One for the Surfers…………..Beginer board choice

One step up from a foamie.

At 6ft/95kg I’m thinking bigger is probably better?

http://www.beachshack.co.uk/product.php/660/112/cortez_epoxy_mals__8_6__9_0__9_2/2c359a4019407b9201e479b5fb95c73f

Yup a Mal is deffo the way to go. Try to get one with a reasonable rocker line for UK waves, lots of locals ride Mals here cos they catch more waves. Most have at least one of 8ft + but no larger than 9ft.

reasonable rocker line for UK waves

woooooshhhhhhhhhhhh…………..thats the noise of that going straight over my head

no larger than 9ft

Any reason why?

mal or even a mini mal.

woooooshhhhhhhhhhhh…………..thats the noise of that going straight over my head

Rocker is how much bend the board has in it (from nose to tail). Some boards are made for steeper reef breaks and others are made for the gentler waves we have here in the UK. Little point in buying a board shaped for the heavy breaks of Hawaii and using it at your local beach. Something made by a UK shaper will be right for our conditions.

If memory serves correct you’re living near Redcar/Saltburn at the moment? If so then go and talk to Gary at Saltburn Surf Shop, he’ll find you the right board. Or head to Scarborough and talk to Steve and Grom from Fluid Concept.

What Creg said – East Coast is an odd place and always best to support your LSS. Big board – you need lots of float for your weight – so probably quite thick down the centre with rocker.

Mini mal, kind of half longboard (front) and half short board (tail end). Easy paddle on to the wave, but when surfing off your back foot it’ll surf more a short board. Best of both, IMO.

It will be easier to get out back, than a mal = more time surfing.

As Creg said – the guys at Scarborough will put you right.

Hope you get what you need

Sorry about rocker talk.. it can get mughty heated and some have such intrenched ideas on it that you could get caught up in all sorts of crap when really you should be out on the water.

So, East Coast eh, then the waves will be onshore more often than not, short, not a huge amount of push, and crumble easily. So I’d make sure you go for float, have a reasonable pintail on a mini Mal or a Mal with a bit of pin in the tail, this will help get into the pit of the wave being short and quite steep. The float will help you keep bouyant and allow for simple errors to be ignored whilst you perfect technique.

I’d deffo have a chat with your LSS, tell them where you intend to surf, go down the beach where you intend to go and look around at what others are ridin’. Also, don’t get caught up in the bravado beach chat, just explain your standards and most guys there will give you insight and help without question.

Mini mal,

I disagree, decent 9 foot-9’2″ mal is the way forward, one with plenty of float I have a 10+ one which worked fine as a UK shaped cheapy, was looking for a 9-9’2″ just before I stopped surfing

you can get out back on big days it is just a different techique, however as a beginner a decent mal will see you catching more waves

As Creg said – the guys at Scarborough will put you right.

yes, they will sell you a mal 😉

When I was looking for my first board, got told by a few people to look at Bics. Was on the verge of buying one but then got swayed by a slightly nicer 6*W board from the shop thats in the old garage in Braunton. Think its their own make so basically the Merlin MALT type thing of the surf board world – nice bit of kit for basic big brand money. Its a 7’6 but only ever used it in the SW where its pretty good. Much better than I’m capable of! Need to try it at Scarborough since thats the nearest place to me to surf (Halifax is NOT a good place to live if you like splashing around in the sea).

Have you considered one of those new fangled Stand Up Paddleboard things, a pal of mine bought a blow up one, reckons he gets twice as many rides at half the effort, (you pick the wave up earlier and ride it longer) and you don’t have all that laying down getting hammered on the way out..

They also tell me it’s a good work out.

Stand up?! That’s a way to become unpopular in the line up :wink:. A minin mal’s the way forward, for a ‘do all’ board. Great to come off a foamy to and it’ll keep up with your progression for years.
My trusty 7’6 lasted donkeys years of progression, as they can handle bigger swell days and the typical knee high wind slop we often have to put up with.
I wouldn’t of suggested too much of a rocker either, as you’ll hardly be taking off from the shoulder any day soon.
I’ve been trying a long board for a while now (coming off a 6’1) on jeez i’m find it difficult to position for, well, just about everything!

I’d go longboard all the way, forget minimals, in my opinion they are a frustrating compromise between long and shortboard.
When I was starting out I took the predictable route of going for shorter and shorter boards, easier to get out back on using duckdiving, greater manouverability. But unless uber fit, it’s very tough to get into waves early enough, unless you are surfing multiple times a week! Ea;ry on, smaller boards mean fewer waves and less fun!

Using channels between breaks you can still get outback on a big board, unless it’s properly firing, but then it is possible. And on a small day a londboard will be a lot of fun. Leanring to turn a big board will teach you loads for when you do try a smaller board!

Mal, around 9ft, shaped in the UK. If you’re on the eastside, speak to a local shop as the waves there tend to lack power and crumble.

(I’m an ex-Lowestoft and Cromer surfer)

East Coast eh, then the waves will be onshore more often than not, short, not a huge amount of push, and crumble easily.

I guess I grew up on a different East Coast. Lots of offshore (prevailing weather in the UK is Westerlies), far more power and good shape. Proven to have more consistency than the SW for waves as well – at least from the Tyne Northwards. Staithes is one of the most powerful waves out there on a big day.

