Beginner Sup Surf Board - Would one of these work?

[Zooport]

You may want to reach out to Jim K at Extreme Windsurfing he is on the zone. The price of some of the boards you are looking at would put you in a new Fanatic Allwave. Solid built board, super stable and good in a variety of conditions and he will ship to you. It was a great starter board for me  and I will still surf it on smaller days and like you I started at 50. Search it on the zone and you will see it was a starter board for many. Plus, talk to Jim about what you are looking for, he will get in the right board for you and the right size.

+1  AllWave is what I started on and it was perfect.  I wish I hadn't have sold it. 

[C.I.Sup]

As always, lots of great advice on this forum.  I spoke to the owner of the Coreban.  He weighed the board and said it is right around 26 lbs and still balances well from the handle.  A few of the smaller dings happened in the water and he made sure to dry them out before repairing.  The nose repair was from a drop and was fixed before it ever got in the water.  He said all the repairs are smooth and water tight.  This is the board he learned on and he sounds like he knows what he is doing, but who knows.  The down side is that he is firm on price.  $600 seems like a lot for a board with so much repair work. 

I will try and call JimK tomorrow and talk to him about the allwave.  I do see that Gorge Performance has the 206 Allwave Pure on sale for $995 right now.  Sounds like it would be a good board for me?

Other options I should consider?

I really like buying used when I am starting something new to see if I will like it first, but $400 differential for a brand new board does not seem like a lot.  Boards aren't cheap but as far as activities go it is really not too bad.  We sold our boat and horses a few years ago to simplify life so I still think I am coming out ahead. Plus, I get some much joy from my SUP that it is really worth any amount of money.  Just not sure how often I will be able to surf.

[PonoBill]

I suspect you're in Seattle. Time for a road trip. I'd say get thee down to Gorge Performance and talk to Bob Reuter. Tell him what you want to do, and let him help you pick. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable guy and you can take the boards you're considering right down to Willamette Park and try them out. Call ahead and make sure Bob or Kim will be there--nothing quite like talking to owners with decades of experience. I bought my first performance windsurfing board from Bob about 35 years ago. He's been doing this a while.

Or come up to the Gorge and see the folks at Big Winds. Again, you can toss the candidate boards in the river and see how they feel. If they don't feel comfortable and stable in flatwater then the situation won't improve in the surf. Then loop to the coast and spend a day or two surfing at Indian Beach--a good beginners break near Cannon Beach.

Here in Oregon you have an extraordinary resource--two world-class SUP shops with extraordinary depth of experience, and neither of them will steer you wrong. Yeah, I know, Seattle has Urban Surf. Nice shop, nice people, but it ain't Gorge Performance or Big Winds. You'll see what I mean if you go.

I've bought two used boards in my life--both of them because there was no choice--I couldn't get a new Foote 10'4", Bill didn't have any available. So I bought one that was patched and heavy, and later one in better shape. Buying two to get a good one meant I spent as much money as I would have for a new one. Yes, you can find a bargain, but you can also get hosed to save not a lot of money. And then there's that new board excitement--missing with used gear.

Once you're immersed in surfing you'll be surprised how often you find the time to make even a relatively long trek to surf. The Washington coast has a lot of fine surf, and it's uncrowded--too far from anywhere, and Seattleites never think of the coast when they have the Sound right there to play in--just no real surf. Tofino isn't far either, and it's extraordinary.