surf board advice

limerickguy2

hi guys ,
im thinking of taking up surfing ,im 47 6ft tall 16 stone ,so kinda large build ,not a great swimmer either so i need a board with good flotation, im confused as to all the advice from different surf shops as to type and size of board i should get,all leading to one they have in stock of course , i would like some independant advice please ,also anyone looking for a lift the weekends to west coast of clare ,sometimes kerry i can oblige .oops nearly forgot to stick a few smileys in here

Not The Real Scarecrow

The bigger the better, so I reckon if you can get your hands on a minimum of a 9" board you should be sorted.Will be easier to get started on and catch waves and get you're balance on.
If you're only starting you should maybe book in for a lesson somewhere first and see if it tickles your fancy.They should provide a board for you so you'll get a chance to see if it suites youo, normally they rent out foam boards for lessons, which I think are over 8 foot and are far more boyant than normal boards. They're alright for a lesson but wouldn't recommend buying one, as if you do get into it seriously, regardless of what any one might tell you, you will be at a loss financially.The foamys are alright for getting you're balance and an idea of what surfing is like but, what you can do on it is very limited.

limerickguy2

tnx for help,i tried it last week on a rental ,was a bic 8ft 4 i think ,wasnt a softie though ,i found i kept rolling off when i was just lyin on it ,i didnt get any further ,kinda embarrasing but it was great fun ,i was alone so i didint have any advice or anything i reckon tis a hard way to learn alrite ,i know i should get lessons ,tnx

limerickguy2

i was looking at 8ft 4 bic magnum in uk ,its 258.00 new with bag,leash,fins,wax,etc,how does that sound is it suitable i wonder ?

neon_glows

Hi Brian, I repleid to your email aswell.

If you were buying a Providence, O Shea or Escape longboard I would recommend the 9'6'' model as these are designed for people up to 16stone in weight.

Stick to fibreglass/polyester surfboards though to read more check here: http://www.surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4466

A good place to check for used boards (other than my website of course) is longboardireland.com also you can get some very valuable advice there as all the regulars surf queit often and there are some heavy guys on it too.

Try get a surf shop/school to do you a good deal on a lesson and purchase and if possible try get a go of a similiar board to what your thinking of buying.

Hope this helps
Nick

limerickguy2

thanks @tramore surf shop ,probably the best advice i have been given , i will have t og odown and organise a purchase

Cecil Mor

Get a few lessons, but ensure to take on board info 'bout etiquette and general "rules" of surfing. Far too many beginners out there just bobbing around in the way without the slightest clue as to what they should do, huge potential for accidents caused by this ignorance and the development of bad habits.

If a surf school does not cover this basic information and drill home its importance then book a lesson with another school. A school that provides a board and sends you off to the white water with no proper instruction is effectively providing board rental not lessons.

The above mentioned web forum is a good source of information.

Board wise go big and wide, 9'4"minimum and no narrower then 23".
If you're buying a new board consider Irish shapers before a generic board bought from a Surf Boutique masquerading as a Surf Shop.

limerickguy2

thanks cecil mor , i will take advice on board ,as for etiquette im 47 not a child,hope i have manners and im sure rules apply to everyone not just new comers ,after all the oceans a big place i hope theres a little patch for me , i have to start somewhere and i though here might be good place to get some advice ,so far it seems to be its difficult enough to get a surfer to talk to an ol fella like me all i seemd to get was a grunt and nod in general direction of a surf shop,followed by a grin you know the type ,as he chuckles to himself thinking i havent a hope in hell of surfing ,but i was chatting to a guy in fanore yesterday,he was a windsurfer mind you and a student from galway he was very helpfull ,tnx whoever you are ,so now im in here

Cecil Mor

Hi Limerickguy2,

Mention of the rules & etiquette is not an assumption that you may ignore 'em but that so many appear not to be aware of the most basic.

