When it came to buying a board I decided to buy new to avoid the very confusing "what board is right for me" second-hand minefield. So I went into the local shop, admitted numerous times that I was a beginner and even that I couldn't really remember what size board I was learning on but I thought it was around the 133 range. After a rather exhausting hour of terms, I walked out with a 133 lightwave (I'm 75kg/160cm). The guy in the shop never once mentioned anything about how long the board should be.

However after looking at few websites trying to figure out some technique issues I'm having, I've found that the recommended size for a beginner is around the 135-150cm range. While admitting buyer-beware and that yes I should done my homework better, what I really want to know is a) is my board really too short b) if so, when/who would you use a board this length and c) how much harder is it going to be to learn (and doing what)? Given I've just bought it I'm not sure if I want to sell already (and who would buy it) and also prob don't have the spare cash to buy another, plus again would have to delve into the very very confusing world of "what is right for me".

Help! Please!

That size should be perfectly fine for your weight etc......while It is slightly easier to learn on a bit bigger board (mainly because you can get going in slightly less wind) anything much bigger you will just end up getting rid of in month or two once you have progressed. To give you a bit of an example : my second board was a cardboards 126cm and at the time I weighed 80kg.. I am now about 75kg and my biggest twin tip board is a nobile 666 132.
Only last week I saw a guy at altona on a board ( looked home made ) which looked less than a metre .... Admitidly it was 30knots but he was doing pretty well. Decent boosts and tricks.

I'm around your height and weight (70kg, 158cm) and I learnt on a 131cm. It was fine and after two or three sessions I was completely confident with it. As mentioned before, buying a bigger 'learning' board can be a burden when you want to progress and you're stuck with a big board, unless of course you have the pockets to buy a new one.

I'm about 170cm / 65kg and bought a 148cm Cabrinha Prodigy as my first board. It has been great to ride and very forgiving which is fantastic while learning but I'm about ready to downsize significantly! If anyone is looking for a first board (or a swap for a board purchased too short) let me know and we can work out a price.

Chris

you didnt mention why you think the board is two small?

liana said...

Thanks for all the advice, I'm feeling a bit happier now about my purchase.

Nick7r - as to why i though it might be too small - a combination of what i'd read on some websites about correct board length for beginners plus a few beach users commenting on my 'baby board'.

It'd only be a baby board if they were all 100+ kg.

133 is going to be the perfect sized board for you and should look forward to a good couple of years of use from it. For reference i started on a 136 and downsized to a 134, although to be honest i can't see the difference in size.