The best board to use whilst you are learning is a soft board. Not only are they safer but they also help your progression. It is also important to use the right size of board.

A general rule would be:
	Children - 7ft long
	Teenagers and adults - 8ft long
	Bigger adults - 9ft long

These boards are wider and thicker than most and provide stability and added flotation. It is probably best to hire a board like this to begin with as they are expensive to buy and you don't want to buy one and then realise that surfing is not for you. You should not move on to a hard board until you are completely confident and competent with a softfboard. Remember when in the water your board is as much of a danger to others as it is to yourself. Your surfing progression will not be hindered if you stay with a soft board for a bit longer. If you do buy a soft board you will always have a board for friends and family to use when you have outgrown it. Even experienced surfers can have loads of fun on a soft board.

Surfboard factories will build you a board and customise it to your ability, type of waves you surf most regularly, your size, shape and where and how you want to develop your surfing. A surfboard factory will build from scratch, you may have to wait a couple of weeks but you know they are not off loading stock to help cash flow! A surfboard factory is at the forefront of design, research and materials technology, they may even have some demonstration boards for you to try out. The shaper will then modify the demo based on your personal feedback. Make sure you are honest with the factory with regards to your ability. Every factory intends to build a long term relationship with their surfers and each time modifying a custom board to their own personal development.

The internet is a good place to make initial enquiries as most factories have websites. Book an appointment to visit the factory, try out a few of their demos, have a good look around the factories and then go for it. It is also very important to your factory to give them feedback on your board's performance. Don't be afraid to make notes on how your board goes in different conditions it is all worth while information. Remember a single board will not perform 100% in all conditions. If you have the cash you might want to start to build a quiver or a number of conditions specific boards.

If you are planning on going surfing in this country, you will need to wear a wetsuit. Wetsuits are made from neoprene. They keep you warm by trapping a thin layer of water between the suit and your skin. Your body temperature heats that thin layer of water and the neoprene insulates this layer from returning to the same water temp as on the outside. There are many different styles of suits, wetsuits that cover your whole body, arms and legs, are called steamers. A suit with short arms and short legs is called a shorty. They also come in a variety of thickness. A 3:2 is used in the summer time in the UK it is 3mm thick on the body and 2mm thick on the arms and legs. A 5:3 is used in the wintertime and is 5mm thick on the body and 3mm thick in the arms and legs. In warmer countries like Indonesia you do not need to wear a wetsuit at any time during the year. A full suit will vary in price from around £40 to £270. The more expensive suits have watertight seams and are extremely flexible, making them warmer and more comfortable to wear and surf in.

The most important thing to consider when buying a suit is the fit. If the suit is too big it will fill with water making it heavy, and also with water rushing in and out of the suit all the time it will be cold. Take your time to try on the suit, make sure it fits tight all over the body; there should be no folds in the material. You should still have a full range of movements. When you flex the suit should flex with you. If you have trouble breathing or the blood supply to your hands and feet feel restricted then the suit is too small. When buying suits for kids, don't think, 'it's too big now but he will grow into it' you may as well not wear a suit if it is too big, in fact if it fills with water it becomes heavy and therefore dangerous.

When it starts to get really cold you might find that you need to supplement your wetsuit with some wetsuit boots. Boots should fit well or they will fill with water and weigh you down making it difficult to get to you feet. Boots also offer protection from sea urchins, sharp rocks, and weaver fish stings. If it gets colder still you might want to consider a neoprene hood, make sure it fits well, but doesn't restrict your breathing. Neoprene gloves are also an option, but when these are needed it is starting to get really cold!

If you find that wearing your wetsuit over a period of time gives you a rash around the shoulders and armpits, you could buy a rash vest to wear underneath the suit to protect the skin. They range in price from £15 - £30 and can be bought at most surf shops. Rash vests are also useful in protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun whilst surfing without a wetsuit in warmer countries.

The leash keeps you attached to the board at all times. It consists of a Velcro strap which is attached to your ankle, a long cord of urethane. It is attached to a plug at the back of your surfboard. The leash prevents you having to swim back to the beach every time you fall off the board. It also means that in an emergency you are attached to a really good buoyancy aid. Make sure that the leash is suitable for the type of board you have. Ask advice in the shop when you buy it, it should be at least as long as the board itself. The cord is made from urethane and has a slight elastic property. When you fall off be aware that the board can be pulled back towards you at great speed when the leash has been stretched. This doesn't happen very often but it is a good idea to surface from the water protecting your head with your arms and hands. You should also practice taking your leash off quickly, as in an emergency this might be necessary, imagine that your leash gets caught around a rock underwater and you are unable to resurface. Always put your leash on at the waters edge before you go in and take it off there when you finish. It is easy to trip on your leash if you keep it on when walking down the beach, you won't look cool tripping up on the way down to the water and you might even injure yourself before you get in the water. When not in use it is a good idea to wrap the leash around the fins of the board.

Wax is used on the deck of the board to give added traction for your feet to prevent them slipping around whilst you are standing riding the wave. It is made from a mixture of paraffin and beeswax. You buy the wax in small blocks; it comes in different types that suit different water temperatures. Soft wax for cold water and hard wax for warm water. The waxes are given sweet smells that are quite distinctive. Giving your board a fresh bit of wax before you go for a surf becomes almost a ritual. You then begin to associate that smell with the excitement of going for a surf. On a new board expect to put over half a block of wax on in one go. Once the wax is on a good way to rough up the surface of the wax is by using a wax comb. It is a quick an effective way to give a new lease of life to your old wax.

If you are riding a shortboard and performing radical turns successfully then you might want to try out a deck pad or grip. Deck pads really offer a bridge and kick flip for you rear foot replacing the need for wax and allowing greater traction. Designed for radical manoeuvres with a skateboarding influence there is little point in putting a deck pad on your board unless you really need one. There isn't much difference between the brands. The most important thing about deck grips is positioning and sticking them correctly onto your board. The most common position is to place the kick flip or rear of the deckpad over your rear fin, make sure your board is super clean to help the glue bond to your board. A quick clean with white spirit normally does the trick.

It is a very good idea to invest in a boardbag whether for travel, storage or just to prevent your board from the elements. Custom surfboards, depending on how lightly they are glassed, are prone to damage. Board bags come in all sorts of thicknesses and can carry from 1 to up to 5 boards. Decide whether you are intending to fly anywhere or just carrying your board in the car. The best advice is go for 10mm thickness with a good double solid zip and a tough material.

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