What is the right size surf board for me?
What size surf board do I need?
What size surf board should I get?

With a Longboard,  Most Surfers Can Graduate From A Beginner in One Year!

The Best Answer: Don't get any first. Rent a long foam board for the first few times, or borrow a long board from your friends.

First, you should determine if surfing is a sport for you. Surfing requires quite a bit of commitment out of your life to become enjoyable (note that I did not say, "become good", that will take several years).

Therefore you should rent or borrow for the first 6 to 12 sessions. It is a fact but probably at least 50%, and more likely 80% of new surfers won't continue surfing after realizing how much stoke that is needed. On the other hands, there are men and women surfers who have been surfing 30 and 40 years, into their 70's and 80's their ages. Remember that you are about to acquire a very rewardning skill which takes a bit of time to learn, like playing a guitar or a piano.

 

On your first day out, you should rent those blue or yellow "BZ" or "Doyle" foam practice boards (like I am riding at Cowells Beach in Santa Cruz here)  from any of the surf shops in the area when you are practicing. I have mistakenly talked into buying a 7.0 fun-gun, which after year of continuous learning, I have finally be able to ride on it. This is a common mistake many uninformed new surfers make. I have seen way too many people on weekend line-ups with very short boards just bobbing up and down in the shallows or waiting too far outside doing nothing but surfing, or paddling like a combat soldier on a ground.  The main surfing is standing on top the board, and being on top of the world,  so at this stage, you've got to focus on getting up on the board under all kinds of conditions.

So as a starter, you should not start surfing on any of these boards in the next picture ( from left to right, a 7'6, 7'2, and 8'6). Hint: If you want to surf on a short board, they are easy to come by since there are many people like I was at the start but instead did not go on to surf, and gotten rid of the board and quit it altogether. Surf shops, auction sites, and Craig's' list are full of these clean "used only once on a Sunday" boards going anywhere from less than $200 a board, where a decent new board would go for $550 a shot. 

So, again like almost all experts recommend, you should start with a long (and round) enough board. Here are other reasons why you should rent boards for the first several times out. So I will repeat one more time... The sooner you master the take off and riding skills at this stage, the sooner you will get to that short board you always wanted to ride and you will look good standing on it.

Here are more reasons for you to try the foam board first.

• Surfboards are designed seemingly to torture those who do not know how to deal with them. The boards are awkward to carry and handle. It requires you a bit of learning to handle a long object (unless you are in a construction business.)  During the learning phase, you will bang various parts of the board at all sorts of places as you carry them. If you bang your brand new fiberglass board (... ok, an epoxy SurtTech board...), it just is not going to make you very happy so practice your banging and dropping on those indestructible Doyle foam boards. They are also much less damaging to your skull and tooth when they hit you, and they will hit you (or someone else) in the water while practicing. These days a ding would cost you anywhere from $65 yo $200 to patch up. By the way, the best way to carry a long practice board is to put the board on top of your head. With a proper balance, you only need to apply a bit of force to keep it in place as you walk. 
• Long foam boards will float easily that means you have a less resistance from the water when you are paddling. To demonstrate this point, just try to swim yourself to the lineup (I actually don't recommend you actually do this but just imagine it.)  Shorter the board, it will become more and more like swimming than paddling on the board. As I will state later, the easier you can paddle the more chance of you catching waves so you get more fun and you will learn faster. If your goal is to surf on 7 and 6 ft short boards, get at least the basics like a front-side and back-side wide turns on a longer board first. If you cannot do it there, then you probably won't on any boards you set for feet on. And yes, you can almost always sell your long board and trade in for a shorter one at your local surf shop (often with a change). Better yet, hang on to your long board (they are very difficult to come-by used) and add more boards to your collections. Most experts have a set of long and short boards and pick and choose them surfing on any conditions from small to large swells.

Questions About Renting? Usually booties, gloves and hood are not rented. If you are going to be a surfer in our area, invest your money in those. They will last for a few years. Total investment is about $120 with tax. Going rate for rentals as of 2003 is about $10 to $20 a day. Bring your credit card and drivers license, they are needed for you to rent. If you are under 18 years of age,  parents of guardians must also sign the waiver. In Cowells, the closest place to rent is Club Ed's trailer right at the Cowells Beach near the pier entrance. Also there are several stores on the way to the boardwalk. In Pleasure Point area, the SC Surf Shop is closet to the beach. In Half Moon Bay and Pacifica, read the shops section on my home page.

