G'day all, new here.

I'm looking at buying a longboard. Would consider myself a novice. I'm 195cm and 104kg. What should I look for in a board? Is 9'6" long enough? What do I need in terms of width/thickness/volume for plenty of float?

Have been looking at the 9'6" FireWire... Anyone got any views on whether that would be suitable? If not can anyone recommend brand, size, specs etc?

Thanks for your help.

I'll kick it off ..... 9 6 to 10 0 foot (with 10 foot being the ducks nuts at the minute) dims 23 to 24 wide and 3 to 3 1/2 thick for your said weight




Try find something pre-loved but if all else fails .....I'll recommend GODDARD , Mac recommends McTAVISH , Chrispychru recommends CLEARWATER / SDR , Jasdeking recommends CREATIVE ARMY , OBCT & MR recommend DIVERSE , Tedthekiwi makes his own rippers

have a good one & welcome to the home of the green stoke brother !

Not catching waves will be your biggest impediment to learning, forget about the glide, the X stepping the backhand turns , the re-entries, the floaters the drop knee turns, etceteras, if you can't first get yourself on a wave, nothing else will matter, and to get on a wave when you just a novice, you need foam. Therein resides the dichotomy.

Not all boards with lots of foam catch waves and very few of the really good shapers make boards with lots of foam, because they mostly sell to experienced riders.

I have a friend who recently got a Firewire about 9.6, he goes really well on it, good turner and most importantly, early wave entry, but he's 10 kg less than you, probably 6 inches shorter and he's been surfing since Adam wore short pants.

How about trying to find a secondhand name brand that just happens to have, not just plenty of foam, but the foam is in the right places? MR managed it when he scored his Diverse for just 500 clams.

Set yourself some minimum dims and don't go below them.

9.6 long, longer if possible (you're really tall)

23.5 wide, the wider the board, the more stable the platform and the greater the surface area to float you.

3.5 thick.

Research rail shapes so that you don't allow yourself to buy a board with inappropriate rails. Like really thin 50/50 rails that are super knify (sharp) and really only suited to experienced guys that can use their grabby features well.

Look for softish 50/50 rails or soft 60/40, don't worry too much if the rail go really hard towards the tail section (apex of rail in well below the halfway point and the edge is sharp), that won't really hinder your ability to catch a wave, and once you learn, they will help.

Avoid anything with a hullish (Vee shaped) underside up near the nose, these a boards for speed and you don't need that right now. If the underside up near the nose is flat when you put a straightedge across it, that that's probably ok, if it's slightly concaved, that better. A tiny Vee shaped underside at the rear near the fin will not be a hinderance to you and if it's a vee, with a double concave on either side of the fin, you're probably looking at quite a well shaped board.

But probably the best possible advice I could give anyone who is learning, is, if your new longboard is set up for 3 fins, 1 large in the middle and 2 small one on the outside, ditch the 2 small fins and just use one fin until you do learn to surf. You'll catch more waves with one fin, and that's really the only important thing for you when you're starting out.

Good luck.

^^^^^fantastic post obct. i am going to get my huge samoan mate to read this as i could not explain it that well

Hi Swimmer, what sort of $$ are you looking at spending?

As has been previously said talk to some of the shapers mentioned in Pup's post, you might be pleasantly surprised on what some of these guys will charge for a basic board designed & shaped to suit you.

Obct, that was one of the best, most knowledgable posts Ive seen given to a newbie, great advice.

At 104 DO NOT go less than 9.6 x 23 x 3 or 3 1/8.

Look for something with less rocker so its flatter in the middle,this will help paddle power and easier paddle in.


Now for some BS,make sure it has a M logo

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62mac said...
At 104 DO NOT go less than 9.6 x 23 x 3 or 3 1/8.

Look for something with less rocker so its flatter in the middle,this will help paddle power and easier paddle in.


