New hobby to me, need advice on boards wetsuits etc…any tips welcome.im beginner improver I Spose…can stand for 10-15 seconds…

Thanks

Big floaty board i have a bic 7’9″ i re-learnt on and its still fun on small days i don’t want to use the shortboard. Easy to paddle and easy to catch waves. I have a cheap winter suit it is warm, it is alder and was £110. Its tight and hard enough to paddle in. My younger brother has a ripcurl f bomb thing which cost a couple hundred pounds and is a lot more flexible than the strait jacket i have but it depends on how much you have to spend.

Cool I’m in Scotland so probably need a fairly warm suit….good tip on the big board…I’ll get looking..

Depending on your weight, you will probably be best to start on a 7′-8′ mini-mal type board. Bic or NSP both make suitable boards for not a lot. eBay or second hand is your friend here. They are commonly called epoxy or pop out boards. Epoxy resin or moulded plastic. These generally are bomb proof and will take a lot of abuse. Plus when you’re ready to progress onto a better board you can sell it on for pretty much what you paid. Second hand boards hold their value well.

Wetsuit. For Scottish waters, especially winter, you’re going to need a winter suit. 5/4/3mm plus boots, gloves and probably a hood. Full gimp suit. You can find plenty of bargains online, but it’s only a bargain if it fits you well. Best is to go and try some on. Each brand will have a slightly different fit. The last thing you want is an ill fitting suit which flushes with icy cold water everytime you dick under a wave or fall off.

Last thing. Get in the water and enjoy it.

Have a look at C-Skins wetsuits. Really good quality for the price and good range of sizes to ensure a decent fit. As above gett yourself to a surf shop though to try before you buy. Good fit is essential to them working properly.

Just reread my post.

DUCK! I meant DUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

try the suit before you buy and take advice, getting flushed constantly will be depressing, get the other bits listed

add thermal rash vest to the list for Scotland, also think about the mechanics of getting changed at the beach. When you come out you will be very cold and a cold and windy car park isn’t going to be better so mat to stand on, big towell, flask with hot drink, warm clothes etc box to dump the suit in etc

probably less of a problem in Scotland but think about theft, where are you putting your car key, keeping stuff out of sight.

if you have a local break check out what is being surfed there, longboard and shortboard surfing are different and suit different beaches

I thought this thread was going to be about turbotraining

If your surfing in cold water then the best wetsuit gear you can afford. You aren’t going to learn much if your cold and miserable.

They are pricey but I borrowed a mates heated rash vest a while back. Really impressed.

The other things worth having is a decent hood, gloves and boots.

I’d suggest a SUP, then a winter semi dry suit say 5mm min, then once you get proficient on a 10ft board go down to a surfboard of mini mal size say 8ft.
And learn to swim 50mtrs flat out as hard as you can, you’ll need it.

+1 on the check your local break to figure out what board, you need someone to look you up and down too to figure out what board is going to be best too, but you’ll probably go through a few boards to figure this out for yourself and your requirements will change – you still want a board thats going to paddle easy and catch a lot of waves for you without it being a barge, as relatively you spend very little time stood up surfing vs riding a bike

Getting a good fitting suit will make a massive difference and that should be easy for you to figure out

Finally make sure you’ve got a big garage because I’m guessing if your on this forum you’ve already got a few bikes in there, and bikes and boards tend not to get on well together.

Regarding getting changed – In the winter I always fill up one of those big 2L coke bottles with hot water and wrap my towel in it before heading to the beach. When you get out you then have the option of a warm shower and a nice warm towel.

As far as technique goes – you say you’re already standing up, but is that in whitewater or on unbroken waves?

Standing up in whitewater really is just the start – next thing you want to do is try paddling a bit further out and catching some green waves (ie the bit of the wave ahead of the peak which hasn’t broken yet). You’ll miss loads to start off with as it’s much more difficult until you get your paddling technique and board position nailed. Just prone it to start off with and as you get confident try standing up.

Once you’ve got that sorted the next thing you want to do is progress to angled takeoffs, so riding across the wave rather than straight into the beach.

After that start trying some bottom turns…so drop down the face of the wave and then turn. If you’ve done any skating or snowboarding this should come fairly naturally.

Don’t expect to master all this overnight. All the above takes time – and the more water time you can get the better – I’ve been surfing for about 15 years and would still only class myself as intermediate at best

Along the way you’ll have crap sessions and days when you get incredibly frustrated – either at your own ability or the conditions, but stick with it – there’s simply nothing to beat a really good surf session. Really memorable ones can stick with you for years.

EDIT – Also be aware that surfing, despite the laid back image can be incredibly hierarchical – some spots are worse than others – make sure you’re aware of the drop in rule in particular and basically treat everyone in the water how you’d want to be treated yourself.

awesome tips thanks! im at the point where i was consistently getting up on green waves…come from a snowboarding background so already done a few short turns(usually the wrong way)

ill need to have a look around for suits/boards etc…ill defo use a shop for the suit..got one for sale as it doesnt fit anymore so thatll help fund the new one

ebay any good for boards?

You can get NSP pop outs for <£250 (mini Mals) from most online retailers.

Also, from what you say, buy a pair of gloves, the webbed ones. These will keep your hands warm and aid swimming through rips. If you need to wear boots try Atan as they’re well known in the Kiting/Windsurfing world as the best warmth/feel ratio (some boots are too thick and inflexiable) We use these all the time Kiting/Windsurfing.
Also a winter beanie, a tight fitting one that wraps around your face just leaving the mouth/nose/eyes exposed. Icecream head isn’t pleasant.

Also, go to your break, ignore the snobby kids and go chat with a local who if his brains switched on will help you understand the rips/tides and may offer help on kit. Or failing that contact the local surf shop, they will deffo help out and be more interested than some of the Groms you get at breaks these days.

HTH

ebay any good for boards?

Gumtree is good. Picked up a pretty tidy magic carpet for £100 in the summer.