Have i bitten off more than i can chew?

alwayssideways

I had 2 days lessons previously on the foam boards and got onto it really quickly so after a bit of research i decided to buy my own board to progress.

I bought a 7'3 Bic minimal. I was out on it for the first time yesterday in Rossnowlagh. I know the swell was quite big yesterday for a beginner but i really struggled, I am a qualified pool lifeguard so i consider myself a strong swimmer and quite fit but i still found it really hard to catch a wave and when i did nearly impossible to stand on the board.

My question is did i buy the wrong board? Should i have gone for something longer? Or am I jumping the gun a little and just need a few more days practice? i.e. did the foam boards give me a false sense of how i should be progressing at surfing?

I know someone is going to prescribe lessons, and they are on the cards. But i just wanted to make sure i have the right board before i go spending money on lessons with the wrong board.

Thanks

Ronan

promethius

i was actually having this very conversation on sat with a friend who surfs occasionally, he has the same board so i'm familiar with the one you're talking about. was out surfing with him and had a good look at the board afterwards. it's a nice board and i'm going to take it off him for a surf sometime. it's def not a beginner board for an average sized adult however. there's not much volume in it (won't float a lot) and there's too much rocker (curve) in it to paddle easily. neither of those things a problem for an experienced surfer or small child learning but it doesn't make it easy to learn on.

the bic 7'9" minimal is a much better bic for learning on, it's got a lot more volume and paddles quite easily and it's what i learned on and they're pretty cheap and very durable.

If you've had two lessons i wouldn't be racing to get anymore, you were getting up on the foamies so know the mechanics it's now a question of practising that and getting surf fit.

I'd take the 73 out a few more times then make a call, perhaps get a 79 or something bigger. Dont' stick on 73 and lose interest in the whole sport. Getting a board that's too small for learners seems to happen a lot. even with more experienced intermediates you see them on thin shortboards catching no waves whilst others clean up with loads, if they got something just a bit bigger they'd get so much more enjoyment.

Surfing a foam board is very easy compared to a normal surfboard, any board will feel trickier after a foamie.

Get your practice in paddling, catching waves, turning etc on a bigger board then make a step down to something smaller if you;d like the benefits of faster turns, better duck dives, lighter etc...

Did a shop advise you to get this as a first board?

Mickeroo

I would echo what promethius said. I'm familiar with the 7"3 and they are a difficult enough board for a beginner. I learned on a 7"9 too and they really area great board for beginners, unless you're a really big lad then maybe the 8"4 might be an option.

It's always going to feel more difficult when you change from a foamie though so don't be disheartened, it can take a while to get used to having a smaller base under you, but you'll definitley progress quicker if you get a bigger board.

promethius

forgot to say that the 7'6" while only being 3 inches shorter than the 79 is a very different board, it's a good bit narrower and is a lot harder to surf. i've surfed one a few times it's acutally a nice one to surf, is quite fast down the line.

rodento

Sell the 7'3 or ditch it in a bin and get yourself a 7'9 or something similar

alwayssideways

Thanks for the feedback folks. The more i think of it, i was premature in putting this thread up. After all it was only after one day. i'm not going to let it get the better of me! I will give it a few more goes before i go changing it. However if it is a thing that i change my board, would you recommend a epoxy board over a Bic? The reason i went for the Bic is that i read its more durable and not much heavier than the epoxy.

Mickeroo

alwayssideways wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback folks. The more i think of it, i was premature in putting this thread up. After all it was only after one day. i'm not going to let it get the better of me! I will give it a few more goes before i go changing it. However if it is a thing that i change my board, would you recommend a epoxy board over a Bic? The reason i went for the Bic is that i read its more durable and not much heavier than the epoxy.