Then again, there is a lot of East Coast I guess.

then the waves will be onshore more often than not

Disagree with this – the predominant wind direction in the UK is from the south west.

It takes a good swell (most of them are windswell further south) to get decent power around the Norfolk/suffolk coast though. During the winter is the best time when the there’s some great lows around Norway and the Arctic Circle. 😀

Maybe in the harder to get to/better places, but that description seemed pretty accurate for Saltburn itself, either that or I always turn up on a bad day.

Most of the spots around here on the east coast are heavy. We have a couple of fickle beaches granted but we also have a lot of powerful reefs which provide some fantastic breaks.

I can’t speak for further south but from Tyneside to Scarborough is anything but crumbling, low power waves. Here’s a couple of examples

Er, never heard of a East coast surf mecca? Certainly not ‘Proven to have more consistency than the SW for waves as well’?

A quick looky at MSW today http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-MSW-Surf-Charts/1/?type=swell
will show you where the consistency lies. Summik to do wiv the Atlantic?

Yeah – distinct lack of reefs further down the coast (certainly that I know of). Which with my surf ability is a blessing.

Only speaking from experiance guys from what I’ve seen and played in. But if you knows betters then hey, good stuff.

Looking like Mals the concensus, excellent choice, we’re all in some sort of agreement.. Is this righ, am I on the STW forum? Blimey.

I’ve a SUP as well, though most of it’s use this year has been proping up the spare room. It’s a 10.6 and is a bit big for short crumblefests, it’s ok in 1-2-3ft spaced out surf, but short stuff it’s not keen on and it’s a bit heavy too. But they’re great fun for getting out on and can catch small stuff when you’d normally be sitting on the beach drinking coffee. I’ve taken it out in some hefty 8ft’ers off K-Bay and it copes well, not as fast as some but provided you paddle like a looney it’s pick up well and take some of the rough faces in it’s stride. I’d recommend one if you have a “I just wanna get out” attitude, even if the waves look timid. And I’ve never been shouted at for droppin in on it, far from it.. and have caught more waves in 1hr than any number of real surfers.. Who cares so long as you get out there eh..

Er, never heard of a East coast surf mecca? Certainly not ‘Proven to have more consistency than the SW for waves as well’?

Thats because we don’t have one, or at least not one that the whole country knows about 😉

We just have a few select breaks that provide some of the greatest waves in the country when there is good swell. Might only be a few times a year but its well worth it, despite the cold and dirty water.

Certainly not ‘Proven to have more consistency than the SW for waves as well’?

Can’t be bothered to search for the academic reference. A student of Newcastle Uni (out of the Dove Marine Labs there)did his thesis on the wave action around the Tyne area years ago. Over a 12 month period the waves were more consistent than a couple of SW breaks he could get data from.

I am 6’4″ and about the same weight as you and have an 8’4″ Bic Magnum.

http://www.boardshop.co.uk/product/s8015-re-pack.asp

I have had it for about 4 years now and it is great the extra floatation over the more standard 7’9″ mini mal is amazing and completely transformed my riding.

They are also indestructable, from my search for a link it would appear that Bic now do lots of different sizes in the Magnum range that is for the larger heavier surfer.

I have no knowledge of the east coast surf though.

mmm brown tubes… East coast waves are great, but when they are small (which is when you want to get out loads to catch as much as you can, more wave count = more learning) they lack a bit of punch.

I struggle on my NZ made Mal (Supersessions…. ) to pick up east coast small waves. It’s fine on the west side though. I suspect if I headed further north on teh east, things would be better. As said before rocker and float is key to this. I’m only 11 stone but I can practically duck dive my 9’2″ mal. and there’s a fair bit of rocker, on steeper waves this makes for a fab turny board, especially considering the size. but does mean pushing more water when not planing. (i.e. paddling).

sorry for rambling – ditto above. see good shaper near to your local break, buy a nice custom/semi-custom board. ride it til you ache all over.

oh and you know when you have a good day, when alongside the usual achy shredded arms/shoulders, you have burning thighs from doing hundreds of squats……

Mini Mal seems to be it! I’ve got a Roger Cooper mini mal, check out his website. Based in wales near Afan Trail. Gonna get a short board off him in the future. Nice boards

http://www.rogercoopersurfboards.com/boardrange.asp?id=2

my mates like Southpoints when they hire, 8ft 2 to be exact, also seen Bics get good reviews

+1 too tall – prevailing condition SW winds – offshore!

The annual wind rose for Boulmer is typical of open, level locations across the region, with a prevailing south-westerly wind direction through the year.

Favourable wind comes at the cost of swell – Small NE fetch. On its day NE coast is great.

Creg as you say we have smart breaks. Neat yorkshire point breaks. we need to keep them quiet. 😉

I’d get a minimal. maybe a 7’6

A mal will get you stood up more, but its more difficult to learn to turn. If you want to stay on a longboard for life, thats fine, but if you want to progress to a shortboard, I’d say a quicker path is to get a minimal. I’m 6’3 and I got one that was 7’3, to be honest that was too small and held me back to start with. now riding a 6’2 which is lovely (but no beginner board)