Best beginner/intermediate board for Sydney beaches.

[Anonymous]

Hi Ben,

First off, really enjoy your webpage and youtube channel. Great and extremely helpful reviews !

I had no idea you were Manly based , but think I might have seen you (or your doppelgänger) at Aloha earlier today. Afterwards I saw you even did a video with Tim.

Now my question, I have been checking out all your reviews and would like to know your opinion about the easiest and most forgiving board for Manly (not necessarily a grovler).

I’m 80kg and I have only been surfing for about 1 year. Currently mainly surf a Simon Anderson Early Bird at 6’4 (35l) in most conditions but also have a Stacey Swamp Thing Kirra (33l) for when it gets a bit more steep/hollow. The SA works in smaller stuff but the stacy is just impossible to paddle in anything less then shoulder high (maybe due to lots of rocker all over the board).

Being a beginner I’m not doing any radical stuff, just want something helping me to progress with top to bottom turns and catching heaps of waves.

Picked up a 5’7 Joe today and had my first surf on it, enjoyed it so far. But for my next board I rather get something locally shaped rather then CI/Lost/FW.

[Anonymous]

Hi Snowcrash,

Thank you for asking this important question.

First, I think the Simon Anderson Early Bird and the Stacey Surfboards Swamp Thing are great boards but they are both performance-oriented designs intended for better waves and may be a bit aggressive as shortboard surfboards when you’re early in your surfing journey. You’ve already noticed the rocker but you may also find the boards feel a little bit unstable because the tips and tails are narrower.

Plus, the waves around Sydney rarely get juicy enough to necessitate a ‘good wave’ board. It’s great to have one in the quiver later on for those epic days but early on, I would go for something that works most of the time.

A great local option, Chilli Surfboards in Mona Vale, just released the ‘Rare Bird’ model, which I find to be a great all around performer for Sydney waves yet I don’t think you would find it too unforgiving. That could be an excellent option to learn and grow with. Check out the Rare Bird here: http://shop.comparesurfboards.com/products/chilli-rare-bird

Finally, I encourage you to stick with one ‘shortboard’ for a while as you’re learning. Jumping around from board to board early one can hamper your progress.

I hope this helps you and let me know how you go with your new board!

All the best,
Benny

[Author]

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