An epoxy will probably surf better than a Bic, it won't be as durable but then it won't be as fragile as a fibreglass board. If you're going to get an eopxy rather than a Bic then you may aswell go the whole hog and buy a proper 9 foot+ longboard. THey're a lot better to surf than your average mini mal, your wave count will be high and you can do so much more on them. Plus when you get better and move on to shorter boards you'll always have the log as back up for the smaller days. The only downside is I suppose if you mainly want to surf shorter boards then the transition form a log to a short board will be tougher then moving from a mini-mal.

rodento

alwayssideways wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback folks. The more i think of it, i was premature in putting this thread up. After all it was only after one day. i'm not going to let it get the better of me! I will give it a few more goes before i go changing it. However if it is a thing that i change my board, would you recommend a epoxy board over a Bic? The reason i went for the Bic is that i read its more durable and not much heavier than the epoxy.

Whats your size and weight???

Can't tell you how bad that board you've got is for beginners

Not The Real Scarecrow

I made the mistake years ago trying to learn on a 6"6. Needless to say it was a full 3 months of torture. Eventually got the hang of it but would have progressed much quicker with a longer board. Although saying that, when I finally got a long board took me ages to get used to the size of it and the different techniques needed to get out.

promethius

any chance you could trade it in with the shop (if it was a shop) for a 7'9" bic maybe?? molded plastic board is great for learning on since it literally doesn't matter if you drop it or bang off rocks. epoxies not the same, and more difficult to repair than polyurethane boards.

best of luck whatever way you go.

cornbb

It'll take you a bit longer the hang of surfing the 7'3" than it would on a say 7'9" but I'd say it's hardly worth selling it at this stage. You'll find it very "tippy" and it'll be tough to find the sweet spot that allows you to pop up without wiping out. It's doable though. Just bite the bullet and put up with the slightly steeper learning curve. You'll be grand.

(If you happen to be quite tall or heavy then you might want to disregard this advice and ditch it for something bigger )

echosound

Keep going for a while with the board you have now, and see if you can get the hang of it. If you're getting nowhere after say, a month's worth of 3-4 sessions a week I'd suggest going longer on your next board.

As for whether you should stick with a bic or go epoxy/fibreglass, it's down to you - how careful are you with the board in general, how are you transporting it to your break, how "easy" is your break (I prefer beach breaks that aren't that heavy as I'm a wuss and there's less chance of the board getting a good ding off a rock/getting battered about if I come off it etc).

I find the bics much heavier than epoxys therefore I'd personally trade off the heavy indestructibility of the bics for a lighter less indestructible board as I have girly upper-body strength (i.e. virtually none) so prefer carrying lighter boards out to the break.

I started off learning on a ~9' softtop (bought a 2nd hand one, used it for a few months) and found it super easy to catch everything, standing first go every time, so floaty and stable you could do a jig on it and not come off, then I traded up to a brand new epoxy minimal (7'6") and found the transition difficult. Slogged away at it for a while and eventually got used to it. Steep learning curve involved, as they're much more responsive to the slightest shift in weight etc. than a soft-top.

However, I've since got myself a 2nd hand fibreglass 9'6" longboard, and I cannot tell you how much more forgiving it is. Much more float naturally enough, and catches almost any ripple that comes along, so great for getting your wave count up and great for smaller days (no so great if it's a v. heavy day, can be tiring trying to get a log out back!).

Personally speaking, I'd always advise a fully-grown adult (especially if they're quite tall or sturdy) to go longer when learning, as it can be very frustrating to be not catching a damn thing on a shorter board and might end up putting a dejected learner right off altogether.

TL;DR: Stick with your board for a while, if you're getting nowhere after giving it a good go, think about trading in for a longer board, would recommend 8'+.

Nuser

Hi Always,

I've been surfing regularly in Rossnowlagh for about a year and a half now. Like you , I started off with a lesson on the foamies then soon after bought a 8'2 NSP. It's been a great board for learning on and very forgiving, (I'm 6'0 and 15stone). If after a while you are still considering trading your board, let me know because maybe we could do a temporary swap for a while as I'm thinking of moving on to a shorter board. Might be handy for you too if you want to try out a slightly larger board without buying one!