Unfortunately what would at first appear to be common sense often appears not to be practiced by many beginners, most obvious of this is their inability to get the hell out'a the way on many occasions. Safety is everybody's responsibility but at the busier spots many wrongly sit inside blankly staring at rapidly approaching surfers seemingly expecting them to take evasive action wheras they should be paddling out'a the way.

Just a bug bear of mine but I have hockyed a couple over the years, some that should know better, due to waves closing out on me and them not having the sense to have even tried to move. One got quite seriously hurt, yet this lemming like willingness to be run over can unfortunately be witnessed every weekend.

However welcome to the fold, don't let anything deter you as it is a great activity to be involved in and well worth persisting with... espically for us older guys;)

neon_glows

Brian dont get to worried about all the technicallitys, no one can be expected to know it all at first, while your learning at a beach break on a foamy other surfers are accepting, for now fucos on catching some waves and getting to your feet, everything cecil mentioned is great advise but really only becomes applicable when you start paddling out far and trying to catch unbroken waves, when your down we have a really good after surf booklet with all the safety when surfing info on it, makes a good read over lunch.

neon_glows

in fact here is a good link with info in it too http://isasurf.ie/safe-surfing-etiquette/

limerickguy2

thanks guys , i know i wont be waaaay out there with other surfers for a long time ,i have to learn in the puddles so to speak:)and im quiet happy to do so ,i might even enjoy it so much i might stay in em ,lol.i have had a look at the etiquette and i must say i agree ,even i have seen some fellas waiting to be mowed down .but i reckon been the shy type i will probably be at the far end of the beach making a fool of meself

yank_in_eire

limerickguy2 wrote: »

,not a great swimmer either so i need a board with good flotation

Anybody else think this guy should maybe work on becoming a stronger swimmer before taking up surfing? This sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Outsidethebox

limerickguy2 wrote: »

its difficult enough to get a surfer to talk to an ol fella like me all i seemd to get was a grunt and nod in general direction of a surf shop,followed by a grin you know the type ,as he chuckles to himself thinking i havent a hope in hell of surfing

Don't worry about it Limerickguy! I started lessons for the first time last week and my old man started with me. He is 57 so you have a decade on him yet!

PS. This surfing is some craic altogether!

fade2che

I agree with 9,6 min, I disagree with Nick on the fibreglass/polyester however.
The best thing you could have is the likes of a 10 foot Bic or something similar.
It will take all the punishment and more that you will unwittingly give it in the first year or so.
In starting off you will eventually tip it off the rocks on the way in our out at some stage, or the roof rack as you put it back up on a cold day, or the lawnmower in the garage. Ive done all the above and a bic or NSP will have barely a scratch were if you go with a fibreglass/polyester board it will be wrecked before you can even learn to surf it.

I started off with a NSP (like a Bic) a few year ago and I was happy to have a strong board that I could make mistakes like driving the nose into the sand and still have a board I could surf afterward.

Main thing that helped me was to look a few youtube videos of surf lessons in the morning before I went out on my own. Also a few friends of mine used to surf close to the surf schools and try to copy what they did. Kind mean but they had no money
Best of luck with it.

limerickguy2

i am working on the swimming too

longboarder

Hi Limerickguy,
Dont worry about your age. I started 3 years ago when I was 47 on a Bic magnum 8 4. Now on a 9 2. Best advice I can give is to get out as often as you can. First couple of years it was every now and then - no good. Since last March I have been out on average every other weekend (travelling from Dublin) and am very happy with my progress. On the right day and in the right conditions I really feel I can surf - catching green waves, riding across the face and getting out the back on most days. Next session I'll be crap and nothing works but I know I'm getting there.

limerickguy2

tnx lads

neon_glows

Iv been surfing longboards all my life and lucky to have had a chance to try alot of the different boards out there, i have found that polyester/fibreglass surfboards really are superior, they respond better in turns and when the surf isnt ideal. Epoxy boards get very bumpy in the wind, Epoxys do work well in real small surf and when catching white water but you eventually want to be surfing something bigger, I have found vaccuum epoxy boards really good fun though, i had a fish and fying carpet that i had a good time with however they still feel very different to the traditional polyester/fibreglass surfboard and work out much more expensive.

