Surfboard tips?

Question

anyone have any tips for a beginner surfer? i tried one of those so called "easy" soft top longboards but they kinda suck and have no grip

Answer 1

I started surfing in 1959. We were riding bigger boards in those days and I still think they're much easier to learn on. They paddle better and are easier to get into waves. Beg, borrow, or rent something over 8 feet. Find a break that provides a good long soup ride (the foam after the wave breaks) and practice there. Go early and try and stay out of experienced guys way till you learn. I don't know if things are like they used to be, but in the old days everyone hated kooks and liked to run over them at every opportunity. Watch other people and practice in your mind before you go to sleep. That was amazingly helpful to me when I was a kid and it allowed me to get good fast. It's all I did for 6 years when I was supposed to be in school. Enjoyed the h**l out of it though and dropped into some monsters that I still remember.