Petty good boards....depending on the model!

Google Kelly Slater. Then you can decide.

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"Honestly, triathlon is a pussified version of duathlon on that final run."- Desert Dude

cool, yeah, I was on their website and they are sort of having a sale, pretty affordable, Im flying first class on Cathay pacific so they will take the board for free.

They used to be the standard in the 1980's and 1990's. I still visit the store every time I am in Santa Barbara.

Al Merrick made/designed a lot of their boards for a long time. I know Kelly Slater rode them to a bunch of world titles.

I think he is shaping/making his own boards these days though, although possibly putting various sponsors labels on them.

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Portside Athletics Blog

Brand smand.. it's all about the shape you want.

You can also contact local shapers... they usually have demo boards that they sell for cheap.

Here are some links:
http://www.albumsurf.com/category/available/
http://pointconceptsurfboards.com/boards (You can email Ryan himself. I got my hull from him... turned my surf stoke to 11.. out of 10)

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If my body isn't strong enough... I hope my wallet will be.

Thanks dude!!!

Is there any way to know what shape I want without riding one first??? Here in Albuquerque, my options for testing surfboards are extremely limited...as in non-existent...

So if im 6'4, 185lbs and plan to get good (by doing lots of surfing), is there anything to look for?

from what I can tell, in Asia there are times of year where the waves are slow and small and for that i'll need a long board? maybe? but most of the year, there is actually some OK surfing.

I know that this part of the world isnt renowned for its surfing for the most part, but I never lived by the beach so good or bad, its more than ill have done before, plus I hear there is actually some pretty cool competitions open to anybody there in Phiket and the other beach areas.

thanks!!!

You sound like a prime canditate for a longboard, around the 9ft range. And with your height and weight, a little on the thick side i would say. Over time you may or may not want a shorter one, usually adult onset surfers stick with the longboards. IT will be a ton more fun for you learning, easier to paddle, and you will get twice as many waves..That's where i would start if i were you, at least get you through a couple years until you can even think about a short board..

Do your research on boards... there's a good and bad to all of them. A lot of people are stoked on the boards shaped like the CI Pod... I want one. I think there's also a walden funboard that a lot of people like. You could go with one of those 5 fin boards as well to mix things up.

To me, surfing is fun catching waves and riding them. I've only done a nsoeride once and about half a cutback. I've been surfing for almost 10 years and catching a wave still makes me happy.

Here is rundown of my harem:
10' dewey weber stylist-like a tank but I'm catching waves the whole time I'm out.
9'6 becker performance-learned on this... I catch 75% of the waves
7'6-point concept hull-crazy fast and sensitive towards foor placement and pressure.. save this shape for later
6'7 surf prescriptions single fin- fun in good waves.. don't ride it as much because I'm nt fit enought.
6'5 kane garden fish-short, fat and wide just like me. Super fun board
5'10 surf rx new toy-haven't ridden it that much and maybe catch 1-3 waves a sesh.

Typed on my phone with my fat fingers so excuse the typos. Ill research some more boards tmrw for you... and for me.

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If my body isn't strong enough... I hope my wallet will be.

you need to know what you want. I have a few fish and longboards. However alot of boards out there are pop outs. and sometimes a person will shape them after they are popped out so they write there name on it so you need to know which is good. Custom is alwasy the best.

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Hehehe...I like that one...especially since by accident of birth, I AM one. It took my son to finally teach me when he was 11. It was pretty cool when we both finally were up on the same wave :-)

(Oh, and it was on a Costco foam board...good enough for learnin' )

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

x2 - plus a custom board will often cost LESS than a pop-out with Al or Rusty or some other guy's signature.

Al hardly shaped any of his boards once he got famous unless you were a top client, and this is true of many of the big names. Rusty's boards have been made by other folks for years but they never tell you that when you buy that R-dot at the local surf shop.

If you want to blow money on a "name" board, get a Maurice Cole. At least you'll know he shaped it. Probably.

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Live long and surf!

Hey Brad
I'm with Monty on this.

I would add make it a two + one, better for different conditions.

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Train safe & smart
Bob