surf board for beginner

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wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
4 Mar 2013 8:00pm
hi i have been kiting for a year nowon a twin tip but wanting to try a surfboard now mainly flat water chop and small waves just wondering what board would be a good choice to start with any help appreciated
salt
salt
VIC
617 posts
VIC, 617 posts
4 Mar 2013 9:17pm
North Whip or Wam would be sweet. Probably Wam for fun in small waves, WAMs faster, big surf.

i learnt on an old surfboard, Just as good a s an $800 board.

Use ebay, get a board 2 inches smaller than you are roughly.
dave......
dave......
WA
2119 posts
WA, 2119 posts
4 Mar 2013 6:33pm
wave6ft said...

hi i have been kiting for a year nowon a twin tip but wanting to try a surfboard now mainly flat water chop and small waves just wondering what board would be a good choice to start with any help appreciated


Weight height???. Kite? normal waves? have you surfed before?.

Best bet, low volume 5'10-6'2 thruster. get an epoxy one cheap 2nd hand, preferrably already with dings. To get any good you are going to put your bar into your board. In Qld Id just go strapless with your experience. Move your feet way foward to go upwind and depower the kite so at speed the bar is in and you can still comfortably edge upwind.
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
4 Mar 2013 8:38pm
Thanks.for.replys I'm 5ft 8 75 kg have surfed and do wake.boarding etc
dave......
dave......
WA
2119 posts
WA, 2119 posts
4 Mar 2013 6:45pm
5'10- 6-0 low volume Some cheap webbers TUFFLITES etc. great for a first starter. You will put your bar through your board, dont be precious. Epoxys sucK as they dont flex, but you get the basics.
sir ROWDY
sir ROWDY
WA
5378 posts
WA, 5378 posts
4 Mar 2013 7:15pm
Anything.

Seriously, almost any board is going to be good to get your bearings and work out what it is you need to do!
To be more specific though, preferably something between 5'4 and 6'3ft and probably no wider than 21inches and no thicker than 2 3/4. But any old board you can find for cheap is going to be a lot of fun and help you learn. Also if the board costs nothing then you are not afraid of wrecking it, which is pretty likely to happen in the early days.

Once you get better you will have more idea of what you might like and will be dependent a lot on your size and what conditions you want to surf. I have a few different boards and change between them a bit.

I'm 6'3ft and weigh 82kgs and a good allround board I like for my size is - 6ft x 19 x 2 3/16ths. But numbers don't really mean to much, it's all about the shape and rocker etc.!
buzingfridge
buzingfridge
WA
147 posts
WA, 147 posts
5 Mar 2013 11:26pm
yep, just grab a board and go........
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
6 Mar 2013 11:10am
not much in the way of surf boards for sale in cairns so trying the net ahh
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
6 Mar 2013 10:13pm
I have found.a.board 5ft10 19 x 2 1/4 swallow tail single.to. double.concave New on eBay for 340 delivered tx the 5 fins removeable prob Chinese made would this do the trick
hosh
hosh
WA
243 posts
WA, 243 posts
7 Mar 2013 7:43am
wave6ft said...
I have found.a.board 5ft10 19 x 2 1/4 swallow tail single.to. double.concave New on eBay for 340 delivered tx the 5 fins removeable prob Chinese made would this do the trick




If it's like this one then yes. I have the Grunter and the Reef, they are awesome boards.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-kite-surfing-wave-board-surfboard-kiteboard-Perth-/170992877969?pt=AU_Sport_Surfing&hash=item27cff84191
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
17 Mar 2013 8:31pm
I ended up getting a secondhand.north wam just waiting.for.it.to come
surfingboye
surfingboye
NSW
2707 posts
NSW, 2707 posts
17 Mar 2013 10:11pm
its a shame it didnt see this post sooner...
i woulda said get anything that is not a 'kite surf' board.
go down to cashies and any board on their rack will out perform your North Wam.
Just saying...
Hunter S
Hunter S
WA
516 posts
WA, 516 posts
17 Mar 2013 8:12pm
Nothing wrong with a North WAM mate and will last way longer than "any board from cashies"
surfingboye
surfingboye
NSW
2707 posts
NSW, 2707 posts
17 Mar 2013 11:24pm
sorry, thats just my strong view on kiting on surfboards.
hell, some people must like them; the big brands seem to sell a few.

is it because of board performance or due to board longevity.
i believe the latter...
just me but i buy a board for how it rides, i don't care if it looks like crap in half a year. and i certainly wouldn't expect it to withstand everything i throw at it without sustaining damage.

ohhh, and i own a mulcoy and love it.
pretty sure its because its not of 'tuflite type' construction...

yep
yep
WA
86 posts
yep yep
WA, 86 posts
17 Mar 2013 8:53pm
dave...... said...
5'10- 6-0 low volume Some cheap webbers TUFFLITES etc. great for a first starter. You will put your bar through your board, dont be precious. Epoxys sucK as they dont flex, but you get the basics.


Just wondering where this whole "bar through your board" thing comes from?

