Mike Todd, WQS warrior, Orange County photo pro and all around nice guy was raised in the wild and wooly beachbreaks of Mainland Mexico and the fickle coves and reefs of Laguna Beach. He's been surfing all over the rest of the world for 19 years and has had plenty of time to analyze his equipment. Here's his advice on how to buy a board:

It really depends on the surfer and the kind of waves they're surfing. Lots of people tend to order the wrong boards 'cause they look at what everyone else is riding, but in my opinion, you can always get away with more board than less board. Less board will hurt you in the long run: you'll catch less waves, it'll be harder to get going on the board, especially if the waves aren't very good -- it won't be very fun. But say if you have a board a half an inch wider than you think you should ride it, or a little thicker -- it'll paddle a bit better, have a little more speed right away and it'll be a little more fun. It's better to go too wide than too thick, 'cause you don't want to lose sensitivity in the rail as far as turning and stuff. It all depends on your mood and style -- some people surf in the pocket, some like to be on the shoulder doing big cutbacks and stuff.