Surf board help

[MikeR397]

My wife and I are new to surfing, have a 2024 T220 now, and need some help on surf boards. We have a $1500 Tommy’s shop credit to burn up, which doesn’t look like it’ll even cover two boards…

I’m 6’6” and 300lbs and am planning on a 59” 2024 Phase 5 The Doctor board. https://www.phase5boards.com/products/24-doctor 
 

My wife is about 135lbs, and we have skinny 9, 6, and 4 year old boys who may or may not be interested in surfing. Mainly I need help picking a board for my wife, something good for a starter and possibly for a 9yr old, but not that will need to be replaced next summer when she gets a lot more experience (only surfed about 4 times so far on friends boats). Budget is not a huge concern, but we don’t need something crazy high end. Dealer suggested a hyperlite automatic for my wife, not sure which size, which looks really cool and matches our maya blue boat, but price is a touch high and no idea how this will work for her. https://www.hyperlite.com/products/wakesurfers-automatic

[ahopkins22LSV]

I am far far behind the boards out today, but I would see what they have in stock and what they allow you to demo.

[dizzygti]

The P5 Phantom is super popular with the local crew.  I'm partial to skim, but the P5 Matrix/Key are great skim boards.    I rode the P5 Model X (more of a hybrid) this past weekend and liked it a lot even compared to my go to Ronix Carbon Air Core 3 (pure skim style).    Don't be intimidated by skim style boards for new riders.   Super buoyant (foam construction) surf boards can be hard to flip up for newbies learning how to start/stand up.   With a 2" or more fin, skim boards aren't that difficult to control, plus they teach better board control early on in a rider's experience IMO.   

[MikeR397]

25 minutes ago, dizzygti said:

The P5 Phantom is super popular with the local crew.  I'm partial to skim, but the P5 Matrix/Key are great skim boards.    I rode the P5 Model X (more of a hybrid) this past weekend and liked it a lot even compared to my go to Ronix Carbon Air Core 3 (pure skim style).    Don't be intimidated by skim style boards for new riders.   Super buoyant (foam construction) surf boards can be hard to flip up for newbies learning how to start/stand up.   With a 2" or more fin, skim boards aren't that difficult to control, plus they teach better board control early on in a rider's experience IMO.   

Interesting, I was told to stay away from skim. I don’t have a choice with my weight but my wife has surfed enough she has no problem standing up, so not worried about that. Just want a good balanced board that she and my kids can use for awhile and not grow out of super fast. She is gonna place a lot of emphasis on looks (women…no offense to those here lol) and reject boards on color. I know she’ll love the look of the hyperlite automatic so don’t want to show her that if there is a better option to look at first. 

[dizzygti]

17 minutes ago, MikeR397 said:

Interesting, I was told to stay away from skim. 

I think that's common, but not always good advice.   The rookies start on a traditional long nose surf board (Liquid Force Bonzer Bat) on my boat, but usually love how much more reactive a pure skim board is after they have mastered getting up and standing in the pocket.    My advice is just that, one man's experience.   

[shawndoggy]

Skims are much easier for newbs to get the feel of driving the rail into the wave (carving turns). 

[DRB10SEVEN]

I have been learning how to surf the last few years, and in my humble opinion, surf vs skim almost feels like 2 different sports behind my boat. I got a Liquid Force Primo 5'3" the beginning of last season and I really like that it is a hybrid board that can be set up with surf fins or a skim fin. I have found I prefer to ride more surf style boards that give me much more drive and power when carving vs a skim board. My wife on the other hand enjoys riding both types of boards, she rides a Liquid Force Keen (very playful), and a Liquid Force Sting (very stable).

If you aren't sure which style board you will like, I would have a hard time recommending that you spend a ton of money on a high end surf or skim board. You may be better off with something like a Hyperlite Broadcast, Liquid Force Primo, or something similar that is more of a hybrid board. The BEST thing you could do is try to demo a few options, if that is even possible for you in your situation. I do not have that option, I don't live in an area that has any dealers or shops that sell boards, and none of my friends have boats or boards (they use me for that haha) so my wife and I just sort of guessed at what boards we might like to try and bought them heavily discounted online.

[dizzygti]

Yeah, it's overwhelming if you don't have the ability to try any of them....time to make friends on the water!  

[shawndoggy]

16 minutes ago, MikeR397 said:

Interesting, I was told to stay away from skim. I don’t have a choice with my weight but ...

https://wakestore.victoriaskimboards.com/product/bigfoot-xxxl-107/

Personally I feel like newer riders will progress more quickly on a skim because by necessity they will need to drive the inside rail into the wave for stability. That in turn teaches proper weight placement and will allow riders to carve up and down the wave without getting spit out.  I find newbs on surf style boards frequently get ridden by the board (rider goes where the board points them) versus controlling the board.

[MikeR397]

5 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

https://wakestore.victoriaskimboards.com/product/bigfoot-xxxl-107/

Personally I feel like newer riders will progress more quickly on a skim because by necessity they will need to drive the inside rail into the wave for stability. That in turn teaches proper weight placement and will allow riders to carve up and down the wave without getting spit out.  I find newbs on surf style boards frequently get ridden by the board (rider goes where the board points them) versus controlling the board.