I learnt how to kite on a twin tip and then moved onto a 6'6 (yes i know 6'6 is waaaaaayyyy! Too big for kiting ) Clearwater surfboard that was shaped for me 7yrs ago and it still goes hard? And in that time I have never even come close to putting my bar through my board, yes, it has been dumped in the shore break, smashed onto my shins/knees and blown up the beach a few times but "bar through my board" how?

Plus, I have about 7 mates (7 wow) that have converted to standard non kiteboard surfboards that have also never put a bar through their board, one of them doesn't even surf.

Not saying it doesn't happen, just wondering how you would get in a position to do it?

Maybe I'm not going super hardcore radically sick as some others
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
17 Mar 2013 11:00pm
Any board on the rack don't really see how.you could.say that I have surfed.most.of.my life.and.know.a.bit.about.boards.so you must think the Sam is really crap but I read some.good.reviews.on.it for what I want it for.any way
wave6ft
wave6ft
QLD
146 posts
QLD, 146 posts
17 Mar 2013 11:00pm
The wam not.the Sam ahhh
yep
yep
WA
86 posts
yep yep
WA, 86 posts
17 Mar 2013 9:05pm
Did anyone else read the above post and stop at each full stop? Bawhahha
Hausey
Hausey
NSW
325 posts
NSW, 325 posts
18 Mar 2013 5:48pm
yep said...
dave...... said...
5'10- 6-0 low volume Some cheap webbers TUFFLITES etc. great for a first starter. You will put your bar through your board, dont be precious. Epoxys sucK as they dont flex, but you get the basics.


Just wondering where this whole "bar through your board" thing comes from?

I learnt how to kite on a twin tip and then moved onto a 6'6 (yes i know 6'6 is waaaaaayyyy! Too big for kiting ) Clearwater surfboard that was shaped for me 7yrs ago and it still goes hard? And in that time I have never even come close to putting my bar through my board, yes, it has been dumped in the shore break, smashed onto my shins/knees and blown up the beach a few times but "bar through my board" how?

Plus, I have about 7 mates (7 wow) that have converted to standard non kiteboard surfboards that have also never put a bar through their board, one of them doesn't even surf.

Not saying it doesn't happen, just wondering how you would get in a position to do it?

Maybe I'm not going super hardcore radically sick as some others


in decent size waves... foam climbing can do it...you are heading out and a wall of white water heads towards you and occasionally it pushes your board towards your bar and wham!
mazdon
mazdon
1199 posts
1199 posts
18 Mar 2013 7:51pm
hey surfingboye - curious how many PU boards you are snapping/creasing a year? i've noticed your riding style and opinions in the forums a bit, and it probably aligns with my own at times to some degree.

i'm coming more from the perspective of whether others are snapping as many boards as i am?
i've pretty much spent the season this year re-inventing my approach to riding every month or so as i keep running out of equipment


fyi the casualty list this year - split a rail/creased a 2011 north kontact at some stage either jumping strapped or on the way back out in overhead outer reef waves, strong gusty winds
split an epoxy BWS resin8 in half (quite liked the feel of the board, super light for upwind airs and ok in bigger beachies, but still a little stiff) riding strapless only pretty much every session for 3 months - admittedly probably shouldn't have been going for grabs and trying to stick every one regardless of likely landings - but you gotta practice them sometime right?! haha
6'2" older PU, multiple fin plug blow outs, creased nose and rail damaged....all self repair jobs to get back out on water. tried a period of no airs (or minimal) with this board, but still got the damage!!! so i'm heading back towards just riding however i feel and need a board as such. mostly unstrapped, strapped only for solid bombies and reefs.

also the timing of all these damages varies (ie not sequential as written), and i'm not trying to brand bash, just showing that all types of boards have their drawbacks and aren't bullet proof. hence for the fella whose thread i'm hijacking, i reckon you'll be right on the wam til you get your board chops up - then half the fun is experimenting mate.

i'd throw out again to the forum - any opinions on something people have found bullet proof, that surfs alright and you can punt on strapless mostly?
am wanting to check out the axis board to replace the underground kipuna, so if anyones tried it, please throw out a review! otherwise, considering a tufflite next, but nervous about the cost for new, if it is just as snappable as other epoxys
cheers
maz
bakz
bakz
VIC
23 posts
VIC, 23 posts
18 Mar 2013 11:30pm
I'm in the market for a surf/directional type board as well, mainly for light wind as well as for our Bay mush/slop (2-3ft I guess).

I've been thinking something North Nugget like, than came across the Firewire brand (I'm not affiliated with them, they just seem pretty progressive and have some kite specific models which are supposedly pretty tough).

