Hello everyone. Can't believe my luck, I have won a custom surfboard. Pretty much get to choose whatever I want.

However I am new to riding surfboards and would appreciate some help on what to ask for. I live in Perth. 6ft 1, 83kg and would want to ride it on a 9m. I want to tweak my riding to waves as that where I reckon the fun is.

I have seen the slingshot srt and like the look of it so possibly something close to that.

Hopefully this is enough info for you guys to go on. Cheers and Beers

depends on the surf conditions, straps or not, jumps or carves, yadda yadda.

If you're local spot has:

* small mushy waves - go shorter(5.8-ish) smallest, wider and less rocker
* bigger cleaner waves - go a little longer(6.1-ish), narrower and more rocker. Think about single or double concave? personal preference here.

* if you plan on sinking some plugs for straps then go a bit stronger and heavier
* if you are going for jumps then definitely go thicker and a bit heavier

If it were me, i'd find a local surfboard shaper closest to the beach i plan to kitesurf at and discuss the options with him(thickness/rocker/edges/swallow or pin/concaves blah blah).

I'd also go a bit shorter than a normal surfboard(i.e. if i normally surf 6.2, then make it 6.0).

And if you are new to the sport then get some plugs sunk and footpads back and front. You can start strapped in and ride strapless later on or when the surf is smaller.

I wouldn't personally go for a kiteboard shaped surfboard(i try to use the kite to pull me onto the wave then surf it, rather than magzine style powered carves), but if you plan to ride always fully powered with straps then a slingshot "style" surfboard is probably not a bad idea.