Best newbie board?

Ok so I have high end custom boards and newbies seem to not be able to use them. They have too much float I think. Sometimes I barrow a super old landlock and that seems to work better. What does everyone use for beginners? I seem to be teaching more then I am surfing this year!!

For kids, the TWP Grom or SS Nano with the back fin in. For real small kids, you can't beat the Grom, so easy to flip.

For bigger people, we have been using the LakeWakes 5.2 thruster for beginners and remove back fin when they start getting good. Great board up to about 250 lbs.

For those in between, I had our 4.10 Jetty made for RJ, it is a twinzer, and good performance board, but I had Jeff put the 3rd fin box in the rear. It looks sillly to add a back fin to twinzer but it works great for beginners. It slows the board down a bit and makes it stable. Then RJ wants to shred and just yanks the back fin out. It works perfect.

I think the TWP WSM and the Bazooka would also be great candidates for adding that third box and so you can rip with it, and just add the back fin to help teach. Great way to get bang for your buck.

One more thing, we keep 3 rear fins handy. I don't remember the model numbers or sizes, will have to get those...

But one is a very small back fin, like 2 inches, then a 4.5 inch rear fin, and one in between. Some people, like my little Jesse, needs super stable and we throw in the big rear fin. Others want a bit more responsiveness, but not yet a twin, so you throw in the small back fin.

Anyway, works well for us.

here is one thing that has worked for us with some people ..... start them on your smallest board so they get the heels down/board up part down ...... when they start to get up out of the water and if they can't control the board ....... then we switch them to the bigger floatier boards ...... seems like the smaller board quickens the learning curve as to getting behind the board and then the bigger board which they now can get up on lets them surf much faster

it works for some and not for all as everybody is different but this method seems to work generally really well for us!!

Go cheap like Packrat and mod an old Skurfer for lightweights.

Robert and Frank said it perfect.

We teach on skim boards cause very easy to sink and flip on startups. I still have the sub 130lb riders use the kid's P5 Scamp to get up on and learn to edge with the rope (rated 90lbs). I know your a surf-style rider so Franks advise on a board too small but faster learning curve holds water (pun inteneded ha).

This is the smaller trailer fin we use, the TT1 325



Then we have a 425 trailer, or 450, I remembered to look at the model of the little one, not the bigger. ;-) We also have some hatchet trailers, but its a very noticeable difference for riders that are learning. I have several times handed out a board, and the rider feels like it is to "squirly", so we put in the big trailer, and then they say it is too stiff, or you can see they just can't turn it well. Then you throw in the 325 trailer and it just stabilizes the board enough for them until they get better to take it out.

Jesse needs a rock stable board, and without the larger trailer, she couldn't have got up. I bet in a week or so, she will be trying out the smaller trailer.

Tri fin skims are what I always put beginners on. The Inland Surfer Infectious or Virus or the Phase 5 Trident for larger riders. The skim style boards are easy to get up on and not overly responsive for first timers, which allows them to just cruise and not worry about pumping or carving yet. After their first set we take off the side fins and they usually never go back to more than just the single fin. They are fast so its easy to learn to ride ropeless and they will go from super beginner to advanced depending on the fin set up.

The Calibrated Tri Fin Piscus is my favorite board to teach people on, but they are hard to get a hold of these days.

Hey Duff:

I see your posts on TO all the time.

We own and use the HL Landlock quite a bit per vids shown here. It was our first board 2 yrs ago because I did not know any better. It’s a good beginner board that’s cheap, durable and stable but that’s about it. My wife really likes it even though I’m trying to get her on to something else. We have little kids that are 65-80 lbs, big kids like HS football players and had 2 60 yr old beginners pop on the board so it seems to work as beginner board and that’s about all but for 1st timers that works and they r up and havin fun which is the whole point. Its heavy but durable. For adults the board has poor push so it takes a kinda bigger wave to go ropeless –kids r easy cuz they weigh less. I’m pretty sure u have the wave thing down.

My jake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqj_VkSDGvs

Wifey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEDAIcvQKzE

Jake knee surfing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajePcEadQxY

newbie kids riding 1st time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WADeti1PmI8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnfRB7vcLD8

I surf w TWP Bazooka which is beyond my skill level but it works for me as big guy and I like the board a lot and I hope to progress into it. Some newbies of the big guy set do well with The Bazooka depending on athletic ability and so forth.

I also have a Lakewakes kids board but we’ve not had some kids around to try in last 2-3 weeks but looks like it might do well. Jake (our 10 yr old) has done standup a few times recently but was not comfortable when we first got it & likely because he’s a big kid at 125 and still finding his way w wakesurfing. Will post up at TO when I get some newer vid on that board.

Good lucj and hope this helps a little.