anyone here boogie board or body surf?

[trunolimit]

I'm going to the beach on Thursday and I want to do some boogie boarding. I'm a complete noob. I've spent the last hour watching and reading stuff on the web but I'd like to get some input from someone who does/ has done this. What should I look out for, what brand of board should I buy, what type of board to stay away from, all that good stuff.

Any knowledge you can drop my way would be greatly appreciated.

[phatlip]

Eh, boogie boarding isn't really that big of a deal or challenging. I did it when I was like 8. Any cheap boogie board will work just fine. Just get one big enough for you.

You should try to surf or skim board. Be careful skim boarding though. I was skim boarding 3 years ago and fell off my board pretty bad and tore my rotator cuff. 3 years, multiple dislocations and 2 shoulder surgeries later, I still have problems.

[trunolimit]

Eh, boogie boarding isn't really that big of a deal or challenging. I did it when I was like 8. Any cheap boogie board will work just fine. Just get one big enough for you.

You should try to surf or skim board. Be careful skim boarding though. I was skim boarding 3 years ago and fell off my board pretty bad and tore my rotator cuff. 3 years, multiple dislocations and 2 shoulder surgeries later, I still have problems.

The waves where I am going aren't that big and I don't go to the beach often enough to invest in a surfboard. I'm doing the boogie boarding because it looks easy and I could get it down in one day. Whats skim board?

[trunolimit]

OK just looked up some vids on skimboarding and holy shit that looks awesome. do you think I can get it down in a day? I'm not talking about becoming a pro in an afternoon I just want to at least be able to stand and ride a wave.

[phatlip]

OK just looked up some vids on skimboarding and holy shit that looks awesome. do you think I can get it down in a day? I'm not talking about becoming a pro in an afternoon I just want to at least be able to stand and ride a wave.

Yeah, probably. Going up and riding a wave is hard though, but just skimming shouldn't be a problem. You ever skateboard?

[trunolimit]

Yeah, probably. Going up and riding a wave is hard though, but just skimming shouldn't be a problem. You ever skateboard?

Yeah I've road a skateboard but I always bust my ass. If skim boards aren't to much I'll get both a boogie board and a skim board.

I guess I should break out the wii fit and work on my balance

[phatlip]

Yeah I've road a skateboard but I always bust my ass. If skim boards aren't to much I'll get both a boogie board and a skim board.

I guess I should break out the wii fit and work on my balance

Yeah, it shouldn't cost too much. Both should roughly be the same price. You may even be able to rent both of them for the day on the beach depending on where you're at. Some beaches don't allow skim boarding though, so you may have to wait until the life guards leave for the day. Boogie boarding is always fine though.

Regardless of what you choose, both are fun. :)

[tokenuser]

Just get a boogie board and be done with it. You'll have fun, you wont wreck yourself falling off a skim board.

[acidburn]

Just make sure to get a boogie board big enough for you. Boogie board has to be big enough to get your whole body up on it with your feet kind of pulled up behind you so you can get on a wave. Pick one that has a slick surface on the underside instead of the cheap foam ones, you'll pick it up faster if you have a decent boogie board. Also, I'd suggest goggles if you aren't used to the salt water because if kind of burns your eye a bit if you don't swim in the ocean a lot. Nothing expensive, just a cheap pair.



Same thing with a skim board, if it doesn't have enough surface area to support your weight it will dig into the sand and you will wipe out. Basically a skim board it a thin slick board. You sort of use it to skim on the wet sand as the wave rolls out. I'd suggest staying away from it because it is harder than it looks even though you'll see little kids doing it. They have it easier because they don't weigh much. :)

Have fun!

[heyseuss]

Truno, as an ex hardcore sponger (nickname for bodyboarder, also 'booger' ) that lived in Australia for 12 years, I've been down a few good waves in my time. The majority of my boys were boogers and we only had about 3 stand-up surfers. We used to surf 3-5 times a week as we were surrounded by 10-20 different beaches and wave choices within 45mins of our houses.