Thanks for sharing. As I get older I tend to fluctuate between 290-315. You think a skim rated for 280 would be ok? Regardless, I’m going to get the phase 5 Doctor for sure, will be fun to the kids on that and seems like a great starting point for me. 
 

i need to learn and experiment around, will look for dealer demo opportunities, good suggestion 

[shawndoggy]

5 minutes ago, MikeR397 said:

Thanks for sharing. As I get older I tend to fluctuate between 290-315. You think a skim rated for 280 would be ok? Regardless, I’m going to get the phase 5 Doctor for sure, will be fun to the kids on that and seems like a great starting point for me. 
 

i need to learn and experiment around, will look for dealer demo opportunities, good suggestion 

I think it would work if your wave has the push, which it should if the boat is weighted correctly.  That board is yuge for a skim.  

I like riding both skim and surf because the technique for each can be quite different, so it keeps my brain engaged.  

[Cole2001]

I have taught hundreds lessons anywhere from first time to advanced. I NEVER put a beginner on a surf style board, especially smaller riders. Just being straightforward, the phase 5 doctor will not be a good board for kids to learn, way too buoyant and locked in. 
 

Get a phase 5 scamp for the kids, a 48” skimboard and a larger board for yourself. 

[kstateskier1]

If these kids are beginners, I just picked up a Liquid Force Gromi for $140 for my daughter on Evo.  She is more of a wakeboarder and I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a surfer as well at this point as we are already buying 1-2 kids wakeboards a year in our family.  

[shawndoggy]

one last thought on skim sizing.  I'd much rather be on a skim that's a little too small than a little too big.  If it's too big it will be harder to get carving into the wave.  If it's too small the pocket might be a little shorter, but control will be easier.  No pics but back in the olden times on a wave that wasn't very big by today's standards, I rode my kids' gen 1 phase 5 scamp (which was WAY too small for me).  I was prolly 170 at the time.  

[dizzygti]

1 hour ago, kstateskier1 said:

If these kids are beginners, I just picked up a Liquid Force Gromi for $140 for my daughter on Evo.  She is more of a wakeboarder and I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a surfer as well at this point as we are already buying 1-2 kids wakeboards a year in our family.  

 

1 hour ago, shawndoggy said:

one last thought on skim sizing.  I'd much rather be on a skim that's a little too small than a little too big.  If it's too big it will be harder to get carving into the wave.  If it's too small the pocket might be a little shorter, but control will be easier.  No pics but back in the olden times on a wave that wasn't very big by today's standards, I rode my kids' gen 1 phase 5 scamp (which was WAY too small for me).  I was prolly 170 at the time.  

Yeah,  I have the Gromi on my boat for kids,  but I can "almost" rides it @180#, just not quite enough push for my weight, but def doable.   My wife goofing off rides it at 140#.

Edited February 29 by dizzygti

[MikeR397]

3 hours ago, Cole2001 said:

I have taught hundreds lessons anywhere from first time to advanced. I NEVER put a beginner on a surf style board, especially smaller riders. Just being straightforward, the phase 5 doctor will not be a good board for kids to learn, way too buoyant and locked in. 
 

Get a phase 5 scamp for the kids, a 48” skimboard and a larger board for yourself. 

The Doctor is for me. Or adult+kids. 
 

I was hoping a board would work for the kids and wife at this point. I’ll check out the scamp, just trying not to have 5 boards to start! 

[Cole2001]

Scamps can be had less than $400, well worth the cost for the kiddos to succeed on. I’ve got a kids board and a few carbon skims I’d let go for a decent price. Send me a message if you’re interested. 

[Hemmy]

14 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

https://wakestore.victoriaskimboards.com/product/bigfoot-xxxl-107/

Personally I feel like newer riders will progress more quickly on a skim because by necessity they will need to drive the inside rail into the wave for stability. That in turn teaches proper weight placement and will allow riders to carve up and down the wave without getting spit out.  I find newbs on surf style boards frequently get ridden by the board (rider goes where the board points them) versus controlling the board.

I am way more comfortable on skim than my surf style boards.  I also feel like because the board is flat, I can relax more on the skim board.  With the concave shaped bottom on the Soulcraft, I have to really focus on having my weight toward the wave.  If I don't, I will get steered out into the flats really quickly.  Because of that though, I notice I can go farther out into the flats and cut back into the wave quicker on the surf style board.  For me, skim has always been a little more friendly.

12 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

one last thought on skim sizing.  I'd much rather be on a skim that's a little too small than a little too big.  If it's too big it will be harder to get carving into the wave.  If it's too small the pocket might be a little shorter, but control will be easier.  No pics but back in the olden times on a wave that wasn't very big by today's standards, I rode my kids' gen 1 phase 5 scamp (which was WAY too small for me).  I was prolly 170 at the time.  

