Width differences - One beginner's opinion

[surfcowboy]

Just a note to add to the discussion for folks buying boards.

I switched my rental yesterday from a 28" wide 9'9" to a 30" wide 10'er.

Night and day difference. I don't fall off in the lineup, can step back turn consistently and chop is manageable.

In my opinion, if you're new and thinking of buying a used narrower board for surfing (not flat water)I'd say don't do it. Wait for something wider. My first two days here were way tougher than they needed to be. I mention this because when I was looking for my first surf board I was considering a 28" wide Jimmy Lewis and I'm now happy that I didn't bite.

(Note, I ride a 29.5) at home so of course I'm more used to wider board but I'm also small and pretty athletic. So for a beginner who might not be either of those things, I'll offer that wider would likely be more fun. Why, "tough it out", when you're learning?

The next factor is to test how wide is "too wide" and for me, I'm feeling that 30" is the right balance. I can still turn both my board and the one I'm on.

As always, your mileage may vary.

[Easy Rider]

Good point!

As to "how wide is too wide"  . . . See if you can rent / try something like a Starboard Whopper - 10'0" x 34".  For beginner surfers in smaller waves it is the board that I have had the most success with newbies on.

[stoneaxe]

No question that wider is typically easier.

What everyone has to keep in mind always is that it's all relative and very personal. The variables that go into choosing a board are many. Size, height, ability , balance, typical wave size and quality, etc, etc...

When I see folks telling someone to get XYZ board cause it rips even though they have no idea of the persons size, abilities, etc.. the credibility of that person goes to zero. One persons "high performance", narrow, low volume ripper is a foot underwater with me on it.  How high performance will it be when it's a supmarine?

I'm glad to see that your renting and telling folks their mileage may vary. The best way for anyone to now if they'll enjoy a board is to try it out. My current go to board for surf is 9' x 34" x 5". I actually broke my own rule and bought it without ever trying it but that was because after having surfed many different boards I had a pretty clear picture in my mind of what a "performance" board would be for me and when I saw it I just knew it was it.

[Rolf]

I think the Not to wide or to narrow works good for beginner, you
gota work those new muscles like foot- ankle -calf , don't make it to
easy on yourself, I guess age and athletic ability has alot to do with it
also, I am 160 pounds and I started on a 10'6''x28 3/4'' all around in
the surf it was pretty ideal for learning, but looking back I think I could
of gone even a little smaller, well just my  experience and opinion .

[paddlesurf.net]

When I see folks telling someone to get XYZ board cause it rips even though they have no idea of the persons size, abilities, etc.. the credibility of that person goes to zero. One persons "high performance", narrow, low volume ripper is a foot underwater with me on it.  How high performance will it be when it's a supmarine?

Right on Bob! I totally agree with you on that... boards have to be made to scale, my 30" wide board is a boat to other small fry guys out there but it works well for me and makes my 9'1 manageable.

I heard somebody say that if you go over a certain width you've basically taken all the performance out of a board- for who? At what height and weight? So shortsighted. I remember in the late '80s prosurfers would laugh at how wide and thick Sunny Garcia's shortboards were (Poto's too) but those guys would rip the nutsack out of them... because they were bigger guys

This is why I always buy my boards custom made- my shaper knows where I'm at and what volume I need (in our case we've brought it down to the minimum amount of volume I need to paddle and move the thing).

[surfcowboy]

I switched up to a 10'X30" and it felt a little wide for me but I could eventually determine that it wasn't so much the width as the lack of rocker and the way it carried the width.

I got a bit more on the rear and was able to loosen it up, but it's amazing that I can start to feel the difference in shapes after only a few months of surfing. Rocker, nose shape, the way the width tapers to the front and rear all make such a difference I can see why a custom board could be amazing for surfing.

I also understand Raimana's stance a lot more now from the videos. The "move forward on the inside rail" to go down the line with speed makes a ton of sense now that I've been on some bigger waves. And with that, I see that rocker and outline affect how a board holds and turns in a larger wave whereas in a smaller wave, you wouldn't worry as much about having a lot of width. It would totally help you with few negative effects. The advanced surf guys on here always seemed to have thinner boards but I see that with speed comes stability so you might want a 27"-28" width.

I am excited to get my own board out in some surf and apply what I learned and also see how it feels now.

All in all, I'm blessed to live near demo events and rental shops where you can swap and try boards.

For those traveling, ask your rental outfit if you can trade boards while you rent, it's a great way to learn what shapes and sizes work for you. I'm shooting for Waikiki in the Spring and I intend to try a board a day.

[JimK]

We've been telling folks for yeras here in NJ (East Coast USA)

Anything under 30" is more work than fun

(As Wardog Warren from Surfing Sports in CA said several yeras ago) "We know what is to narrow but we don't know what is to wide"

we'll at the time that was VERY true with limitted board designs at the time. No I feel VERY Confident saying

"Anything over 36" wide (no matter how big you are) decrease the boards performance more than it increases stability"

JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com