I am looking at getting a soft board as the first board for my 5 (nearly 6 year) old son first beginners board. Looking at either a 5'5" or 6 foot.
What do you guys reckon of the two sizes??. I am leaning towards the shorter board as he is pretty light and it has a reasonable volume by the looks of it and the shorter one will be a bit easier for him to carry and move around etc......
He is around 4-4.5 ft and weighs 19 kg dripping wet.
It's the Longboard Forum, go the Long one, 6 foot!
Whether it is 5'6 or 6'0, you'll still be carrying it! So weight doesn't matter for you. He'll let one end drag in the sand, so weight won't matter for him either!
6 foot will give better glide, more instant fun. More likely to stay with the reforms longer.... more stability (probably).
I hear what Simondo is saying but from my experience playing with my nephews and god children the smaller one would be my recommendation. Given yr sons weight height etc he wil find both are a piece of cake. I find that with young kids u need to make life really easy for them in terms of handling the boards (same with chicks). They really struggle in the water initially with alIl the waves, white water etc. Giving them a board that's easier to handle whilst getting out and getting it back after getting smashed enables them to spend longer in the water and also leads to more fun.....but the biggest thing i have learnt is not too push them to far to quickly - if u do it's puts them back a long way . Make sure u choose nice clean and small conditions - minimal wind and make it a very pleasant experience - not just the first time either for many times......very ennvious that you are doing this - can not wait to do it with my kids! Keep us informed of the progress
I'd also go the 6' My kids both did and loved them. But you'll find (depending on were you live) they'll surf it one summer, then put it away and come back next year twice the size. My daughter only made one summer out of hers and has now moved up to a 7' and she loves it again. I wil say my boy seemed more a natural but even at 8 yrs old he still loves his 6' elnino and is looking forwad to another season.
Foam is the go as they tend to hit each other all the time.
My daughter on the 7' can paddle into waves on her own whilst her friends on smaller boards are still being pushed
Ted - that's what I was thinking, smaller is easier to handle
but simondo is right I will be carrying it in and out of the surf anyway cause I will be pushing him in to small white water anyway, and carrying it back out again, so bigger might be better for stability and longevity perhaps. In the end it's only half a foot so shouldn't be a drama either way.
And yes I hear you Ted on not pushing too far to fast he has had a few smashings on his body board when I tried to take him out that bit further for a bit bigger white water, which then takes a while to get his confidence back
Horto the foam board my young fellow started on was sold to my mate for his lad who is a fully stickered team rider some 14 years later,enjoy as I did and the little buggers soon become better than their old man
I would go bigger Horto . Got my 2 youngest a foamy 5 5 a few years back used it one summer , the daughter went straight to a 7 foot thruster , which she still has ,and the young fellow has been on boogie boards until now wanting his first surfboard . The foamy has hung on the wall ever since only gets used when friends come along .
Like Mac said the important thing is to make it fun and teach them a bit of surf safety along the way . The rest seems to come natural to them .
watching them learn and grow into good people,oh did I say I'm proud
