Help on choosing surfboard please?

Question

ok. my friend and i are taking a week long surfcamp that works with foam boards. im not really into the fact that i might end up buying a soft syrfboard. so i decided, hey, why not get a regular surfboard [aka- not softboard] well heres my info:

height: 5'1"

wieght: 82-84lbs

age: 13< note that i havent reached growth spurt.

so should i get a longboard? i have no clue. im okay with price ranged up to $600 but anything higher is bleck. thanks. please take the time on helping me choose what type of surfboard, how tall, how thick the surfboard should be, etc.

thanks :]

Answer 1

longboards are for longboarding. They are great for beginners to learn on, but are different from 'shortboards'

My advice is to NOT buy a longboard, as they are expensive, and if you don't want to do longboarding its a waste of money.

As a beginner, it is best to HIRE a longboard or any board over around 8 foot, for the first few sessions.

If you really want to buy a board, go for a mini-malibu (mini-mal). You will always went to resell your first board, as you progress. A mini-mal is very resaleable, they are very versatile (they allow you to catch all types of waves as a beginner, and you can use it for a long period of time before you want to buy another). Normally I would advise 7'3", but since you are quite small and light, you could probably go as small as 7' if you wanted. Although for your height and weight you could easily surf a much smaller board in the future, anything below 7' for a beginner will drastically limit your progression.