Can someone start surfing on a shortboard?

My son is 12 and weighs about 40 kgs he is interested in surfing i thought of putting him on a shortboard but i don't know if he will be able to learn on it. I used to surf when i was young but i learnt on a longboard.|||Lessons are the best way to start. Lessons can come from a professional instructor, or surfing family members or experienced surfing friends. If you haven't surfed in a long while, maybe you should get back into it! And, a professional instructor might be the best starting place for your son. He has to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don't want to drown him), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave. The last thing experienced surfers want is for inexperienced people to just grab a board, rush into the surf and get in our way. Lessons shorten the learning curve significantly. And they help keep ignorant, un-prepared kooks out of the water and out of the way of more experienced surfers.



Almost ALL instructors will start you off on a longboard. It is just too difficult for most people to learn how to surf on a short board. Most get quickly discouraged, and just quit. Now, over the years, I have seen some young surfers start out on short boards and master them in time. There are no RULES on what kind of board you learn on, but it's just common sense to learn on a long board.



However, even in surfing, all things are relative. For a guy who is 6 feet tall, a a 9 foot long board is 150% of his height. For a kid who is 4 feet tall, a 6 foot long board is 150% of his height. See what I mean? What is most important is that he has a board that is able to float him well enough to paddle and take off on a wave. How much he weighs, and the board's bouyancy are the most important factors, not length or how tall he is.



Get him going, all 5 of my grandchildren surf (some more than others), and the two ten years old (cousins) both have 6 foot long boards. I used to surf when I was young, too. But i still surf now that almost 60. Go in teh water with him. The family that surfs together.... Good luck!|||AVOID SOFT TOPS LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!





they are horrible things to surf. AFTER and only after you've let your son have a few surf lessons, the instructor will suggest a good board for him, but if he/she suggests soft tops, tell him/her that your friend Tj says they are rubbish. i would suggest a fish of some description. i started on a 7'6" hood villain and that was awesome to surf, but that may be too big for your son :) fish boards are really fat and really floaty so they are easy to get up on :)|||i started on a 7'6" board and it was perfect. definitely not a shortboard, cuz theyre super hard to start with. he could just get frustrated and never want to surf again. NOT A SOFT TOP!! those suck and are super heavy. also, it may as well be a respectable board that he can keep and use for a long time.|||its possible but i wouldnt recommend it only because its super frustrating. i started on a shortboard and i regret it because i feel like surfing would have been a lot easier for me if i had started on a longboard and worked my way up.|||It depends how short your talking. Personally I would start him on a 8' softtop.