My 8 year old son is 4'2'' ; 65lbs. What would be a good size beginner surf board?

My suggestion is that u buy a good used board. One that ur son can bang around a little. And the main thing that u need to look for is the thickness of the board. The thicker u get it, the more buoyancy that it will have & the easier it will be to ride it.

Also, the length should not be too long. A 5 foot board is more than manageable for a 4 foot son. Shape & make does not really come into play yet. But like l said, u want something thick. Probably 2 1/2'' to 3 1/2'' will work best. Good luck, man.

maybe like a 6' or 7' and probably a softtop.

Kids grow fast so u want something that may be a little big for him now that he can grow into. You do not want to invest hundreds of dollars only to have him outgrow it completely in a year & have to replace it.

Kolohe Andino is a 10 year old surfer who is 5'0'' & 93 pounds profiled in Transworld Surf is July issue. He says he outgrows his boards really fast & can not ride a lot of them anymore. The largest board he has right now is a 5'8'' length 16.5'' width & 1.6'' thickness.

l would suggest a 5'1'' to maybe a 5'3'' but u should talk with ur local surf shop owner - especially if they have children - & get some better advice. Costco has some suitable boards sized for children right now that r pretty affordable.

if you have the money and want to do it right, go see a shaper. custom boards are waaaaaaay better than choosing off the rack

buy him a 6-7 ft board. just go to ur local surf shop and the employees will be happy to answer ur question. since like most of them are experienced surfers. so yeah, theylle definitly know. or u could go to this site and buy the fun board. theyre perfect for beginners:

intsoftboards.com

There r different levels of ''beginners.'' First, a beginner who has not yet surfed; second a beginner that has been surfing but needs someone to push them into the waves since they r still not good enough to catch waves; & finally, a beginner who can catch waves but not quite good enough to do the basic ''surf moves.'' If ur son is in the first or second level, he should start on a ''user friendly'' board which is normally longer, wider, & thicker to help him stand up & stay on longer. l would recommend something that is 2 to 2 & a half feet longer than his height & about 19 to 20 inches wide; the thickness should be about 2 inches. If he is in the third level, he should get a board about a foot (plus a few inches) longer & about 16 to 17 inches wide. The thickness can vary from an inch to one & a half inches.

The key is to have him find surfing to be a pleasant (and healthy) experience because it is something that he can enjoy his entire life. A knowledgeble & ''child-friendly'' surfer who can teach him (and help him find a board or boards) will really enhance his enjoyment.

Check out the fishes at http://9fishsurf.com/. They have boards that r thick & wide, so u do not have to get a big long board. Plus the deep swallowtail & shape will make it really easy for him to paddle & catch waves. They have quad fin models (like the Grunion or Seared Ahi) that will allow him to make adjustments as he gets better (i.e. put the bigger pair of fins towards the nose to make the board more maneuverable - put it towards the tail to make it more stable). He will also be able to continue to ride it as he gets better. It is a ton of fun!