Hey, l live in Bondi in NSW and i'm in need of a new surfboard.

l last bought one when l lived in Perth (and in my opinion the water was more tame compared to Sydney) but that was when l was 13. I am now 21 and l have grown signifigantly since then. I am 5''9 and l weigh about 120lbs. l would call myself a moderately experienced surfer, i'm still not brilliant at it, so l would say that i'm at about at an intermediate level.

My board is really old and battered, not to mention its really long and only meant to be used for begginers. l had planned on buying my board on eBay due to me being a student and up to my eyes in debt.

If anyone has any information on which stick to get, please let me know.

Thanks, Becki.

one that is sturdy and one that looks good l guess l do not know

only ride short board if you plan on busting out some pretty sick air and criss crossing waves

otherwise go for like a 7-8 footer if you just plan on riding some leisurely waves

The 7-ft McCoy is the most versatile for all but true hot-shots - paddles easily, can get away with steep takeoffs. Problem is the epoxy construction makes it expensive. If you can not stretch to the $$$, take a detailed look at a McCoy then match it as closely as you can.

Go to a good local surf shop and talk to the surfers there. They will give you good advice for what works in the local breaks you will be riding. Avoid buying a surfboard on-line. And, avoid taking advice on line, for all you know, we live in Switzerland, and have never seen the ocean.
http://mckevlins.com/nopopstory.htm

if you wanna surf medium-big size waves then go for a shortboard. once you learn how to turn on a shortboard really quick you will never want to stop doing it. if you wanna just cruise on the waves and be one with the wave then go for a longboard.

You have not specified how long ur beater board is, so l am assuming it is a typical longboard around 9ft. Try an 8'6'' mini mal, since you're used to a longboard shape. It will be much easier to turn & lighter to carry, yet still able to catch plenty of waves with the wide nose.

You could even go shorter to 8ft, but make sure it is not too thin or narrow or u will have a tough time.

Here is a good site with tips on buying used boards:
http://transworldsurf.com/surf/features/article/0,19929,1554817,00.html

There should be plenty of used boards at ur local surf shops, & u could also check online at craigslist.org & go to Australia, Sydney. It is been in the US for a few years & is a very popular free classified website, but l just saw that there r not many postings (yet), so it must be fairly new in Australia. Or there could be some good local sites where u live, just ask other surfers where they get their used boards. Good luck!