Im looking at starting surfing with friends but have no idea wat board to buy, iv ridden longboards (8ft-11ft) many times but want something more adventures. l am 6ft2 and 81kg, what size shortboard would suit my height weight and begginer skill level?

When l started surfing seriously, l began to ride a board with dimensions of about 7'0 x 19'' x 2 3/4''. Something with thick rails & a wider demension would suit someone like yourself looking to advance beyond a beginner is longboard. Go to ur local surfshop & see what they think. & here r some boards that just came to mind

The Webber CD is a great board with a nice shape
webbersurfboards.com

Look to see also if u can find any information on the Seven Surfboards ''SuperFish''.

After u ride a board like this for a while, u will easily progress into riding shorter & thinner boards.

try using a fish. its a longboard in a shortboard. l have a fish and it was the best way to learn how to stand up fast, start haveing some smoth turns
witch led me to ride a short board even better than before. so l really recomed trying out a fish

Here is a good calculator that will take your experience, size, and other factors to make you the perfect board:
http://aboutthebreak.com/surfboard_calculator.php

Of course, we do not know how well u have done on those long boards. If ur pals surf, they can help u decide a lot better than we can, we do not know how good u are, or what ur local break is like.

Talk to ur pals, & talk to the surfing professionals at a good local surf shop. They will help u pick the right board for ur skill level, the waves at ur local break, ur body size & ur budget.

The mini-mal is a good learning/transition board, but lots of folks start out surfing on a short board, & master it in no time at all. there r NO RULES for learning how to surf.

l started in '66 on a 9'6like everybody else did. During the 'short board revolution' we all went to smaller boards each year, & l ended up with a 6'4'' (that l rode for over twenty years). Most of us (because we did not have lots of money) transitioned gradually, but that really is not necessary, just easier to do.

Go to a local surf shop. they know the break(s) u surf, we don't. And good luck.