well if you get sea sickness, start on a wave board then proceed to a long board. well if not start with a long board. the long baord helps with balance which you need to use a short while standing. but just get used to getting on the board and paddleing. it helps when you think you are ready proceed to the short baord.

Step 1: Know your board...

Here's how I always describe it...
Surf boards can be compared to cars...

BORADS:
short board = ferrari... hard to learn to drive with, extremely responsible and performance driven, must constantly work gears to get a good ride.. good for larger, steep, or hollow waves (ones with tubes)

Longboard = cadillac... easy to learn to drive, not very responsive, put it in gear and let the car do the work.. carries momentum easily... good in small waves

Funboard = hybrid between short & longboards... length & width of longboard, shaped similar to a short board (pointed nose, thruster fin set up)... good for larger waves which are not steep and hollow or small waves

Board tickness... the thicker the board the more boyant it is and slower it turns. It is also harder to duckdive

Board Width... the wider the board the easier it is to stand on (more surface area between you and the water), but the harder it is to duckdive a wave

Rocker- the relative curve between the tail and nose of the board. More rocker means a steeper nose. Often more curve is desired for riding steep hollow waves which have a distinct curve or transition to the face of the wave. Less rocker means a flatter board and is ideal for getting into mushy waves. Longboards and Fishes (see below) are known to have less rocker.

FINS:
3 Fins (thruster)- performance fin set up developed in the laste 70's to optimize speed and turnability/manueverability

2 Fins- found on a type of board called a Fish. Fish designs have characteristics of longboards (thinkness) but have the length of a short board. they are designed to be able to ride hard and fast in small not-well-formed waves

Single Fin (also known as skags)- mostly found on longboards, these fins are typically twice the size of other fin styles b/c they are meant to hold larger boards in place on the face of a wave. Turning/manueverability is extremely limited.

TAILS:
Squash- flatten tail, good for quick top to bottom turns in mushy surf

Pin Tail (rounded pin tail, thumb nail, etc.)- round, semicircular shape which is good for quick rail to rail turns in steep hollow surf.

Swallow- (fish tail) shaped like a V, these tails are designed to reduce friction between the board and water and hold speed. Not ideal for quick turns.

This should serve as a quick guidline to general surfboard terms, but if you're really interested in getting to know how the shape of a board affects its performance talk to person in your local shop or there are several books out there which will provide greater detail on the subject.

- John

First thing first is to learn the surfing etiquette........" VERY IMPORTANT!"