I might have to try my daughter's Scamp this summer to see how it works out. 
I do agree on the smaller board, probably because I am shorter though.  I ride a 50" skim and feel way more comfortable controlling that than a 53" which is what I usually see for the next size up.

@MikeR397 I use Tommy's and I know the one in GR has a good selection of P5 boards.  A good board for all, or at least wife, kids and friends, might be the Hypsta.  I have never ridden that board but one of their employees told me he loves that board and that it was super fun and playful.  It also has a nice weight range on a shorter sized board.  I was surprised this past summer that my daughter at 10 years old and, just guessing, 60-70ish lbs, was able to get up on our 53" broadcast board. 

[MikeR397]

For me, I think as a 6'6'' beginner that is between 290-315 lbs the Phase 5 Doctor looks like the best place to start.

I see Phase 5 has a big boy trident skim board https://www.phase5boards.com/products/24-trident but would probably like to try to demo that first and want to make sure I get the most boyancy to start. I'm too new to surfing to really even demo things and know what to look for --- I've never been able to let go of the rope on the few times I tried, in part to too small boards and in part to too small wake (late 90's Natique with 800lbs ballast, and the time on a 20ft malibu LX the board was rated for 200lbs, not 300 and I just sunk it). 

Love the look of the Ronix Koal Classic https://ronixwake.com/products/koal-classic-fish but it just says weight is 155lbs+ for the 5'6'' version which is not inspiring to try as my first board. 

The Chaos Ringer XL or XXL look like they would work well, I've just heard almost nothing about this board compared to a lot of people praising the Doctor from Phase 5 and both are same price range about $1k. . https://chaossurfco.com/wakesurfboards/chaos-ringer-xl

Hyperlite has a Landlock that is rated for 300lbs, and it's about 1/2 the price, but again, I've not heard anything about it and how it compares to the Doctor. 

[wdr]

I have the older P5 Trident Carbon Pro @ 2018 model and it is one of our main boards. It is super fast and with the 3 fins can be more locked in if you like or need the control, which initially most will want. My wife and I normally run with the single 1”  fin, but we have gotten some years on it now. I don’t know how my old one will compare to the current TC but I am guessing it will be similar if not a little more controllable from the looks, BICBW . I have like a 2006 HL Landlock it is more like Land-log and it rarely if ever gets used anymore because it has one speed and one line, straight! They may be lighter now, but mine is heavier than my real surfboard which is a 6’2” Brewer. I would steer away from it and maybe look at a HL Shim. This is our (2016) zero to hero boat board that almost any one can ride and has been a great all around board. If you have the skills it can be spun, but takes some effort. The price point is more palatable too. JM2C.

[vanamp]

On 2/28/2024 at 4:11 PM, Cole2001 said:

I have taught hundreds lessons anywhere from first time to advanced. I NEVER put a beginner on a surf style board, especially smaller riders. Just being straightforward, the phase 5 doctor will not be a good board for kids to learn, way too buoyant and locked in. 
 

Get a phase 5 scamp for the kids, a 48” skimboard and a larger board for yourself. 

Its funny, we are the exact opposite, hundreds of lesson and surf style baords every time for beginners.  We are a bit spoiled with the boards we have on the boat though (demo fleet of soulcrafts including grom boards)so that is probably why.

[MikeR397]

I think I'm going to get the Hyperlite Automatic https://www.hyperlite.com/products/wakesurfers-automatic for my wife. She is about 140lbs, does it make sense to stick with the 4'7'' version rated for up to 170lbs, particularly since this might be better for my skinny 8yr old to use? The only reason I'm considering the 5' version of this board rated up to 230lbs is that it would cover more of our friends in the 170-230 weight range that are not big enough to ride my Phase 5 Doctor. However, I don't want to sacrifice board handling by getting the bigger size Automatic for her. Thoughts? 

[shawndoggy]

100% go smaller if this is for your wife to ride. 

.... or get the big hyperlite broadcast as a boat board and buy her a "real" surfboard that's just for her?  Something like a chaos contender?  https://chaossurfco.com/wakesurfboards/chaos-contender  Don't make small peeps ride boards that are too big for them... especially if they are part of your regular crew.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Personally, I wouldn't buy a board with what your friends might like or be able to use. In my experience, they are just thrilled to ride. If they become a regular and come out all the time, they will just end up buying a board for themselves anyway.

[shawndoggy]

3 hours ago, ahopkins22LSV said:

Personally, I wouldn't buy a board with what your friends might like or be able to use. In my experience, they are just thrilled to ride. If they become a regular and come out all the time, they will just end up buying a board for themselves anyway.

I'm more about having a one-size-fits-all low performance POS board for guests (in our case a sun faded cwb tsunami, but the hyperlite broadcast seems to be a well liked board) and then having "good boards" for my wife and myself that are off limits to others.  I'd never spend the kind of money hyperlite wants for a compression molded board.  Much better options from soulcraft, zombie, chaos and others for similar $$$.  

My 6'7" buddy learned (and struggled!) on the tsunami and has since bought himself a 5'0" Doomswell Nubstep that has been a game changer for him.