Surfboard for a beginner?

[leftcoaster]

Hi all

I’m reasonably competent on a TT and made a couple of unsuccessful attempts at foiling. I’ve heard that a surfboard, with its more balanced weight distribution could be a good way to progress and it would give me more range in lighter air with smaller kites.

What’s a good unidirectional surfboard for a beginner? I weigh 100kg and don’t ride heavily powered up. I did ride a surfboard a couple of times with success. It was strapped and I’d like to learn strapless.

My TT is an Ocean Rodeo Mako King and I like it very much.

Thanks a lot!

[Hugh2]

You don't need anything fancy to get started. I tried a couple of friends directionals with straps early on but did not like them. Then tried an old regular surfboard bought for $100 and obviously strapless, and it was great. Finally got a Naish Global 6 ft directional and still ride it, putting straps on only if waves are really big. There is an endless debate about this, but I think going strapless is far more comfortable, and makes learning to gybe easier.

[leftcoaster]

You don't need anything fancy to get started. I tried a couple of friends directionals with straps early on but did not like them. Then tried an old regular surfboard bought for $100 and obviously strapless, and it was great. Finally got a Naish Global 6 ft directional and still ride it, putting straps on only if waves are really big. There is an endless debate about this, but I think going strapless is far more comfortable, and makes learning to gybe easier.

I really know nothing about this kind of board. What should I look for for my weight and ability level?

[BWD]

Something made for light wind if kite specific, and in the largest size.
If not a “kitesurf” board, go for something epoxy sandwich construction, like old “surf tech” or maybe torq or something like that.
Probably a “fish” or “grovel” style with low tail rocker, 20-22” wide, 5’10” + as a guess.
If you get a FireWire board or a regular surfboard you’ll likely destroy it quickly both because of learning and your weight. Seems like most are built for really small riders.

If they still made them I’d say get a slingshot dialer...

[Matteo V]

.....There is an endless debate about this, but I think going strapless is far more comfortable, and makes learning to gybe easier.

For the simple reasoning of "you have to step around, then into the straps when strapped kitesurfing", this statement is correct.

Riding strapless will get you your first jibe quicker. The problem is that when you want to go to strapped after learning the strapless jibe, you will be learning the jibe all over again. This is because the straps eliminate some options for foot movement and foot placement.

The best approach, which completely avoids the "debate", is for you to learn the strapped jibe first to a 90% success rate. What this does is eliminate having to learn the strapless jibe AND the strapped jibe. This is due to the fact that a rider who has the strapped jibe down will easily be able to complete their first attempt at a strapless jibe - NO LEARNING ALL OVER AGAIN! And with that, you can go strapped or strapless, and figure out what you prefer. Thus you avoid the debate (hype) AND you avoid the frustration of being able to turn around successfully strapless, but blowing almost every jibe when learning strapped. If you can ride without falling in strapless, but you fall in strapped, you will not be able to compare the two objectively.

Spend the time to get the strapped jibe down, then later take the straps off. Don't decide before you can do both, and don't let someone tell you one way is better for you than the other. Both strapped and strapless have their advantages. Both can have their disadvantages.

[tautologies]

If your goal is to ride a foil, you just need to be more persistent, get online checkout some videos or even take a lesson. I get the argument about directionals, but overall spending a year on a directional to get to foiling seems to me to be taking the long way.

If your goal is to do strapless tricks, sure get a board like the Naish Skater. Its wide enough to be reasonably stable and great for lightish wind, but not so wide that it will be super flat once you get enough power. If you really want a light wind directional than maybe something wider like a fish...or you could get an alaia...super fun for flat water...I bet it would be fun in La Ventana

[Slappysan]

If you like your Mako then just get a Duke for your surfboard, they are quite nice and user friendly. They don't excel at surfing waves without kite power though, so if your goal is slack kite wave surfing pick a different board.

[Peter_Frank]

If your goal is to ride a foil, you just need to be more persistent, get online checkout some videos or even take a lesson. I get the argument about directionals, but overall spending a year on a directional to get to foiling seems to me to be taking the long way.

If your goal is to do strapless tricks, sure get a board like the Naish Skater. Its wide enough to be reasonably stable and great for lightish wind, but not so wide that it will be super flat once you get enough power. If you really want a light wind directional than maybe something wider like a fish...or you could get an alaia...super fun for flat water...I bet it would be fun in La Ventana

Agree fully with Taut here, dont waste time on a surfboard if you do it as a stepping stone into foiling only.

As even when learned on a surfboard, your body still has to adapt to the foil, you can not waterstart the same way at all anyways, and you have to DITCH and forget almost everything you have learned on the surfboard first, and not ride it while learning to foil as this will ruin your learning curve.

If you want to ride surfboards in waves, and dont know about foiling yet, then it is a different issue of course

Foiling seems impossible for most at first, but suddenly it will come, takes about half a year or something like that, for many.

Peter

[foilholio]

Cheap plain secondhand or new surfboard. No need for any of the kite branded rip offs.

[mr_daruman]

Wide, low rocker boards helps a lot when starting. Doesn't have to be long. Gives you more early planning and time to move your feet around.