You need a 'rashy'. That's a rashguard, spandex shirt to protect your chest and a long sleeve will help also protect your armpits. If you are gong to want to do this year-round, invest in a full body wetsuit, but at the very least, get something to protect your chest and stomach as you will be on it all day and can get torn raw there quickly. Flippers - short ones. These are your rudders. You need to kick like hell to get on a wave and once on the wave you use flippers to direct you. If the waves are breaking particularly left or right, it's ok to just wear one flipper, based on the way the waves are breaking.

Remember, you control the board with your bodyweight, shifting side-to-side for steering, dragging legs or lifting, and backwards and forwards to change speeds.

Check out the oceanfloor surface of where you will be ending your rides. Spend some time from the beach observing the waves you want to ride and check out where they crash. I got dumped from a massive wave onto a few inches of water as it was being sucked into the bottom of the wave and I fell from a huge height, onto rocks and sand, only to then be pounded by the massive wave I was just on and got spun like a sock in a washing machine - I spent the rest of the day on the beach watching my friends, injured.

Learn to 'dolphin dive'. That's when you force your board under water with yourself and duck under waves that are coming at your face, when paddling out.

Skim boards are just toys that can break your neck, besides, you can skim on a bodyboard. They are not something you would spend alot of time doing, fun for a while, but limited.

Phatlip- BS. Bodyboarding IS challenging. Getting on a wave and riding in a straight line is pretty easy, but that ain't REAL bodyboarding. Truno will not standup on a surfboard for several sessions and surfing is really not something that you can learn without seriously commiting to.


Acidburn - Yes, he wants a full sized bodyboard, but it only has to be as long as the distance from where his neck finishes/chest starts, to hips. On the wave, you keep most of your body out of the water and only drop legs in to steer. I would definitely not recommend goggles, more hindrance than help.

You can also try the 'drop-knee' position which may be harder, but might come naturally to you.

Back in my day Mike Stewart and a kid named 'Wingnut' were bodyboarding champions of my time, I suggest you find some of their vids. I wish you lived near me, I have wetsuit, flippers and a good board, and alot of bodyboarding videos.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mike+stewart+bodyboarding&search_type=&aq=f


BTW - word of warning, most stand-up surfers hate bodyboarders, and, just in case you're nearby, you can't bodyboard at Malibu beach, I got kicked off.


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[heyseuss]

OK just looked up some vids on skimboarding and holy shit that looks awesome. do you think I can get it down in a day? I'm not talking about becoming a pro in an afternoon I just want to at least be able to stand and ride a wave.

Impossible.

[acidburn]

I would definitely not recommend goggles, more hindrance than help.

You know a lot more about this sport than I do for sure. But the goggle thing probably depends on where you are. At a beach with big waves and heavy surf they'll probably just get in the way like you said. But where I go, a small beach with small waves, I use them all the time. That is if I remember to bring them. ;)

[tokenuser]

@trunolimit - you are a city boy hading to the beach for A DAY.

All this equipment talk is going to get expensive. Most tourist beaches will have a place to rent a boogie board nearby (look for a surf shop, and ask inside if you dont see one).

Dont buy a cheap board. Not worth the foam they are made of - just rent a decent adult sized one for half a day.

Heysuess' advice on a rashie brings back painful memories. A rashie/surf shirt will save you some grief - a tshirt will work too.

WRT to goggles - some people use them, other dont. We are not talkng full on scuba face mask, just swim goggles. Salt water in eyes stings at first ... but you get used to it.

I am not sure where you are going for a day trip to the beach, but I think you are east coast. You'll have a hard time finding a decent break unless there is storm activity or a hurricane somewhere on the coast to drive up the swell a little.

You'll be spending time paddling out, waiting for a wave to appear, then kicking like hell to catch the break, and riding it straight into the beach.