Now for some BS,make sure it has a M logo

I agree, you probably want to start out with a 10'0 x 23"1/2 x 3"3/8 Cruiser.

http://www.mctavish.com.au/surfboard/cruiser

Available by custom order, in any tinting/colour arrangement...

10'0 would be nice. I was almost going to say go for a 9'8 or 9'10. But the with the pintail and slightly pointy nose, 10'0 will feel like 9'9. (You could clip 1 inch off the nose and 2 inches off the tail, and it wouldn't be too indifferent).

9'6 x 23 x 3 are perfect for a guy who is about 90-95kg (with wet wetsuit), and 5'11 to 6'1 tall.

You're about 5-10% bigger than than that. Add 5% to length and width, and 10% to thickness, and you roughly at those dimensions I said before.

I also recommend Tufflite for a beginner. Really durable, and forgiving when you make errors, like dropping a wet slippery board onto pavement, etc...

There's some bigger Robert August boards around. Keep an eye out 2nd hand, and on eBay. The "What I Ride" model.

Takayama models that suit... 9'8 Double Ender, and 10'2 Nose Rider...
www.surftechaustralia.com.au/?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=524

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Simondo said...
I also recommend Tufflite for a beginner. Really durable, and forgiving when you make errors, like dropping a wet slippery board onto pavement, etc...

nah mate buy a GODDARD - and when ya get out place her gently gently on the soft beach sand . then take a good long perve at the talent on the shores during which time your beautiful board will have dried quite nicely

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stuk said...
Obct, that was one of the best, most knowledgable posts Ive seen given to a newbie, great advice.

I agree. I have absolutely nothing to contribute to this thread after that fine response from obct. Legend.

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Simondo said...
10'0 would be nice. I was almost going to say go for a 9'8 or 9'10. But the with the pintail and slightly pointy nose, 10'0 will feel like 9'9. (You could clip 1 inch off the nose and 2 inches off the tail, and it wouldn't be too indifferent).

9'6 x 23 x 3 are perfect for a guy who is about 90-95kg (with wet wetsuit), and 5'11 to 6'1 tall.

You're about 5-10% bigger than than that. Add 5% to length and width, and 10% to thickness, and you roughly at those dimensions I said before.

Swimmer, I agree with this, all the boards mentioned here will fulfill all the criteria I mentioned, and they have the buoyancy to get you on your feet quickly.

And don't let people talk you out of tuflites, I've now progressed away from them but that does not mean I still don't appreciate their qualities.

Despite its inability to turn quickly, my 10'6" Munoz ultra glide will always be my first true love.

You are a bunch of legends. That is really helpful, from a all of you (especially obct).

Looks like the FireWire 9'6" flex flight crossfire with 79.2L volume would be a minimum.... And that is their biggest board.

Had looked at the mcT cruiser 10" - has plenty of volume - but wondered if it had a bit much nose rocker. Was also thinking of a custom Robert August what I ride - 10foot. Looks to have big dims.

Can anyone recommend any other 10" boards with similar volume (thicker nose and tail), minimal rocker and forgiving rails?

Price range - preferably no more than $800 (that's what I can get he FireWire for) but I want a good board that will do what I need it to do.

Thanks again, really appreciate your help

Modern Longboards were on sale for around that last week - GSI stockists have them look em up on google

Actually I think they might have been smaller than 906

If you only have $800 forget the McT
im with mac on the thickness as for rockers it depends on your waves/ and skill. IMO

Swimmer I own a mct cruiser I'm 102 and riding 10 x 23 1/2 x 3 1/2 the thing is insane.





But this is my favourite board 9.6 x 23 x 3 1/8

Sdr has a sick 10ftr i rode second hand for 500.mac has seen it. If i had the coin i would buy it on the spot

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chrispychru said...
Sdr has a sick 10ftr i rode second hand for 500.mac has seen it. If i had the coin i would buy it on the spot

well that's the winning ticket right there - ring CLEARWATER swimmer

Mac, what model mcT is the green and white board? Fireball?

