What board for an adult n00b?
I have a 6’6” Softlite for the kids but would like something I can get up on without too much drama. Should I go for some monster 8 or 9 foot foamie in a classic shape, or would something like a fish be better?
Mud I cant say this too many times, get a mal, just do it, I don’t care about longevity of the board in terms of progression, nothing puts someone off surfing faster than not being able to catch waves and stand up, the mal is without peer in that regard especially for an adult.
Ok thanks, NBG. Forgive my extreme noobishness, but by “mal” I guess you mean the classic shape? Are we still talking a foamie or fibreglass? Also, just to satisfy my curiosity, I guess you are also saying the fish would be harder to get up on?
Yep, a fish would be harder to get up on, purely because nothing is easier than a mal. Foamies are safer and probably more stable but they are also heavier and harder to manoeuvre.
My advice: you have the 6’6 foamie to play of. Just give it a go and see how much more stability/buoyancy you think you need. It will also give you an idea of how foam boards feel and paddle etc.
Also a thought: if you plan on going out with the kids, it’s probably best you get yourself a foamie too. That way you can surf with them (in the flags if needed) while keeping everyone safe. Maybe an 8’ foam board? It’s always handy to have for the above reason, even if you end up getting a glass board down the track. Progress on it now, then look into a fish or something later.
Thanks Jez. Yeah the new board I’m think of getting is actually for me. I’ve tried getting up on the 6’6” board and I while I have managed it a couple of times I find it really hard. I was also thinking the 8’ size would be good. Do you reckon the Softlite Classic shape is ok? That’s what they stock at the shop I usually use.
Be aware that Mals, foamies and bigger boards can have a downside - they are hard to get under waves.
When I was learning to surf (an adult - early 20s) the enjoyment of being out in the ocean was more important than standing on a surfboard. Having a shortboard and being able to duckdive bigger sets made the experience better. I didn’t have to sit in the channel and worry about a big wave washing me off the board and dragging me about at the mercy of a big, buoyant anchor attached to my ankle.
I controlled the board, the board didn’t control me. I could duckdive deep under breaking waves and learned how to utilize the impact zone.
I quickly learned that bigger waves were easier to catch and ride, and weren’t something to fear.
6’6 is a big(ish) shortboard - it’s delving into “gun” and minimal lengths.
Thickness of a board and width are major factors to consider.
Rail shape helps with stability.
Ocean knowledge will lead to longevity for your surfing life. You don’t learn ocean knowledge sitting in the channel.
Note: I’m not saying DON’T GET A MAL. Just consider why you want to surf.
A surfer will pull the door off his house to go for a paddle. It won’t turn and it won’t catch many waves but… IT WILL GET THEM IN THE OCEAN.
It doesn’t matter what you ride and only you can decide what style of board is right for you… hint; it’s the one you enjoy the most. 
Lastly; mals are difficult to transport and carry.
But if you get a mal get fibreglass! (a softie won’t last +30 years) a glass mal can handle heavy glassing and last a lifetime. Epoxy lasts 10-15 years before becoming very brittle.
If you’re ever up this way Mud (Wollongong/Sydney) I would love to go for a paddle with you and bring along a quiver of boards for you to try.
Thanks for the advice and generous offer, spaz. Unfortunately for me, the only surfing I’m realistically going to be doing is alongside my kids on school holidays or maybe the occasional weekend. My thinking is that if I get a mal foamie I can progress slowly on that until I’m ready to move up, then others in the family can use it if need be.
I am certainly trying to educate myself regarding surfing and the ocean. As have limited opportunities to get to the beach, I bought this book last year and have found it a fantastic source of knowledge.
Nice book (I had a click through the pages on amazon).
One thing it may not have covered is that surfing is not experienced in our mental reality ie: the world we experience and react to, which is 1-2sec after reality (that’s how long it takes our brain to process the world around us).
Surfing is done by our bodies, it’s ability to react to the ocean without giving it any thought.
-It takes physical training and experience-
No matter how knowledgeable or educated a person is in regard to the ocean and surfing; it is our body (not our brain) that surf.
A bigger, slower, more stable board (and slower waves) give the learner surfer more time to use their brain to control their body.
There are a lot of factors to consider but personally for me for someone starting out the mal is the key. Generally speaking a new surfer isn’t going to go out when it gets over three foot so the ability to duckdive isn’t a huge issue, additionally to that it will teach them to read rips, channels and currents better as they need to utilise them them to facilitate getting out the back.
A mal is the sort of board that even once you have progressed to high performance shortboard you will still use to have fun on when it’s small. The mal will also teach you how to make best use of the power of the wave, the one things about riding a mal vs shortboard is that the shortboard can create its own speed in the hands of a competent rider whereas a mal struggles with this. This teaches the rider where they need to be on the wave to find the power.
Personally I always cringe when I see someone with a fish style board to learn on, yes it can be done but the learning curve is so steep at the beginning that it can put people off easily so I would rather they had a board that can maximise time standing up/enjoyment.
Choosing the style of construction is the next step. Mud it sounds like you just want to have fun with your kids so perhaps a foamie might be the best way, I would push up further towards a 9’ board regardless of contruction just for the added volume. Yes you can go shorter with added volume but it makes the sweet spot for maximum paddling speed a lot smaller as in how far up or down the board your weight is when paddling.
I can get a little frustrated with teaching ppl to surf who don’t really get it, as in they don’t fully understand the lvel of commitment required to become competent. It’s always amusing to me to hear ppl say they learnt to surf on a holiday, learning to surf is not learning to stand up for 1.8 seconds in the whitewater. Thats the same as saying you learnt to snowboard cause you can falling leaf down the bunny slope.
Whatever you’re looking for out of surfing the one thing remains constant, the time you spend in the water the better you will be but even more so than almost any other sport I can think of.
Cheers guys, awesome advice, will let you know how I go.
Hey mate!!!!!
What type of surfing experience do ya see ya self doin?????
How many kilos are ya carryin?????
Hey Miz, it’s mainly just hangin’ with the kids, or when they get sick of it and just want to splash around in the shallows I sometimes get a 20 minute burst solo. It’s a bit depressing to say it, but I don’t see much probability of me hitting the waves for long periods of time or often, therefore I don’t expect to climb out of the beginner category too soon. In fact, the current mode of operation is for me to tow a kid out some short distance to where the waves are breaking (wouldn’t be above my chest height) then put them on wave, wade in after them, rinse, repeat. For me to use 2 boards would be a big step up as that would mean both of us paddling out and as Spaz has pointed out, that has some issues on a big foamie. I guess the ideal thing right now would be a single board the kids could easily get up on and at the minimum end of the range for me also to be able to get up on fairly easily.
I’m probably the typical BW profile in terms of height and weight - about 177cm (I think that’s 5’9” or 5’10”) and 68 kg.
Well given those cicumstances, I’d suggest takin up ice dancin like Jez?????
Only kiddin!!!!!
Somethin like an 8’ Softlite will be fine I reckon!!!!! 
Well given those cicumstances, I’d suggest takin up ice dancin like Jez?????
Somethin like an 8’ Softlite will be fine I reckon!!!!!
I’ll see what’s left when I get down there on Friday. Otherwise, I found some mob in Geelong that makes a full mal softboard that seems to have the guts of a fibreglass board inside it.
Have done a bit of shopping and got a super good deal on a 8” foamie at Strapper Surf in Ocean Grove. Here’s my new set-up:
