Surfboard questions?

Question

So I want to start surfing and a friend of mine from work said he'd hook me up with a 'fish' 5'8" short board in good condition and i've heard those are quite hard to surf on..what's the difference between fish boards and other boards?

Answer 1

ok first of all, never listen to John F. He copy and paste's down everything he writes down.

        but anyway. fish boards are more better for the days that its musshy and choppy and for waves around 2-5 foot. i dont know where you live but if you live in an area where waves are around 2-5 foot, that bored would be perfect. i dont quite know where you heard fish boards are harder to surf on because there not. if you dont want a fish board and you want a regular board then get like a 5'10 combat or try to find a bored that has a lot of volume so you'll be able to catch waves better. but anyway good luck and i hope i helped.

Answer 2

Hi Sean,

You can learn a lot from the 'online' world despite what others may think. Could be the fact that some people are unsure what the online world can offer.

Anyway, to answer your questions.

i) what is the difference between a fish and other boards.

- I wont go into all the different types of boards, however a 'fish' is a style that has been around since the early inception of surfing. It is a little shorter, has less rocker, is a littler wider and carries more volume than a standard performance board. (If you would like further info on all this lingo drop me a line and I can send through some more information)

Is a 5'8 fish good for learning on? 90% of the time NO. However if you are a gun on a skateboard, wakeboard or snowboard, then you might have the balance to make it happen. Even still surfing is a lot different to these other sports as far as balance is concerned.

What I would do mate, is go and have a 1 hour lesson. This will give you the basics, get you in the water and they will supply a long softboard for you to ride in the white wash. After this hour lesson you will have a good indication of where your skill level is at.

If you are at the beginning end and still have trouble getting up everytime in the whitewash, then I would suggest actually buying a softboard for your first few months of surfing. They wont break, you wont hurt yourself and you wont hurt others. Once you have that down pat, you can start looking into a fibreglass board.

Anyway Sean, I hope this helps a little. Don't spend any money on a board until you have had a go with a surf school. get a feel for it and then see where you are at.

Good luck.

mesurf.

[e-mail]

http://www.mesurf.com.au

Answer 3

Start on the longest board you can get in your car.  With a long board you can catch every single wave.  The guys on the little board have to be in exactly the right position on every wave.  I bought a 9' 3"  "gun".   Now i wish that i had gotten 8 footer that was a little wider.

Answer 4

Surfing is a little more complicated than it seems. And a good surfboard is a fairly large investment. Go to a real surf shop. The folks there can hook you up with lessons, and even rent you a board to learn on. Just work on your basics, and after you feel good, think about buying a board, but don't rush into anything.

Get your REAL advice from a surf shop, where industry professionals earn their rent money selling surfboards. However, if they think you are just a 'kook' tourist out to rent a board, you won't necessarily get the best attention.

Most people learn best on long boards, although I have seen lots of surfers start on a short board and master it. In the long run, there are NO RULES on what type of board you have to learn on. Long boards are ideal for learners. There are also good intermediate length boards to learn on, fun shapes, mini-mals and some hybrids. That is why instructors use long boards of fun boards (or even softtops).

Before you buy anything, read the sad tale just brought here by Gossipgurl:

"HELP! Learning to surf on a 6'2 shortboard?????

Learning to surf on a 6'2 shortboard. Thats the only board I could find in my price range. I'm 14 and it took 8 months to save up for a board. I cant trade it for a longboard I already tried. And please dont tell me I should be talking to someone on the beach because I dont have any teacher or surfing friends.

How do I stand on the board if I try it sinks. WHY?

Can I have some tips on learning to surf??"

Here is the start of my answer to her:

"If you look back through the answers, you will see dozens of times that some us recommend that you LEARN first, and try a variety of boards FIRST, BEFORE YOU BUY A BOARD."

Surfboard types:

http://360guide.info/surfing/surfboard-t...

THE REAL BOTTOM LINE IS: Go to a Surf Shop, not a computer. The pros there can give you the right answers!! I have been surfing since 1966, and have I hope you will have as much fun surfing as I have had.

http://www.surfingforlife.com/history.ht...

Answer 5

idk

Answer 6

Heed John F's advice. Don't throw your money away on a board you may not be able to learn on.

Answer 7

if you r 5'7'' you should think about getting a board thats 5'10'' fish boards are hard to ride on especially for a beginer. I have a fish board and im 13 n i got pretty good on it. I woud think about "bird" boards that is a good brand