Went back to Wise. Stared at boards.
Kept staring at boards.
I found one that has the same feel to it as that Arrow I liked, but in a styling I really like. It’s a Stewart Hydro Hull. Squashtail, little bit of v on the bottom. Medium rocker. Like this one:
Here’s Sherm’s board chilling in his yard:
But in this style:
It’s a blue green all the way through, no fade, with a slight white pinline around the rails and a wood stringer.
This board is versatile (I could learn to nose-ride or I could learn to turn, the board won’t dictate my style like more specialized boards would), good in a variety of conditions, with beveled rails and a thinner tail it should be good for my height/weight. It feels good to hold. I like the color and the styling. Dave at Wise says his wife has one and loves it. All her boards are Stewart and they are smooth, easy rides.
The cons: It’s fiberglass. I’m nervous about dinging and mangling a nice board because I’m clumsy and new. It’s also $850. I was hoping if I spent that much, it would be on an epoxy since they are stronger. The epoxys just haven’t felt as good in my hands as the fiberglass. They’ve felt bulky. But then I’m afraid I’ll be so nervous about hurting a fiberglass board that I’ll whack it on something. That adds up to $$ on ding repairs and time out in the shop instead of in the water.
My other, rather silly fear, is getting a top of the line board while being a beginner surfer. I feel like I haven’t earned it. That it will seem ostentatious to be out on a high end board and falling left and right.
While I want to scrape around craigslist looking for a $400 board I can whack into rocks and things, I’m worried a board that’s not right for my build and the things I want to do will just frustrate me in the end and I’ll wind up having spent $400-$600 on a board while pining away for something I like more, or worse, not getting any better at catching waves.
I know whatever board I get, I’ll keep forever. I’ll try to be as good to it as I can. I’ll ride it as much as I can. It’s still hard as anything to commit.