Buying surfboard?

Question

so this summer i'm going to California and am going to learn how to surf ( i already reserved a date) anyways what i was wondering is what kind of surfboard you would recommend me to buy ( i don't want to rent thats not an option so please don't say rent one)

I'm 5'3 and weigh around 96 pounds thanks also photos of some and websites would be great!

thanks guys!!

Answer 1

cheapest fat est thickest board you can get, a mini Mal would be better.. don't by a slick thin board to learn on. a lot of the info from the above answer is correct,  just buy a ugly second hand board if you refuse to rent. good luck hope you enjoy it.

Answer 2

well to be honest if you are learning to surf and you say renting is not an option your an idiot. sorry to be blunt but its true. wen you start learning (if you take lessons) you will probably be on a super thick semi-foam mal (9-10ft) and you will be startin off on broken waves. then IF you pick it up quickly you may be able to move down to a 7foot maybe a high 6 due to you being small. then IF you kept it up for a while and became competent someone of your size could go as small as a 5'6 though you wouldnt want a 5'6 all the time depending on the swell so it would be better to get a quiver (mulitude of boards) or something bigger maybe 5'10 - 6ft. But basically is stupid to say im buying a board straigh away, especially if you havent surfed before coz you will need a big one to start but eventually will want a smaller one. if you are goin to be fussy buy a second hand from a shaper and get a 6'4 ish about 2 inches thick.

Answer 3

If you really want to spend the money and buy a board right off the bat, which i dont reccomend doing, you should probably get a good fun board.  fun boards and bigger than short boards but smaller than long boards.  They possess more maneuverability than your typical beast of a longboard, but still offer a good amount of stability.  since you are smaller, it would be a great board to grow into and would definetly allow for more advanced stuff after you develop in the sport.  Try any surfing company website to get an idea.  I have a 7'6" Hap Jacobs funboard, so check out their website, they have cool boards.