All depends on the individual...
A bit of advice for the beginners so they dont repeat the same mistake i've done before....
"All the cool girls and guys" have small, narrow surfboards, right? So what! Get a board that will give flotation and allow for easy paddling rather than style.....
Beginners Board
A good average size board for a beginning surfer would be around 7 feet long and 19-21 inches wide and at least 2-3 inches thick. This all depends on your size, so be sure you can comfortably carry and wield the surfboard in the water. Just make sure your surfboard stands at least a foot taller than you. Dont get board longer than 8 feet as this is difficult for travelling unless you are really getting into longboards. Then, it is a total different story.
Don't Go Chasing Tail
Don't worry about the tail shape or number of fins on your surfboard. These part of surfboard are not crucial and shouldn't matter for beginners.. For the first 3-6 months, you really shouldn't worry about turning or doing maneuvers any way, so whether your board is a swallow tail or a pintail or even if your surfboard only has one fin is really pointless.For the record, 3-fin boards are the easiest to turn and the most functional fin set up for the advanced and intermediate surfer.
This is a sample of a mini mal which range from 7 feet to 8 feet. It's really fun for beginners. With this board shape, you can improve your surfing skills by twice the speed if u try on a shortboard.
Intermediate Board
Intermediate and advanced surfers will be looking for a Shortboard (also known as a Thruster), which range in size from about 5ft8'' to 6ft10''. These are slender shaped surfboards which have pointed noses and sharp rails (edges) and are used to perform aggressive snappy manoeuvres. Shortboards are not really wide enough, thick enough or long enough to suit a beginner so if you are new to this, don't be tempted by the cool factor - you'll end up getting really frustrated whilst giving your fellow surfers a laugh!.
There are two other types of smaller surfboard and these are the Fish and the Gun. The Fish or Fat Boy, is similar to the Thruster, however is smaller in length but much wider, giving it a slightly more rounded shape (like a fish!). These surfboards can range from 4ft8' to 7ft0'' and are great for improver riders. The Gun is a bigger version of the Shortboard and is used by advanced riders in big surf. The increased length of the surfboard makes it possible to paddle into bigger waves and these surfboards range in length from around 7'2'' to over 12'.
Basic stylo & stylish shortboard you see commonly....
Retro looking Fish but is getting in trend again. I just love this boards....really easy to manouvre.
Big Gun used for big waves.....i wont need this. There is one available in satusuku surfshop in cherating....
To be continued....