Being completely new to surf boards I'm figuring something wide like the Baked Potato (I'm figuring straps is easier to learn/start with?):

http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/kitesurfing/quiver_boards.php?boardid=kitesurfing

Has anyone had any experience with these types of boards?
mazdon
mazdon
1199 posts
1199 posts
18 Mar 2013 8:40pm
hey bakz
had a go on a mates 5'9" dominator on saturday, just cruised around and rode waves etc. felt ok, preferred the drifter i demo'd recently and thought it had a lighter, better feel and flex being PU - but may just be used to my paddle in surfboards that are all PU, definitely like a swallow tail that releases a bit more so the dominator wasn't my ideal kiting shape - would be preferrable to a north nugget for me though.

but i could only see the potential of a firewire until my mate took it off me and put his heel through the deck within an hour. also know of a friend who snapped a pivec in waves, not doing airs. all just more food for thought, as i have weighed up firewire vs tufflite considerably as well.
surfingboye
surfingboye
NSW
2707 posts
NSW, 2707 posts
18 Mar 2013 11:46pm
bakz said...
I'm in the market for a surf/directional type board as well, mainly for light wind as well as for our Bay mush/slop (2-3ft I guess).

I've been thinking something North Nugget like, than came across the Firewire brand (I'm not affiliated with them, they just seem pretty progressive and have some kite specific models which are supposedly pretty tough).

Being completely new to surf boards I'm figuring something wide like the Baked Potato (I'm figuring straps is easier to learn/start with?):

http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/kitesurfing/quiver_boards.php?boardid=kitesurfing

Has anyone had any experience with these types of boards?


not a fan of that boards out line... looks like a front door.
much prefer the dims and profile/rocker of the KP1-511Q-03.
Good dims for a performance short board if your not a heavy bugger... 5'11"18 1/4" 2 1/4"...
bakz
bakz
VIC
23 posts
VIC, 23 posts
19 Mar 2013 12:00am
surfingboye said...
not a fan of that boards out line... looks like a front door.
much prefer the dims and profile/rocker of the KP1-511Q-03.
Good dims for a performance short board if your not a heavy bugger... 5'11" 18 1/4" 2 1/4"...


The door is the appealing part, I figure it'd be easier to learn to gybe and how to generally ride a surf board on (only really in slop/mush, not decent waves or anything)

The KP1 looks like its got too much rocker, so I don't think it would be that flash as a light wind board.

The KHF is less of a door and still has minimal rocker, but not sure how different the 2 would be for starting out/learning.
eddiemorgs
eddiemorgs
QLD
391 posts
QLD, 391 posts
19 Mar 2013 7:27pm
bakz said...
I'm in the market for a surf/directional type board as well, mainly for light wind as well as for our Bay mush/slop (2-3ft I guess).

I've been thinking something North Nugget like, than came across the Firewire brand (I'm not affiliated with them, they just seem pretty progressive and have some kite specific models which are supposedly pretty tough).

Being completely new to surf boards I'm figuring something wide like the Baked Potato (I'm figuring straps is easier to learn/start with?):

http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/kitesurfing/quiver_boards.php?boardid=kitesurfing

Has anyone had any experience with these types of boards?


Yep. Been riding a nugget for 6 months now. Also have 2013 wam . Nugget is a good fun board when nothing else will go in light conditions. I won't quote wind range as ours is different to most due to light air in the tropics . I am 83 kgs

If the kite flys you can get out on the nugget when no-one else is , leaving the purists on the beach . It has added about 20 % to my time on the water .

It is a short light floaty board therefore easy to learn on and makes light wind mushy conditions to head high a lot of fun when you can't get out on anything else.Its actually pretty good in waves but is a different ball game to a surfboard . You can ride it strapped or strapless . Not great in stronger conditions due it being a door but that is why you should also have a surfboard . I wouldn't buy a big twin tip as much prefer directionals.
The FireWire board looks very similar .
bakz
bakz
VIC
23 posts
VIC, 23 posts
20 Mar 2013 3:10pm
After much umming and ahhing I've decided I'll drop my coin on a Cabrinha Subwoofer (EPS):

http://www.cabrinhakites.com/surf-boards/subwoofer.html

They're pretty new and there isn't a huge amount of info on them. Though looking at their specs they're pretty similar to the Firewire and North Nugget boards (just longer at 5'8 instead of 5'0/1) and have plenty of volume.

The 2013 Nugget is too hard to get a hold of and the Firewire looks like too much hard work (I'm lazy and don't want to have to sort out deck pads, straps, etc).

Before I hit the order button, can anyone see any issues with using this as a directional learning and light wind board?

Cheers
seb2
seb2
VIC
231 posts
VIC, 231 posts
20 Mar 2013 3:38pm
I would never buy equipment i would grow out of. Buy A north Whip shape or similar. Something that is ready for all conditions, that you will grow into. those ultra fat boards are silly noob gear, waste of money and not fun in surf as you can't turn on them very well.

Yes i've ridden them.

You want a shortboard with a little extra width.

My suggestion: 2 inches shorter than you, North Whip shape or similar. Skillit is ok,
MDSXR6T
MDSXR6T
WA
1019 posts
WA, 1019 posts
8 Apr 2013 5:48pm
Rather than start a new thread, i've come across a 6'3 x 19.5 x 2.x epoxy surfboard that i think will suit me as a beginner for a while to have a play on.

Once i remove the deck grip & wax i assume the easiest way to go is the surftech pad / strap stick on set? I know Airborne sell them for about $150 which seems like reasonable value?
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