Trust your surfboard shaper to take care of design elements until you feel your ability has risen above the beginner level and keep in mind that the measurements I have suggested above are only a guideline. You'll get tons of different advice from fellow surfers, shapers, surfboard sales people, and anyone else who knows a little about board design. In the end, you'll eventually figure out what works best for you by trying different shapes, boards, and surfing a variety of waves.

What Type of Board Should You Start With?  I just started surfing. What kind of board should I ride? If you're a beginner, choosing the right board is easy. You really only need to consider catching waves at this point, so don't worry about complex design elements. Instead, concentrate on getting the correct size (length, width, thickness) and type of board. Most people will tell you to get a longboard, which is good advice, but it's not your only option.

If your goal is to maneuver you should try a mid size funboard surfboard or egg shape. You'll learn to turn much sooner on a board that's a little shorter, and with the right amount of width and thickness it will allow you to catch waves as easily as you would on a long board. Having less length will also help you to spin around when you start paddling to catch a wave. I see lots of beginners having problems getting into position with long boards and if they're not in good paddling condition, all that board can be a disadvantage. Conversely, a very good skateboarder might be able to learn on a shortboard surfboard but you're better off working your way down from a fun board or an egg.

On the other hand, if your goal is to stand up and ride a wave as soon as possible, the long board will usually get you up and riding within the first few hours. I wouldn't suggest a shortboard surfboard for a beginner unless you're a parent who surfs and wants to teach your child, in which case you'll probably be pushing them into the waves from close to the shore. If you're the parent, you probably already know that a board small enough to fit a young child will most likely have to be custom made. Talk to your local surfboard shaper.

The next thing to consider is the dimension of your surfboard and as a beginner you'll only need to consider length, width and thickness. Once you get more advanced there are other dimensions and design elements to learn about including outline, rocker, vee, concave, fin placement, fin template, and rail shape. But for now let's stick to the basics.

In order to maximize your surfing potential and fun, your board must fit you. For example, buying the wrong size shoes will cause all types of problems. The same is true for your surfboard.

A basic scale to help you find the right dimensions

Here's a basic size scale to go by. A small surfer would be someone between 50 - 100 lbs, medium would be 100 - 175 lbs, large would be 175 - 250 lbs, and someone over 250 lbs would be an x-large surfer.

If you're considering a longboard, mediums, larges, and x-larges should be riding something in the 9'0 to 9'6 range. Anything longer than this is really not necessary for most beginners. A light medium or small surfer should consider a mini tanker with a length between 8'0 and 8'6.

On the other hand, if you're considering a fun board or an egg, something between 6'8 and 7'6 (in the correct thickness range) should do well for the small, medium, and large sized rider. An x-large rider would do well on an 8'0.

Thickness is the most important dimension of a beginner's surfboard because it determines how easily paddling and catching waves are. Long boards for riders in the small to medium range should be between 2 ½ - 2 ¾ , for large riders 2 ¾ - 3 , and for the x-large riders 3 - 3 ¼. You can use the same thickness scale for mini tankers.

For funboards and eggs, the small to medium rider should look for something in the 2 ¼ - 2 ½ range, for the large riders 2 ½ - 2 ¾, and for the x-large surfer 2 ¾ - 3 will suffice.

At the beginner level, the width of your surfboard will be the least important dimension. The best advice I can give you is to gauge your width by how well the board fits under your arm. To gauge this, carry the board under your arm by putting one rail under your arm pit and grabbing the other rail with your hand. You should feel comfortable carrying it thought this might not work as well for very short people as you'll have shorter arms than average.

The idea is to be able to carry the board comfortably. Once you advance in skill, the width will become more important to you as it affects the amount of curve in your outline. But for now, you should concentrate on catching waves and not worry about detailed design elements like your board's outline curve.

Trust your surfboard shaper to take care of design elements until you feel your ability has risen above the beginner level and keep in mind that the measurements I have suggested above are only a guideline. You'll get tons of different advice from fellow surfers, shapers, surfboard sales people, and anyone else who knows a little about board design. In the end, you'll eventually figure out what works best for you by trying different shapes, boards, and surfing a variety of waves.