• When you first stand up, you would want to go all the way to the beach (either intentionally or unintentionally since you would not know when or where to stop). Your board may be forced to "collide" with either the beach, rock or some other living objects (and hopefully not other inexperienced surfers and kids playing near the shore.) Again, if you have a brand new fiberglass board, this means that your new board will acquire several stress cracks or dents on the nose or other areas of the board. This does not look good. If you did do this with a foam board, board does not care neither do you.
• You don't want to wax the board for the first time out. That's another art and science you need to acquire over time. You are supposed to create sticky bumps on the board by applying wax on different directions. And if you do not do so adequately you will slip off the board. Most practice foam boards have textured surfaces that provide much better foot grips. One less thing to worry about means more practice you get. At this point of time, you are not interested in things like "too tight", "loose", or "speed" of the board. 
• You are going to break the fins. I have already broken two fins by simply dropping the board on the ground (sand) at a bad angle. This is another one of the areas you can easily damage and even a used set of FCS fins (that can be replaced by a screw) is a good $15 to $50 proposition each time you break. You would almost always need to buy them in a pair!  If you happen to pick a professional "glued in", or glassed in fins. you (your board is) are going to be out of commission for a week or two. Even in this area, surf repair shops are backed up by 1 to 2 weeks. Practice boards have very durable soft rubber fins that do not seem to easily break off nor cut you open when they brush against your skins. Imagine breaking a glassed-in fins on short boards!
• If you are really committed to the sport as a recreational surfer, you'd want to surf both long and short styles. On some breaks and conditions, a long boarding gets really fun, and on other conditions, short boarding is the only way to go, so learn to ride both and have fun choosing the boards and riding styles. Learning both styles will also make you a strong surfer too.
• You would probably laugh at me if I mention the word "Competition" on this page.  But in a couple of years many of you should be competing in a local event (and you should to support the surfing community and the good causes). Per the NSSA regulation long board must be at least 9 ft long in surfing competitions. When selecting a board, be sure to consider this regulation. I have learned the hard way that I cannot enter with my 8'6!

More Myths and Errors On Boards

•  Don't get suckered into buying a Rhino-Chaser! I have seen several people ended up with Big-Wave Gun type boards. These are slick, slender 8 to 10 ft boards. Sure they are long, but they are not for you. Many beginners think that because they are long, they are good. There are three bad things going. First, unfortunately, these boards are designed to be surfed on big 15 ft plus waves so they are not a good practice boards.  Secondly, these board look very slick with slender front and the back like a very long version of short boards, so many people like the looks and get them. Finally, there are many people who make the same mistake so there is an abundance of these types of board in the used market so they tend to be easier to come by and people are very eager to sucker you into buying it.
  
  Your first board should really be purchased from a surf shop. Visit three or so shops, tell them how long you have been surfing and see what they will recommend. You need to visit three because you just might run into some shop dude don't know what they are talking about.
   
•  You really can become an expert with a foam board! Most new surfers think that they are going to become hot in just a couple of months. Think again. Surfing is so difficult that you won't become really good for years even if you surf every day! So don't believe anyone who tells you that you are going to grow out of a board, nor go into the sport with a high hope of getting an instant gratification. I have not seen any recreational surfers who do grow out of any of their boards in a few sessions. The reality is that a vast majority of people will have problems growing into a board even if you surf 2-3 days out of a week throughout the year. Actually most will become frustrated for not being able to surf on their first incorrectly chosen equipment and quit altogether with their boards going up in the Craig's list or Surfpulse for half the price (and us who surf regularly have an abundance of only-surfed-on-Sundays "new" used surfboards!).
  
  I for, one, have a frequent surfing mileage (go out at least 3 days per week throughout a year), I do have a 9'0 Doyle foamy in my quiver along with several brands of short boards down to 5'8 and you should (and I sill can) learn all the way up to intermediate surfing skills; like top and bottom turns, cutbacks, walking, hang-five and hang-ten... In fact if you cannot do those on an easy foam board, do you think you can really do them on a tippier, so-hard-to-take-off high performance boards? After the first season, use it to go to crowded breaks like Cowells, or use it on puny summer fun breaks. Bring your friends and partners and lend the board. You will also have practically zero worries about ever visiting the surf shop again for ding repairs... now that means more time standing on the board!

This is the last time I repeat on this topic. Get a big long board first. Surf one season on it. You will starting be surfing on a short board in style next season. You never grow out of any board you buy!