l am purchasing a surfboard for my girlfriend as a birthday present and am unsure what type to get her. She is a beginner, 5'3'' and 130 lbs. She has been riding a friend is 8'10'' PU for a few months and now wants to get her own board. What are the pros and cons of getting an epoxy board over a PU? What would be a good size for her?

what a lucky girl! get an epoxy around 7'2''- 8' (but in reality it is up to her what size board she wants--- it depends on her skill, fitness, balance, means of transportation, and preferred wave size)

she will learn how to better balance with a shorter board, and will be able to manage paddling out easier..

epoxy is super light , it is shocking, and incredibly durable..

If she is having fun with the board she has been using then you might want to try to find a very similar board. As far as PU vs. Epoxy- Epoxy is strong and will last longer. It is more buoyant too. But you will pay more than a PU board.

The Surfboard Man
http://thesurfboardman.com/

Do not buy her a surfboard. Give her a gift certificate to a good surf shop, (good for the purchase of new board). take her, or let her go to the shop & talk to the folks there, & let them work on getting her the right board for her size, skill level & local conditions. Surfboards should not be given as gifts, they should be purchased by the surfer, after careful consideration, & consultation with local 'experts'.

l have been surfing for 42 years, & l would never buy anyone a surfboard, unless they were there in the shop with me, discussing all of the options available.

And please, do not get a popout, especially not one made in a Chinese sweat shop.
http://bp3.blogger.com/_hPACOtZKKko/RkSTwhvv9kI/AAAAAAAAAfg/QMqBFAtXzQ4/s1600-h/chinaboards.jpg
http://mckevlins.com/nopopstory.htm

If she is just starting get her a USED egg or a fun board in the 7 ft range. This will be easy for her to get waves & turn the board,, which equates to more fun. Dont spend the money on a new board if she is just getting started because its going to get beat up. If u r asking between an Epoxy or a Poly there is very little difference in price & l would go with the epoxy, but l bet u r calling a composite epoxy (pop out) an epoxy. l would stay away from the pop outs unless u get an amazing deal like no more than 250. Like l said earlier ur first board will get beat up & composites r much more difficult to do ding repair on then a standard poly board. So to sum up a used 7' PU funboard would be great for her.