Newbe needs help....

[bigo181979]

That info really helps a lot, thanks.

Now as far as a board to start with and be able to grow with what would be a good choice?????

[NICKYPOO]

That info really helps a lot, thanks.

Now as far as a board to start with and be able to grow with what would be a good choice?????

Read this- http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3989

And this- http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4132

And this- http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4138

And this- http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3463

There's a lot of info stored here. Just click on surfdad's name there and click "find all posts". He has extensive knowlegde on this subject and your question has been answered several times now. I'm sure hell be around to reply to this thread though. He's cool like that.

[jleger98]

Damn just found this thread and now I'm dying to get back out surfing. Weather is going to suck this weekend though

[Surfdad]

Good graphic on the sweet spot Nick, it's hard to describe and you did an excellent job.

I am a regular footer and prefer frontside, but when I ride switch, I literally can't ride frontside. However, I can ride backside with some skill. I think I would be like Nick, if I were goofy foot.

Hey bigo,

We do have a bunch of info on here now, don't we? Great resource. I think the standard questions we have to start with are how much do you weigh and what is the size of the wake you will be working with (small, medium or large) that allows us to narrow the recommendations down.

[bigo181979]

Well I weigh 245 right now but i am loseing weight, so far 35 lbs. in the last couple months. My goal weight is to get back to 200 lbs but I would be happy with 215. So I guess that kinda messes with that. I am 6'4" tall, and that's not gonna change.

My wake right now is probably going to be considered small.

I have never surfed before so I want to make sure its something I like before I start spending a bunch of money setting up my boat for it.

[Surfdad]

I hear you bigo. With taller guys, I like to recommend longer boards because of their stance, sometimes the shorter boards force 6+ footers to stand too narrow. The 210+ pounds and a small wake for a newbie is going to force you in to a bigger board. Considering that you are just testing the waters and also in the process of losing some weight (congrats by the way) I am going to recommend that you shop for an old used beater surfboard. I think that Nick can speak to this personally. Find a 6'4" to 6'8" shortboard, or Egg preferablly a thruster and give that a whirl. If you become a fanatic like the rest of us then you can invest in something else down the line. I have seen old beaters on ebay for under $50. Don't ship it UPS. Have the seller slap a shipping label on the bottom and send it greyhound. It'll arrive fine, overnight for about $12 and if it gets thrashed, you probably aren't out much. I'd bet you can get into it for less than $70.

Nick? Would you agree? Find a cheap beater on ebay or craigslist? Didn't you have an old Bear?

[bigo181979]

Ok I am a bit new on the lingo you said a 6'4" to 6'8" shortboard, are you talking a regular surfboard like you would use in the ocean?
Also whats an egg and whats a thruster?
God I know I sound like such a noob right now. But thanks for helping me out.

[Surfdad]

Don't apologize BigO, you told us that you were a newb and I got in a rush and forgot - my bad.

Yes, you are absolutely correct, I was referring to an ocean going board. Typically boards in this size range are referred to as shortboards (as opposed to a longboard). The 6 foot plus range will give you an opportunity to try the sport out without investing a great deal of time and money.

A thruster is the fin configuration - a thruster has 3 fins, one at the tail and two further forward and out towards the edges of the board.

This ad on craigslist is what I had in mind. 6'+ boards, the individual is selling two of them for $80, one can be ridden, as is. I wouldn't even have the other one shipped. If you look at the picture, the board with the three fins is a thruster configuration.

If you don't mind paying the extra price, the HL Landlock comes in a 5'11" size for around $275 or someone found a smoking deal at $175 at a sports chalet, I do believe. Also, the older '05 Landlock was 6'1" you might be able to find that used at a good price. It might be worth investing the extra $100 or so dollars not to have to chase want ads, and there is probably some local resale value in a Landlock if you don't like the sport.

[NICKYPOO]

Nick? Would you agree? Find a cheap beater on ebay or craigslist? Didn't you have an old Bear?

I learned on a 6'8" Bear that a friend of mine has. That was, shoot, 5 years ago. We had zero ballast and had no idea how to set up a surf wake. I was able to ride without the rope that first day. Couldn't really do anything besides just actually stand there, but the sheer size of that thing plus having a Tige let us cruise right along. I'm now on my 5th board and it's the first one I'm really happy with. So yes, I agree that's a good way to go for the big fellas just to get a taste for what it's like to have the wake just push you along. It got me hooked.

Now for the negatives. Wax. Surfboard wax is sticky. It likes to get all over everything and generally makes a big ol' fat mess. If you're anal about keeping the boat clean, I would strip all the old wax off and invest in some traction pads.

Big boards are really tough for the girls to get up on. They have a hard time getting the board up on edge to start. Other than that it'll work just fine for them as well.

I think the one thing that really helps is a bigger wake. A bigger wake makes staying in the pocket so much easier. If you don't have any ballast, just put everybody you can on one side and as far back as possible and set your TAPS to 8 and have at it.

I've yet to meet someone that hasn't been hooked by wakesurfing. That first moment of a slack rope and perpetual push is magic and there is no going back.

[dogbert]

I just picked up the HL Landlock for $229 here in Austin. I didn't get to try it, but it looks like it's gonna hold my fat a$$ (I'm 6'7" and 290).