Good Luck!

FlashD

I don't get this whole starting on a board less than 9'+ for an adult .....especially these rotton plastic bics.

I have never seen any school handing out anything other then 9'+ soft tops. If I was stuck for a board, i'd sooner take one of them out than one of those short bics.

Anyone know where this first started?

alwayssideways

Thanks for the advice folks. for those who where asking, i'm about 5'9 and 11 stone.

promethius wrote: »

Did a shop advise you to get this as a first board?

@Promethius - It was from research i did online really (Obviously useless research) But peoples opinions on learner boards seem to differ from place to place. As is the case with the advice i'm getting on this thread as can be seen below.

promethius wrote: »

the bic 7'9" minimal is a much better bic for learning on, it's got a lot more volume and paddles quite easily and it's what i learned on and they're pretty cheap and very durable.

Mickeroo wrote: »

I learned on a 7"9 too and they really area great board for beginners, unless you're a really big lad then maybe the 8"4 might be an option.

FlashD wrote: »

I don't get this whole starting on a board less than 9'+ for an adult .....especially these rotton plastic bics.

I may be able to pick up a 7'9 bic + roof racks for €200. Does that sound like a good deal to yous? so if you guys think i would be better on that i might just buy that board and keep the 7'3 to progress on at a later stage.

OR

If you think I should another type of board i'm open to suggestions. To be honest from the feedback i have gotten, i'm as confused on board selection as i was on day one!

promethius

if it was me i'd buy the 7"9'. is it a new one or used?
if used get that price down based on this pricing for new http://www.kingofwatersports.com/bic-surf-73-mini-mal-surfboard-2011-copy-i17068.html#

i wouldn't be too pushed on hanging onto the 73 if you have a 79 depends on money really.

it's complicated stuff with surfboards you're not wrong! i've a custom longboard on order now i think u learn something everytime you pick a board i did this time.

alwayssideways

promethius wrote: »

if it was me i'd buy the 7"9'. is it a new one or used?
if used get that price down based on this pricing for new http://www.kingofwatersports.com/bic-surf-73-mini-mal-surfboard-2011-copy-i17068.html#

i wouldn't be too pushed on hanging onto the 73 if you have a 79 depends on money really.

it's complicated stuff with surfboards you're not wrong! i've a custom longboard on order now i think u learn something everytime you pick a board i did this time.

Its a used one. But now i think the guy is holding out for €250, so i don't know what to do. Going up to rossnowlagh again tomorrow so see how it goes before i make my decision.

Would the 7'3 not be handy to have if/when i get the hang of surfing the longer board, to move down to a smaller board?

This may sound like a really stupid question, but i don't get the whole longboard thing? From your posts i take it you can surf on your 7'9 bic. So why get a longer board? Is the progression not usually to go to a shorter board?

Mickeroo

alwayssideways wrote: »

This may sound like a really stupid question, but i don't get the whole longboard thing? From your posts i take it you can surf on your 7'9 bic. So why get a longer board? Is the progression not usually to go to a shorter board?

Not necessarily, its a different dicipline to shortboarding. I started on a 7"9 and now I surf 9"6. Longboarding is its own thing, there's lots of stuff you can do on a longboard that you can't on a shortboard.

Go look up some longboarding vids on youtube and educate yourself

9 foot+ all the way for me anyway

Oh and €250 for a used Bic sounds steep to me.

FlashD

alwayssideways wrote: »

Is the progression not usually to go to a shorter board?

No, it's not! That's all in your head man!

A good surfer will be able to surf any size board well, be able to read conditions and choose their equipment to suit those conditions.

Regards.

keryl

If you could get a straight swap for the 7'9 it would be great but that's hard to tell. It will take a while longer to get used of the 7'3. I think if you wanted to keep it then it's really down to you to put the work in and master it.

