long, take a look at the other dimensions and go for the biggest board... you'll be glad of it.