Avoiding a Wipeout

Even under the summer sun--in fact, especially under the summer sun--a cloud hangs over a certain group of Ventura County residents.

We’ll call them surfer wannabes.

Gazing at the glistening waves that beckon off the coast, these folks feel a certain tension--the kind that goes with thinking often about surfing but never actually participating in the definitive California experience.

If you are among the non-surfing contingent but are contemplating changing your ways, you will need the proper equipment, beginning with a surfboard and a wetsuit. We checked in with some local surfing retailers for advice.

They all said that beginners would be well-advised to buy a used surfboard. Used boards, stocked by all the shops we contacted, can be more than sufficient for folks just getting their feet wet.

And they can save the beginner a couple hundred dollars over similar new models.

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“The easiest board to sell is someone’s first one because the customer really just needs stability and flotation in a board,” said J.D. Drury, owner of The Beach Hut surf shop in Ventura.

“If they can go with a nice used board, that’s probably the way to go,” Drury said. “It’s probably not going to be your last stop for a surfboard. You’re gonna kind of abuse it and eventually move on to another board. This might be the board you keep for a long time for [nostalgia’s] sake or for just having fun.”

The best boards for beginners are those that are easiest to paddle out to the waves and to stand on once you are out there. As a rule of thumb, Drury said, a round-tip board that is 2 to 3 feet taller than the surfer and about 21 inches, should be comfortable.

“It’s a fun board--there’s more surface to work in your favor,” he said.

Drury didn’t recommend any particular brand, saying that a lesser-known board maker can produce just as good a surfboard as a name brand manufacturer.

“A lot of times you can pay a lot for the big-name status,” he said. “You can get a board in similar shape for $200 or $300 less.”

At Drury’s shop, used surfboards in good condition run from about $200 to $350, with new boards running up to $500. The Beach Hut also rents high-quality surfboards for $30 per day, or $25 for half a day (four hours).

The water can be enticing, but in California, it can also be cold. So a wetsuit would be in order before you take to the waves.

At The Beach Hut, new wetsuits run from about $140 to $260 for a full-length suit and from about $59 to $120 for a spring suit (short sleeves and short legs).

“But there are good deals now and again,” Drury said. “You can buy a board and a wetsuit for $200, and you’re in the water.”

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Like Drury, John Villela, owner of the Revolution Surf Co. of Camarillo, is a big proponent of used surfboards for beginners. The store had about 40 in stock last week.

“We have anywhere from super beat-up to almost brand new, from under $80 up to $300 or $400,” Villela said. “The best thing to do is call around first, find out what stores have as far as used boards.”

In terms of size, Villela stressed the importance of having a board that is thick and long enough to comfortably support the surfer’s height and weight.

The longer the board, the easier it is to paddle and get into a wave. Shorter boards sink into the water more, he said.

“If it’s too small, it’s like trying to balance on a 2-by-4 instead of a kitchen table,” he said.

The Revolution Surf Co. carries about a dozen brands of new surfboards, priced from about $315 to $550.

Among the top brands are Hawaiian Islands Creations and Lost Surfboards. Villela also referred to a couple of locally made brands, McCrystal Surfboards of Oxnard and Roberts Surf Boards of Ventura.

As for the wetsuits, Villela sells only new merchandise, priced from $70 to about $130 for spring suits and $129 to $300 for full suits.

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At Val Surf & Sport in Thousand Oaks, salesman Corey Oswald suggested that beginners try a board at least 7 feet long with a rounded nose similar to that of a short board.

Val Surf & Sport had new boards ranging from $400 to $700 and used boards as low as $50.

Although Oswald strongly recommended used boards, he said the older the board is, the more waterlogged, and thus uneven in weight, it may be.

Wetsuits at the store were priced about $80 to $140 for a spring suit and $160 to $300 for a full suit.