Gear

The Right Surfboard

The right surfboard to learn on is big enough for you to paddle easily and to sit on comfortably without sinking. This is crucial! Get a board at least as tall as your hand raised above your head, about three inches thick and 22 inches wide in the middle. Think big, fat and ugly. Avoid the small, thin models (which are prevalent) because you'll spend all your time fighting them. A board taller than your reach is fine. Just remember a much bigger board is more difficult to transport and manage in the surf. Make sure it fits under your arm and that you can carry it.

Sponge is Good!

In the first edition I said this about soft, beginner boards:

Avoid those spongy, beginner boards. Although softer and safer, the feel of a sponge boat is just too weird. Get a real surfboard made of foam and fiberglass. You'll be safe enough if you use your head. (Image 1.2)

Now I say:

There are soft novice boards available that surfing instructors and their students swear by. These sponge boards hurt less when they hit and have rounded fins that will not cut. Because they don't bash or slice, the beginner may venture into his or her lesson with more confidence. They're designed to surf pretty good for newcomers and the more modern shapes are recommended. Early sponge board models really sucked.

However, it's still true that all beginners graduate to foam and fiberglass, just like you went from a bike with training wheels to without. Soft boards are training devices and it's not necessary that you learn on one. You can learn successfully on a real foam and fiberglass surfboard if it's the right size and shape for you. (Image 1.3-Image 1.5)

Finding This Board

Find a surf shop in your area that rents. For a few bucks you can try a board before buying one and get a feel for the size and shape you'll ultimately need. Check out the selection. Notice how beat up they look. This is their last stop before the dumpster. Bow your head in silence and appreciation for the lives they've led and find one that's big, fat and ugly enough for you. Don't be swayed by looks.

If you can't find anything on the racks that's the right size and shape, try another shop. It will do no good to settle for anything less. Try asking around. The surfers at the shop or perhaps the surfers at the beach may know of something. You should be able to locate one that's right for you. Surfboards are plentiful and finding one that will work at this stage in your budding surfing career should be easy.

Wetsuit

Everybody wears wetsuits most of the time these days. They're colorful, fashionable and cover wayward flesh. Unless you've swallowed a beach ball, they make most of us look like wave argonauts.

They also keep you toasty. With them you can stay in the water longer. Wetsuits work by allowing some water in the suit. That's why they're called "wet" suits. Once inside a snug suit, water is warmed by your body and acts as a hot water bottle.

In case you're wondering, wearing one is not a problem. There was a time when wearing rubber was cumbersome, but today's wetsuits are miracles of modern science — they're light, flexible and comfortable. Obviously, if the air temperature is 75, the water temperature 75 and the wind calm, you won't need or want a wetsuit. You may want to wear a T-shirt or a nylon slipover if your skin is sensitive to the waxed surface of your board.

If a suit is desirable, look to rent. If you cannot rent one, buy a used one. Again, don't go for looks. Just make sure there aren't holes in it and that it fits snugly. Not so tight you turn red, but that it j-u-s-t stretches across limbs and torso. Baggy suits won't work.

Wax

Wax is rubbed on the deck or topside of the board to prevent slipping. Your board may have traction patches slapped on the deck. Don't wax those. Buy surf wax at the surf shop or at convenience stores near the beach. There are numerous brands. For now, anything will do.

Leash

Get a leash. It's an elastic cord that attaches to your ankle and connects you to the surfboard. It keeps the board around when you wipe out (fall off) and prevents "killer board." This is a leash-less board thundering toward a hapless surfer or swimmer in a wall of white water. The adjective "killer" here isn't to be confused with the adjective "killer" in, say, "killer chick" or "killer flick." Rental boards will probably come with one. Buy an inexpensive one if you have to.

Racks (Maybe)

If you have to drive with your surfboard, and it won't fit in your car without sticking too far out, you'll need racks. Hopefully you can rent some, but if not, buy a cheap set that can go on and off easily. Don't leave them on the car when you go surfing.

The Generous Hawaiian

Believe me, I know surf shops can be intimidating. When I was 12 everyone in the shop was older, had cool hair and wore the perfect T-shirt. I couldn't understand much of anything they said and, in general, felt like a real suburbanite in the land of adolescent nirvana.

When I was 22, I had the look and the hair. Even the talk. But no money.

Now I've got the money and a lot less hair. Yet, once again, I can't understand what the guys behind the counter are saying. And worse — I know they're better surfers than I am.

But no matter. You see, at my advanced age, I've discovered that even those who work in surf shops are people. And capable of remarkable things. Case in point. I was in Maui, December of 1987, without my board. Don't ask why. Somehow I thought I'd do other things or something. Until I saw the surf.

I remember looking at these huge peaks and feeling the hairs at the nape of my neck stand up like my dog's when he sees a cat or a vacuum cleaner. It was time to visit the local shop.

I headed straight for the rental racks but there was nothing there except an old ironing board. So I decided to buy. Now you've got to understand that I'm cheap by nature, and for me to spend anything over $25 is serious stuff. However, "there are times" and this definitely was one.

By and by, the fellow watching the store came around to help. He was a local boy and probably ate 30-foot waves and California white boys like me for breakfast. But I didn't care. I had my gold card and was deep in a modest frenzy.

He listened to my babble with a smile and said (this is absolutely true),"You look like a nice guy and know what's what. Take this board here for five dollars a day. Try not to ding it and bring it back in a week." The surfboard was a perfect 6'8" Linden, immaculate, with a price tag of $375. This is the kind of surfboard that people openly admire when you paddle out. And this guy, this local who was supposed to hate me for infesting his...