Board:

    Having a board is a pretty good idea. It makes catching the waves a little bit easier! But seriously, buying a board is a very serious choice. You have to take into account a lot of things, including your size and weight, riding style, preference of makers, and price. The ideal board should be tall enough to come up to your belly button. For taller, heavier riders, a very thick board is needed to give you that extra flotation. Small riders can get away with thinner boards. The template (shape) of the board you get will depend on your riding style. A board with a narrow nose and a high widepoint will be great for prone riders who want to cut a lot. A board with a lower widepoint, and wider nose is good for drop knee action. Whereas a board whose widepoint is intermeadiat is good for those riders who employ both riding styles. Other things to look out for are tail shapes. There are a variety out there, but the most common are concave, bat tail, and flat. Makers say that tail shape add performance to the board, but I'm not too sure of that. Currently, the board I ride has a bat tail, but I haven't notice any difference from the concave tail of my last board. You also want to pay attention to rail proportions. The two most common are 50:50 and 60:40. These proportions show the widths of the bottom and top rails respectively. A 50:50 rail will be easier to turn and cut on, but a 60:40 rail is steeper and will cut in to the face of the wave more, giving you more stability. Also, you should think about channels. These are scoops taken out of the bottom of the board. Contrary to popular belief, channels actually slow you down. The only real effect they have is that they dig into the face of the wave keeping your rail securely in place. This is benificial only if you are riding very big waves with lots of power. You should think about materials next. Each manufacturer has it's own proprietary materials they use for cores, laminations, and stringers. I don't know which one is the best, because they all say that they are better than the competition. Your choice will probably depend on how much you are willing to spend, and the brand you like best. I recently bought a new Toobs Spec 42. It's 42 inches long, has an intermediate template for both prone and dk. It has 60/40 rails. And has a "gullwing" tail. This board is great for me, a 150 lbs male who is 5'8".

Fins:

   The best brand of fins out there are Churchills. There are plenty of other brands out there, and I'm sure that they work fine. But if you want the most comfort and power for your money, go buy some Churchills. There are two kinds of Churchill fins, the original Makapuu, and the new Slasher. The Slasher is only about $5 more than the Makapuu, and supposedly is a little more comfortable. But I own the Makapuu, and I love it. It's all a matter of preference.

Finsocks and gloves:

    Finsocks will do two things for you: help keep your feet warm, and help prevent blisters or sores from forming where your fins rub. Also they can help protect your feet from nasty corral cuts if you're surfing a reef break. Gloves do two things also. They keep your hands warm, and the webbing between the fingers help give you more power in your stroke when you are paddleing. I don't know too much about brands, just ask the dude at your surfshop, and he or she should be able to help you more.

Leashes:

    Leashes are nescessary if you don't like chasing your board down every time you bail. There are a variety of leashes availible. There are plain leashes that attach to your wrist and are just a straight rope to your board. I recomend getting a coiled leash however. These look like the telephone line going from the reciever to the phone. These will stay nicely curled up and out of your way. If you get a straight leash, you will probably end up caught on seaweed or all tangled up. You can also get leashes that attach to your upper arm or leg. This is a personal choice. My leash attaches to my left forearm, and is one of the coiled kind. When you get a leash, you'll want to put it on your new board. First, you should locate the spot where you want it attached. This depends upon where on your body you like to have your leash. The regular spots are upper right, middle, and left, or bottom right or left. After deciding where to attach your leash, poke a hole through you board with a nail, then widen it a little with a screw driver. Becareful not to rip the deck or the bottom of your board. Now, put the female end of the leash screw into the hole, and screw the male end into it with that screw driver. You can chnge your leash at any time by just unscrewing it and replacing it. Don't worry about water seeping into your board through the hole. If you didn't make the hole too big, it should be perfectly water tight.

Wetsuits:

  My personal favorite brands of wetsuits are O'neil and Bodyglove. I think that they are the best out there. You should look for a wetsuit that has flat, sealed or taped seams and that fits well. Areas to look at are behind the knees and elbows, the neck, and your crotch. Believe me, there is nothing so uncomfortable as wearing a wetsuit that is too tight in the crotch! Make your own choice, but don't be afraid to ask the sales clerk for advice. Buying a used wetsuit can also be a good deal, if you find one that fits right. You can also try to get an unknown brand for a cheaper price, but you never know about the quality. It may end up costing you more because you have to replace it in a year! The thickness of your suit depends on what type of usage you need it for. In the cold waters around Santa Cruz, you need a 3/2 for year round usage, or 2mm for spring/summer. You can also get spring suits which have short sleeves and legs. These are fine for warmer waters where you just want to be able to stay out a little longer.

Rashguard:

  A rashguard may be nescessary if you keep getting wetty rashes from sand or an ill-fitting suit. You can also use a rashguard on those days when it's not cold enough to wear a wetsuit, but to cold to trunk it for very long. A rash guard will keep you warm enough to stay out longer on days when the water is cool but not cold.

And now for the best part:

   The best part is this: If you looked around for good deals, all the equipment that you just bought probably cost less than what the average surfer payed for his board alone! I recently replaced all my equipment (board, wetsuit, and fins) for about three hundred and twenty dollars. That's what looking around for the best deals can do for you. Isn't that great? I think so!
 
 

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