When learning to surf, you will need to practice a few basic steps to help get you on your feet.

1: First choose the right board

2: 2nd learn to paddle

3: 3rd learn how to duck dive or roll

4: Next learning how to catch a wave

5: Then last how to stand up on your surfboard without falling off

In this article we will cover the first step, how to choose the right surfboard. Most people like to go out and buy the best looking, and stylish board possible, but these are normally not for beginners.

Once you have mastered the basics, then you can invest in a brand new board. But first you’re going to need something big… the bigger it is, the better it will float, and the easier it will be to paddle. Also the larger you are the more floatation you will need.

You will be able to ride a small board sooner, if you start on a big board first. So if you plan to get into short boards look for something around 6ft 10inches up to 8ft long, but if you are looking at getting into long boarding try a Malibu of 10 or 12ft, make sure you can carry it.

The larger the board is, the harder it will be to turn, manoeuver, and get out past the breakers. So your first board should not necessairly be oversized, or cost a fortune. Get a cheap 7ft or 8ft board that has a few dings, this will just be to learn on, and once you’ve mastered the basics you can trade it in. When choosing your first board, dings don’t mater, however you don’t want the foam showing. If the fibreglass is peeling off, water will get into the foam, and weigh the board down. So don’t choose anything too fancy, but make sure its going to float, and can be paddled easily.

Whatever board you buy, remember it should be at least 2-3 inches thick and at least 19-24 inches wide. You don’t want a board built for manoeuvrability, tricks and turns, because they are lighter and require more skill to ride. So don’t worry about the shape or number of fins.

Size is important for gaining your balance, but the only seriously important thing is getting a good leg rope. Don’t worry about the board dragging you under, or flinging back at you, if you stay away from the big surf this should not happen to you, stay in the small swells when beginning.

If you go out without a legrope, or an old one that snaps, I can guarantee you will loose your board. Swimming in the ocean is dangerous, you have rips, gutters, sweeps and waves knocking you about, it is also hard to see anybody through the waves.

Even the strongest of swimmers, will use up a lot of energy and time, trying to reach their board. The surfboard will be light enough for the waves to pick it up and move it away, however you will have to much drag in the water. Besides the obvious danger, of the sweep taking you into a rip, the hassle of swimming into shore will ruin any session, trust me you don’t want to be stuck without a surfboard.

You will need a new legrope, this is something you can keep when trading in your surfboard, so it will not be wasted with an old board. Quality is best, but any new rope should be strong enough. Make sure you get a legrope that is long enough to reach you when standing forward on the board. But don’t get anything too long, if the rope is too long it can act as a bungy, pulling your board right back at you.

Once you have your big old board, your ready to practice. Read my other articles on how to surf, for the next steps involved. Then grab a mate and head out, its always wise to go with someone else in case you get into trouble.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Surfing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.