Everyone who surfs was a beginner at one time. And surfing is considered one of the hardest sports to learn. It demands you to give yourself 100% to the sport and you have to be willing to go to the beach whenever there is a good swell. Anyone who has gone through this phase knows that the beginning is not very profitable: they are wipe outs, nose dives, sucked under, among other moments.
And all this to stand seconds on a surfboard. But this post is not to discourage you. Anyone who has mastered the waves knows that all this is worthwhile and probably will not find a sport as captivating as surfing. Once you are part of this lifestyle, you can count on moments that will be marked in your life forever. And here you will find the pros and cons of boards that can help you get through this turbulent start more quickly.
Longboards
Longboards are, in general, large boards that seek to retake the essence of a classic surf – although nowadays many people are surfing with high performance with them. They are very good boards to learn and take the first steps in the sport due to the great fluctuation and measures of medium (width) and edge (thickness) above average. With a Longboard, you will find it easier to get on the waves and balance on the board. It is the most guaranteed equipment to stand and start enjoying the first moments of the surf. The main disadvantage of this board is that it works very well on smaller, fatter waves, but it is not ideal for stronger seas. Another factor to take into account is transportation. If you usually take your board up and down, the long one will give you a little more headache in the logistics of surfing.
A great option of a longboard is foam longboards. You can ride an 8-foot foam longboard, those are lighter and softer which means fewer injuries in the beginning.
Fun Board
Fun is a good board to learn. In general, it is smaller and narrower than the longboards, but even so, they are quite stable and have good fluctuation to help paddle. They are very suitable for people who just want a fun option on the beach but do not think about becoming professionals. It is also worth noting that this board will facilitate the issue of logistics in surfing. The great disadvantage of the Fun model is that it is a board that does not fit either in classic surfing (walking on the edge of the board or making well-arched curves, for example) or in surfing performance (doing explosive maneuvers). It is an excellent board to learn as a transition board, but if you want evolution, at some point you will have to change equipment and choose between performance or classic surfing.
Either way, when learning to surf the process runs way smoother with surf lessons. Several lessons can help a new surfer to transition from longboard to shortboard, improve techniques, and learn how to read the ocean.
