hi
ive just started surfing and have had some lessons and have got to the point wher l can consistantly ride waves into the beach. l statred surfing on the 8 ft swell boards and have rented a smaller softtop board.
i wanna improve my surfing and start to learn how to cut back and manover the board more effectivly.
l want ot get my own board now and l am unsure which type l should get. l dont know if im ready for the shortboards but l dont wanna get a longboard which l will not want anymore when l get more advanced at surfing
what type of board whould you recomend me?

long they are the easiest to learn on

Get a mini-tanker. They are smaller but still have a lot of buoyancy

My friend and l worked on a small web application that you may find somewhat helpful..of course we hope you find it very helpful and get in the water and have fun!!!
http://db-surfaces.com/selector.htm

feedback is always appreciated.

a soft top longboard

You definitly should get a retro-fish styled surfboard. l do not know how tall u or or where u r located, but those r my favorite boards & l have been surfing for 4 years now. If u r average sized, anything ~5'10'' ==> 6'6''. Make sure it is at least 2 7/8 '' thick, 3'' is better. It wo not matter if u r riding ankle biters or 1.5X overhead. l am on the central coast of california where the waves r not always that consistent & l have a 6'6 21 1/4'' wide, 3'' thick. Channel Islands make pretty nice ones, although they r pricey, they r worth it. Check out their website, http://cisurfboards.com/sb_cifish.asp -- hope that helps. (another tip is that, unless ur sponsored or competing, it is definitly 100% not going to hurt to have more foam under you. You will paddle faster, catch more waves, & stay warmer [since more of ur body is out of the water]. You can surf circles around those pro-wannabees sitting in the water up to their necks on their little keychain surfboards)

well it depends on ur height & weight but try a mini-mal, around 7 foot or slightly biggger, with a slightly pointed nose so it manoevers well but still big enough to catch waves easily. of course it depends what type of waves u will be surfing as well & where, but one like this should be a good first board & as u progress to a shortboard, it can be used for smaller days but they also have good resale value

like this sort of shape
http://newsurfproject.com/f72.html

A long, at least 6' 8'' Channel Islands. Work up to shorter boards and try out different boards as you proggress.

A long soft foam board, short boards go extremely fast down waves but u might slip of because of fiberglass.