Regards progressing down, well that's a lot of media attention. I can't see a problem with people Longboarding or shortboarding or both. Both have their skills and attraction.

If you get the hang on the 7'3 or if you get a 7'9 then you'll know what direction to take after, there's no panic.

promethius

alwayssideways wrote: »

This may sound like a really stupid question, but i don't get the whole longboard thing? From your posts i take it you can surf on your 7'9 bic. So why get a longer board? Is the progression not usually to go to a shorter board?

Tbh i very rarely surf my old bic except in an emergency or something. i've kept it as i wouldn't get much for it and it's great to have if a friend wants to try surfing with me or something like that.

I started on my bic, then moved down in board sizes till i hit a 6'6" spider thruster. Looked cool i thought, especially under my arm
Don't get me wrong i got lots of waves on it and had some good surfs in different places.

Then I lived in San Diego for a few years and had my shortboards in the water and it dawned on me that the guys cleaning up on wave count were all longboarders. The waves there were more suited to longboards anyways so i bought one to try it out, so much more fun, loads of waves and easy paddling plus a more relaxed style of surfing. I was in the water one day on a 68 surrounded by logs and a local jokingly said to me "son you've gone and brought a knife to a gunfight today". He was right.

After that i've always kept boards from shortboard up to 9' and i will surf what's good in the conditions but have to admit rarely shortboarding now. A real surfer will surf anything to catch waves, body boarding, body surfing, shortboarding, longboard, SUPing, kayaking, any other way of thinking is just snobbery, it's all about the waves.

The idea of progression down in size is a real irish thing which is noticable where compared to other countries. Every session i'm out in i see the same thing all the time, intermediate surfers with matchstick sized boards with zero float and lots of rocker. They catch few if any waves. If only they had something bigger to get their wave count up and build up their skills on take off, trimming, bottom turns, positioning, timing, ie the basics. They could then take those skills onto smaller boards. I think it could be because in ireland the sport (as a larger participation one) is in its infancy, there isn't your dad to tell you how he learned and loan you his old longboard etc etc.

The way I look at it, i'm never going to be a slater but i do want to get lots of waves and will sacrifice the reduced maneuverability of a longboard for this. Plus if you're good on a longboard and don't want to walk it and noseride there's plenty of turns to be done on it, more flowing ones not snappy. loads of fun.

that went on a bit longer than i thought it would

DutchGuy

I bought a 7'9 BIC last year after some lessons, used it a few times and then bought a 9'6 epoxy longboard instead and much prefer it. As you catch so many more waves you can learn much quicker. Even the longboard would be harder to get up on than a foam board though.

If you're going to sell and buy a new one, make an effort to try a longboard first. Bundoran surf co rent out all kinds of boards and are not too expensive. If you're buying from them I think they let you try out the boards for free as well.

(just to note that I'm 6ft9 so not sure if my experiences would be the same for you).

FlashD

promethius wrote: »

Looked cool i thought, especially under my arm

Sure that's the main thing for a lot of them, looking cool under your arm. Gotta have that quiksilver/vans/ripcurl sticker too!

There's no better feeling than rocking up in the middle of Summer with my trusty 9'6 and proceeding to take all the juicy ones while the matchstick brigade spend their time pointlessly flapping round at every ripple.

A knife to a gunfight indeed! :pac:

rodento

Was cursing my longboard the other day, absolute bugger to get out of the water in some spots, and anyway you should be encouraging folk to go smaller not bigger, means more of the good stuff for the rest of us

promethius

you're absolutlely right!
the better the surfer the smaller and thinner the board, the longboarders can't handle the small boards so leave them be on their logs, they never catch any waves like us pros hanging around on the inside

messing aside, that has to be the biggest drawback of the longboard, getting out back especially in messy beach breaks

rodento

Or reefs/points that get nailed by them wide ones:o