Hi J, For the surf on windy days a 9wt or 10 wt is recommended. It takes years to learn to cast great on your own. to punch thru the wind you need to learn how to double haul, and get your timing right. 8wt is better for the bay, but i learned on a 7wt. cabela special. I now have TFO 10wt, 7wt and 3wt. I love TFO. I could meet up with you and give you some pointers, I wish i had someone to show me. it took me 3 years to figure out how to catch fish on a fly. now its easy. I'm here to help.