Words of advice.
1. You'll be tempted to swim out where the surfers are. Don't. You'll just piss them off. They will be catching waves and riding across the face. You wont. You will be a speedbump on the wave to them and ruin their ride.
2. Never bodyboard between the flags, but as a newb stay close to them. You shouldn't have problems with rips (riptide/rip current) close to the flags, but if you do get into trouble, the lifeguard will have a beter chance of seeing you.
3. If the board you rent has a wrist strap - use it.
4. Beware of the grommets. They will leave you in their wake, and appear from nowhere.
5. Sun block. Before and after being in the water.
5. HAVE FUN. Even as a Westie or Daygo down at the beach, you can have some fun.

[ FWIW - I body boarded as a teen. Most of my mates surfed/body boarded. I could be on a good surf beach in 15 min by bicycle from where I lived. I could be on a great beach in 30 min (by bicycle). We often hit the beach before school, or after after school. ]

[phatlip]

Phatlip- BS. Bodyboarding IS challenging. Getting on a wave and riding in a straight line is pretty easy, but that ain't REAL bodyboarding. Truno will not standup on a surfboard for several sessions and surfing is really not something that you can learn without seriously commiting to.



You gota realize though, I live on the east cost. We don't get the big waves you guys get out in California. Unless there's a hurricane off the coast or something.

Bodyboarding is a very casual, and simple thing out here. Its difficult to do the things they were doing in those videos with the waves we get.

[trunolimit]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm going out to the jersey shore. the waves aren't huge but I spent the whole day last time being tossed around on the beach. It was fun although my brother got a nasty rash from being tossed around on the beach. So I think the waves are good enough to bodyboard on but not stand up on. I didn't see anyone surfing although this little girl had a boogie board and she caught a wave and got smashed into the beach head first. she went of crying like a.... well like a little girl.

I've got a permanent tan so I don't think that sunblock is really any concern to me. And I didn't have a problem with salt in my eyes last time all though I did get a stomach full of the stuff and I wasn't to happy.

so stay away from cheap boards, skimboarding will break my neck, and kick like hell to catch up to the wave. OK I think I got it

[heyseuss]

You gota realize though, I live on the east cost. We don't get the big waves you guys get out in California. Unless there's a hurricane off the coast or something.

Bodyboarding is a very casual, and simple thing out here. Its difficult to do the things they were doing in those videos with the waves we get.

Good point.

[tokenuser]

If you have to get a gut full of salt water (yum, JERSEY salt water ... the best kind) ... chase it with some margarita mix and tequilla.

Everyone gets dumped. The question is how much of the seabed you end up:
a. eating.
b. bringing back to the beach in your board shorts.

[heyseuss]

3. If the board you rent has a wrist strap - use it.

I forgot that very good point.

[phatlip]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm going out to the jersey shore...

My cousin mentioned POSSIBLY taking a trip to Atlantic City this weekend. I may go depending on whether or not I work.



skimboarding will break my neck

Or dislocate your shoulder like me!

haha

[trunolimit]

Epic fail today. I got a boogie board and a skim board. Besides geting my knees scrapped all I did was bob up and down out in the water. When I was brave enough to take a wave head on... Let's just say the wave won. I think I'll spend the rest of the day in the sand

[quantumblink]

Epic fail today. I got a boogie board and a skim board. Besides geting my knees scrapped all I did was bob up and down out in the water. When I was brave enough to take a wave head on... Let's just say the wave won. I think I'll spend the rest of the day in the sand

Where you at on the Jersey Shore?

[trunolimit]

Point pleasant new jersey. I'm going back tomorrow for round 2.

and I learned 2 very important lessons today.

1 don't cut out the netting in your trunks no matter how uncomfortable they are and don't wear undies under your trunks or else your balls will pay the price later on.

2 for the love of god don't shave the day before or on the day you are going to the beach. I was about to cry when my face hit the water.