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Can you learn to surf on a 6 foot board?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 21, 2026

Conclusion. To recap, yes you can learn to surf on a shortboard, but doing so will typically cost you a lot of extra time and effort vs getting started on a longer surfboard with more volume.

Is a 6ft surfboard good for beginners?

A good rule of thumb for beginner surfboards is to start with a longboard that is about 3 feet longer than your height. So if you're 5'6” to 6'0” tall, an 8'6” to 9'0” longboard would be pretty ideal.

Is a 6 foot surfboard good?

6ft is a great size to feel maneuverable on the wave face and sit in the pocket of the wave but still feel the stability of a longer board. A 6ft surfboard is also a great option for the smaller surfer. These boards typically offer flotation for surfers from around 50lbs to 180 lbs.

How long should a beginners surf board be?

Surfboard sizes, explained

If someone in a shop describes a board as 7'0" (sounds like "seven oh"), they simply mean the board is seven feet long. A good rule of thumb is to opt for a 7'0" beginner's board if you weigh under 70 kilograms, a 7'6" if you weigh 70-90kg, and an 8'0" if you weigh over 90kg, says Harry Mann.

What size board should you learn to surf on?

If you are a beginner you should always look for a board which is wide, thick and at least three feet (90 centimeters) taller than you. Beginner surfers should always get a surfboard with extra flotation and stability to paddle for the wave (2.0lbs/L (0.9kg/L) weight to volume ratio).

21 related questions found

Can you duck dive a 7ft board?

Can you duck dive a 7′ board? It's possible to duck dive a board between 7 feet and 7 feet 6 inches, however, it will require strength and technique to do so.

What type of surfboard is best for small waves?

Longboard Surfboards– The longboard is probably one of the easiest surfboards to ride. Its extra length and width give it tons of stability and paddling power. When the surf is really small, you should always grab a longboard. They allow you to surf small waves and ride them for a long time.

Are mini mals good for beginners?

MINI MALS. The Mini Mal surfboard or “Mid-length” is a great universal board that is well suited to beginners. It is a smaller version of a Longboard in a more forgiving and comfortable size range. Typically Mini Mals will range in size from 7 to 8ft in length.

How much volume should a beginner surfer have?

As a general rule, a beginner should be riding the equivalent of 100% of their body weight in volume. I.e. A beginner weighing 80kg should be riding a surfboard around 80 litres in volume. Alternatively, an experienced surfer can ride a surfboard that's 35% - 40% of their body weight in volume.

How do you surf for beginners?

How to be a Good Beginner Surfer

  1. 1 • Choose appropriate waves to learn and surf. ...
  2. 2 • Don't sit in the pack. ...
  3. 3 • Don't drop in. ...
  4. 4 • Don't back-paddle. ...
  5. 5 • Stay out of the way while paddling out. ...
  6. 1 • Picking the wrong surfboard. ...
  7. 2 • Surfboard abuse. ...
  8. 3 • Not enough sun protection.

How tall should my shortboard be?

A good place to start is going to be 12"-24" taller than yourself but will vary by the shape and style of surfboard. Fish- Proper fish size is typically 2-4" shorter than your shortboard. Shortboard- I usually recommend going 2-6" taller than yourself.

How do you surf on a shortboard?

If you want to learn to surf on a short board, you should paddle, catch and ride waves in the prone position often. The prone position is lying on your board like body boarding. This might seem like a funny suggestion because it makes sense that beginner surfers should be trying to stand up not practicing lying down.

How long does it take to learn to surf?

Learning to surf requires between two hours and one month of practice. If you're struggling for more than two months to ride a wave, then there's something wrong with you. The first thing you'll need to master is lying and balancing on a surfboard - that could take you between half-an-hour and two or three hours.

Should I learn to surf on a foam board?

The short answer is yes, you should be surfing on a foam board. Whether you're getting ready to buy your first surfboard or you've lost count of how many boards you've owned, a soft top surfboard offers insane fun for surfers of every skill level.

Are catch surf boards good for beginners?

Fun board for everyone including beginner and intermediate/advanced surfers. Good for kids (smaller models) and very easy to surf and paddle. High quality and durable, makes small days super fun and increases your wave count. Will muscle through chop and bumps and catch basically anything.

What is a Malibu surfboard?

A Malibu is slightly shorter and narrower than its larger, longboard counterparts. Instead of 9' in length, a malibu will be somewhere from 7' to 8'6”. The width will be closer to 20″ across instead of 22-25″ wide longboards.

What is the difference between a minimal and a funboard?

As a noun funboard

is (surfing) a type of surfboard which is roughly in between a shortboard and a mini-mal a funboard is a little longer than a shortboard and with wider and somewhat rounded nose and tail, making it easier to paddle but still having most of the performance of a shortboard.

Is a 7 foot surfboard good for beginners?

A surfboard in the 8-to-9-foot range is typically 22-24 inches in width, which is the perfect general size for beginners, and the kind of board you'll find on this list (for the most part).

Is it harder to surf small waves?

Small waves are hard to generate speed on with a shortboard. To effectively gain speed on a small wave with your shortboard, you will first need to paddle with a purpose. This means paddling into waves as hard as you can until you feel your board has caught the wave.

Can you surf 1ft waves?

As a general rule, if it's only 1ft, it's pretty difficult to surf on, unless you longboard or are a lightweight grom/ shredding machine!

How do small waves surf for beginners?

In the small surf, speed is critical when entering the wave. Pick the right wave and go for it. Paddle hard and kick your feet if you need an extra boost. If you're on a longer board, try taking off behind the peak as soon as possible so that you reach the pop-up moment with a lot of speed and momentum.

Can you duck dive a 6'6 shortboard?

Re: 6,6 39l is great board but difficult to duck dive.. advi. YES, at your (big) size 39L is not much to duck dive. You should be able to do it easily IF you practice proper technique (detailed above in WWK's posts).

Can you surf big waves on a longboard?

Don't Take Your Longboard to the Big Waves

A longboard is not the weapon of choice for overhead surf, especially in fast, barreling waves with occasional closeout guillotines. If you lose control of a longboard during strong swells, the chances of breaking a leash and injuring yourself and others are incredibly high.

What is the largest board you can duck dive?

As a bit of a guideline, 2.0lbs/L is probably the smallest board that's practical for learning in the white water, while 3.5-4lbs/L is probably the biggest board that most people can duckdive.