Surf boards, Shop, and Clothing
Welcome
to gosurftran.com. Our site is dedicated to gathering and disseminating
information about surfboards and surfing apparel.Gosurftran.com is purely
informational and does not promote or endorse any particular product
or method.
Our site is designed to educate about surfing and surfing safety.
Surfing and surfboards were invented in Hawaii and were made from
local trees. The first surfboards were more than 15 feet in length and
heavy. Modern manufacturers use foam covered with layers of fiberglass
cloth and resin. This results in a light and strong surfboard that floats
well and can be easily maneuvered. There are also wooden surfboards
on the market and a few specialty surfboards are made out of hollow
carbon fiber or aluminum to decrease weight even further.
The majority of modern surfboards fall into two categories: long boards
and short boards. Long boards have a rounded nose and are often more
than eight feet long. Short boards are typically between five to seven
feet, have a more pointed nose, and are more maneuverable. There are
a few other niche boards called guns, fish, eggs, quads, fun boards,
and body boards.
If you are a beginning surfer shopping for your first surfboard, it's
important to pick the right board for your level. Narrow boards may
look sexy, but they make learning beginning technique nearly impossible.
Get a larger thick board that will float well and allow you to paddle
easily. While the size of the surfboard you pick will be relative to
your height and weight, a good average beginner size is around seven
feet long and 20 inches wide with a thickness of two to three inches.
Be sure you can comfortably carry the board and use it with relative
ease in the water.
When it comes to price, leave the expensive boards to the advanced
surfers since a beginner's surfboard will likely get dinged up. Also,
because surfing can be so difficult that it turns many people off to
the sport, go for the $100 board before the $1000 board. Also, it's
easy to be attracted to a slick board with a lot of fins because these
help with maneuverability and tricks. However, there is no point in
paying for these, because for the first six months or so you'll only
be trying to stay up on your board.
Surfing can be a dangerous sport and there are some safety rules to
follow for beginning surfers. Go out with a buddy and surf in a location
with a lifeguard. Also, evaluate the hazards of the location and make
sure you can deal with them. Follow your gut feelings and instincts
to decide whether it's better to just stay on the beach for the day.
If there is any threat of lightning and thunder get out of the water
immediately. It's wise to go out with a more advanced surfer who can
hit the water first and probe the location. Then they can more correctly
advise you on wind and wave conditions.
Before you go surfing, you'll also want to hit your local surf shop
and load up on surfer clothing and accessories. Pick up a wet suit and
surfboard leash for safety, and then start shopping for clothes to express
your new surfer attitude. At the very least you will need a pair of
flip-flops and a T-shirt or aloha shirt. For bottoms guys should pick
out a pair of board shorts. Ladies can treat themselves to the latest
in swimwear.