Help me Out

[flow]

well here is the story...

i have been lidding for a while... all my life and in the mood for a change.
i want to start up surfing.. i weigh 75kg.. and am 5ft11..
what board would u recomend?... a fish? short... help me out..
max i want to spend in about $500 so between that price range would be great.

Thanks in advance

[bumfluff]

Your not fooling anyone TMC.

[Spoon]

talk to Grant Miller, he's at Mona Vale he sometimes has some second hand boards and seems to know what will suit people down to a tee. Great shaper and a nice bloke.

[flow]

thanks mate... will look into it..

[Surfin Turf]

excellent move flow ... setting a very good example for the other boogers ...

consider avoiding the short fish though ... sure it wil be easy to ride but if you are going to give it a serious crack you would do better heading down a traditional (whatever traditional is these days ) short board shape ... a fish will be easy to paddle around and get waves but they ride flat ...

here's my thought's, for you to consider ... try starting out on something about 6'4" - 6'6' in a normal short board shape but with a little more area/width in the nose and maybe a swallow tail that will have a bit more area and stability in the tail ... miller do that style of board very well, so you will be heading to the right place if you are heading there ... this type of board should give you enough stability in your early days but you will be able to go rail to rail easier than a short fish and I'd reckon you will have a lot more fun ... then later the move to a more performance type board will be easy ...

I'd reckon that if you've been boogy'en all your life you obviously not in beginner league because you only really need to get used to getting to your feet etc. so you should probably back yourself and start further up the board progression ladder ...

good luck with it ...

[Grooter]

good to hear the boy/girl is becoming a man/woman

Definitely rate Millers boards too (I've got a V-Skate). You and I are the same height but I'm 10kg's heavier, my advice would be to get at least get a 7 footer.

Definitely talk to a shaper like Grant before you buy and not some kid in a surf shop on minimum wage. You should get something to suit your height AND weight - remember that

[Dante]

I agree with Spoon and Hatchman.
Grant Miller is a great place to start. He'll give you all the time you need and no pressure. He's a rare breed.

[JET01]

I'll warn you early... i'm a bit passionate about surfing and love passing on my experience all be it quite short....

Mate, i was in your exact position about 2 years ago. 5'10 and 80kg been riding a lid since 13 and saw the light at 25.
I started on a 9'6 mal with way too much rocker and got frustrated. I realised it was too much board to deal with went to a 7'10" minimal and that was a great place to start. I got into the epoxy backpacker style boards until I was getting up around 7/10 times. All those M8R8 or Dartboards style boards are good for is learning, after that, do yourself a favour and buy a quality aussie board after you sell your board to a backpaper for what you paid for it 6months prior. Anyway I digress....
I got frustrated with the length when it got a bit sucky and the length hindered my backhand progress so In JUN 2008 i went to see Grant Miller with about 12months on&off experience under my belt (navy sea time sucks for surfing).
The man is amazing to work with, trust what he says when it comes to dimensions.
He shaped me a 6'8" x 21 x 2 3/4 waterskate. I've gone shorter since trying out mate's boards and that kind of thing.
Grant initially wanted to shape me 6'10 x 20 1/2 and 2 5/8, but i pushed for more thickness and width but less length. Had no probs with the length, but it was a bad descision on my behalf because after six months i've out-grown it a little and want something a little more shortboard like.
After riding a lid for so long, you know how to catch waves so back yourself into a challenge but don't set your sights too high.
If i had my time again i'd go a 6'10" V-skate, plenty of paddling power, easyish to learn on, and as it's more shortboardish you'll be able to keep it as long as the glass holds (which should be ages), and surf it in a wider range of wave type (personal opinion).
I know Aloha at Manly have a few of his boards in stock at the moment so you can go and check out the difference in a shop style environment, the staff there are unreal and are happy to let you check out boards for as long as you want. It's nice to put your hands on a board and have a good look at it. Looking at a few pics on the net, as in Grant's case, just doesn't do most boards any justice at all, and sometimes can even hide a lot of bad aspects. His website is very informative and will teach you a thing or two about board design and what to look for a in board. But before you buy anything talk to a shaper to help you with your final decision. Dealing with board "salesman" can be a bit hit and miss.
Once you do get going, be careful because buying surfboards can get addictive... after only two years surfing my quiver has grown to:

9'2 x 23 x 3 Mal
6'8 x 21 x 2 3/4 Waterskate
6'7 x 20 1/2 x 2 3/4 PCC (sounds similar to waterskate but with way less volume and more rocker)

I'm on the lookout for a 7'0 Miller powerglide. Always on the lookout for something new and the versatility of it sounds too good to be true.

In summary...

Ask questions, don't shy from a challenge, surf as much as you can, don't get into the shortboard vs Malriders bullshit, and what ever you do don't give up...

Surfing's the best no matter what you ride.

Keep the stoke...

[pridmore]

Mr Miller must be doing some good stuff, good to hear so much positive stuff about a shaper and I hope to achieve similar in the future. I do like his boards and he seems to have a big chunk of the beginner-intermediate and bigger bloke board market down there...good stuff, hope you get exactly what you need and most advice that has been posted here seems spot on. Depending on outline, I would suggest 6'6" - 6'10" , extra area and keep everything simple, smooth and gradual rocker, bit less than ya typical shorty but with a bit in the nose to prevent it from catching especially while learning, probably go a rounded or rounded square tail for stability and a thruster coz they are the easiest to surf, flat bottom or very subtle single to double....dunno what you'll get for $500 in Sydney but I would gladly create you the above board, custom designed for $499...not trying to pinch customers at all ,just letting you know that I do em for the price you mentioned and it can be a brand newy and not a 2nd handy...but Miller will have some good 2nds for you to check out...all the best and good to see theres 1 less booger in the water, if I can be of any help at all with design or advice, would be glad to help remove the booger and get you standing up... www.moresurfboards.com

[turtle]

^^ can you imagine if shapers had your way of thinking 20yrs ago, man we would be in radical world now..
i cant wait see what happens design next 10yrs

[pridmore]

^^ can you imagine if shapers had your way of thinking 20yrs ago, man we would be in radical world now..
i cant wait see what happens design next 10yrs

Is my way of thinking a bit different ya think ??? looking forward to the next 10 boards, let alone the next ten years...I am designing some board for the Fish-Fry now and farrrkkk its awesome to have no limits, just creating what might be a real lot of fun to ride, and especially for a gathering like the Fish-Fry where people almost expect some out there designs...

[TMC]

Your not fooling anyone TMC.

Haha sorry fluffy but i'm taller than this shortarse.

[JET01]

So what did you end up getting?

[flow]

Thanks for all your help fellas....
I Found a second hand board..... I got a simon anderson S4 got it for $400 its 6'7" its in blody good nik.
i just took it up to queensland on sunshine beach.. and noosa im getting ther but i guess the more you go out the better surfer you will become.... Thanks

[pridmore]

I have been doin a few of these lately for beginners but also for good surfers, great for catching lots of waves which is important when learning, also very stable and fast ....dims of this one are 6'6" x 20 3/4"x 2 5/8"...









glad you got a board you are happy with, hope it serves you well....cheers...