neon_glows

And on the topic of durability it is true that epoxy boards are stronger but also very difficult to repair and in the case of vaccuum epoxys if you ding the tail and repair it you may find another part of the board delaminating. Fibreglass boards are quick and easy to fix and theres alot of people out there who will fix them for you.

kodute

neon_glows wrote: »

And on the topic of durability it is true that epoxy boards are stronger but also very difficult to repair and in the case of vaccuum epoxys if you ding the tail and repair it you may find another part of the board delaminating. Fibreglass boards are quick and easy to fix and theres alot of people out there who will fix them for you.

How are epoxy boards more difficult to repair than say fibreglass?

Epoxy repair: Epoxy resin, fill ding, wait for it to dry, done.
Fibreglass repair: long procedure

Just curious because repairing my epoxy longboard was a piece of cake.

Not The Real Scarecrow

+1 , found epoxy very easy to repair. Big Difference for me is fibre glass very easy to ding or smash up(especially when you're starting off), epoxy far more durable for beginners.
Pure craziness recommending fibre glass boards to a beginner.

neon_glows

Epoxy fin plugs are very difficult to reset and if not done right you will end up with places near the ding that start to delaminate. When you get a ding some air gets in there, when you repair it you trap the air inside and when its hot the air expands delaminating the board. This is an absolute nightmare for repair, its also more difficult material to deal with and sanding isnt great either.

Burgerman55

do most surf shops sell epoxy resin or where might i be able to pick this **** up?

glide

epoxy boards are much harder to repair!
because epoxy boards are made out of eps foam the cell structure is very open, and when you ding the board water always goes in and if the board is not dryed out properly the water left inside will damage the core
this happens on poly boards too but can take months/years to go bad.

epoxy boards take are put together under vacuum are even worse!
as when dinged they breath water in due to pressure.

and the only way to get the water out is by drilling another hole in the board and blowing air through to force to the air and then letting the board dry out in a very warm environment.

and dont use duck tape to do a cheap repair with!
it isnt water tight!

neon_glows

glide wrote: »

epoxy boards are much harder to repair!
because epoxy boards are made out of eps foam the cell structure is very open, and when you ding the board water always goes in and if the board is not dryed out properly the water left inside will damage the core
this happens on poly boards too but can take months/years to go bad.

epoxy boards take are put together under vacuum are even worse!
as when dinged they breath water in due to pressure.

and the only way to get the water out is by drilling another hole in the board and blowing air through to force to the air and then letting the board dry out in a very warm environment.

and dont use duck tape to do a cheap repair with!
it isnt water tight!

Good information.

limerickguy2

now im totally confused with a these board choices guys, i dont plan on riding out with the pros ,just in the shallower parts ,its just for fun you know so i dont reckon i need a professional board ,but i do need one with good buoyancy i reckon ,as for bangin it on rocks ,i dont intend ot be near any !!,im just goin to be on sandy beaches ,so i guess a 10 ffot long board is the job really but there arent many choices and where to buy ? guess i will hve to keep lookin.......;)

Cecil Mor

Try the longboard website/forum mentioned above, introduce yourself and post the same enquiry there.
Longboards are their bread'n butter there so should be some good advice regarding specific enquiries

limerickguy2

is that an irish site ceci mor ? was hopin to find board etc here rather than uk

limerickguy2

hey lads i was looking at circle one 10 ft nose rider and bic ecomp 10 ft nose rider both around 550 mark new ,any comments ?:)

kodute

limerickguy2 wrote: »

hey lads i was looking at circle one 10 ft nose rider and bic ecomp 10 ft nose rider both around 550 mark new ,any comments ?:)

Heard nothing but good things about the ecomp.

Have a 10ft board myself, great fun in small surf, you won't regret buying one!