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obct said...
..............

But probably the best possible advice I could give anyone who is learning, is, if your new longboard is set up for 3 fins, 1 large in the middle and 2 small one on the outside, ditch the 2 small fins and just use one fin until you do learn to surf. You'll catch more waves with one fin, and that's really the only important thing for you when you're starting out.

Good luck.

Nice reply obct, For a beginner, at what stage you would be reintroducing the small fins? I have not tried surfing my UFO with only 1 fin, must try it.

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Swimmer5 said...
Mac, what model mcT is the green and white board? Fireball?

mate no bull its my model 62mac

it has a evo 2 outline with square tail fireball rocker with triple stringer,8 inch centre with small side bites.

Chrispy should buy the 10 footer for 500 but he is a CW team rider

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chrispychru said...
Sdr has a sick 10ftr i rode second hand for 500.mac has seen it. If i had the coin i would buy it on the spot

After seeing this board I'd say it's defiantly a great buy at $500.

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Swimmer5 said...
You are a bunch of legends. That is really helpful, from a all of you (especially obct).

Looks like the FireWire 9'6" flex flight crossfire with 79.2L volume would be a minimum.... And that is their biggest board.

Had looked at the mcT cruiser 10" - has plenty of volume - but wondered if it had a bit much nose rocker. Was also thinking of a custom Robert August what I ride - 10foot. Looks to have big dims.

Can anyone recommend any other 10" boards with similar volume (thicker nose and tail), minimal rocker and forgiving rails?

Price range - preferably no more than $800 (that's what I can get he FireWire for) but I want a good board that will do what I need it to do.

Thanks again, really appreciate your help

I'll chime in for Diverse, if can find one, or drop in to their shop at Tugun. Mine was $500, including a leash and a Balin travel bag. 10'1" x 23 3/4 x 3 1/2 94 litres.

Yes swimmer, that diverse is a good board at those dimensions, I'm 6'1" but I'm 110kg and I was able to get waves on it and it was the board that convinced me to go back to Polly boards.

But still, when I did go back, I put even more foam in there, and I'm glad I did.

The hardest job was convincing the shaper that that's what I wanted. But in the end, he embraced the idea and even had Surfblanks make a special blank with extra kick in the tail just for that one board of mine.

Funny story about my new board, I never met the shaper, his name is Lyle and he's south African, but I did have a one indirect and one direct phone conversation with him and in total, I counted three separate occasions where it was said to me " now can we go through these dimensions just one more time "

A couple of things I'd add to this topic.

First MR's Diverse at 500 was a bargain of a life time so I wouldn't use the price as a bench mark.I think his board would normally sell for 800 too 1000 mark second hand.
So I'd be getting the 500 out of my head.


McHenry that redline is a nice board but not suited to a beginner imo.

Yep agree with Simondo, a tufflite board...or even one of those foamie ones for learning.
Don't be turned off by how cheap they are, they go very well & are excellent for learning

Righto, so the $800 budget is out the window. Comes down to a mct cruiser or a diverse job classic at the moment. Both big volume and a good all round board.

Any other models/brands I could look at? Anything on the cheaper side (not critical but would be nice)

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Swimmer5 said...
Righto, so the $800 budget is out the window. Comes down to a mct cruiser or a diverse job classic at the moment. Both big volume and a good all round board.

Any other models/brands I could look at? Anything on the cheaper side (not critical but would be nice)

Mate why not go brand new custom,I'm not 100% sure what these two guys sell their customs for but both make one hell of a good board and both are members in here.

Dell is Steve Del Rosso CLEARWATER SURFBOARDS and the other is Argee Goddard surfboards,I can't speak highly enough of these two blokes.

Pup and Chrispy have the contact details mate.

Give steve from clearwater a ring
or any shaper that has some skills. I really recomend talking to a good shaper as they will ask you all the questions to get you going. The tufflite for learning is not a bad idea as explained above. For mine though you cant beat a relationship with a shaper