TackleTour

Would the Daiwa International carp rods work for surf fishing for smaller fish and lighter currents?

I don't see why they couldn't. They're rated for pretty heavy weights and they're long enough. Out here, we fish surfperch with light steelhead gear. The rods I use are only rated to 1 or 1.25 oz and we have no problems catching fish. If you're looking for more of a specialized surf rod, check out some of the Ticas. They have a large selection of surf rods and they're pretty inexpensive.

http://www.ticaamerica.com/company.aspx

I believe a lot of the Surf rods were originally based on Carp rods (Century Surf Rods for example) so I would imagine it should be fine. You really have to match the action, line rating, etc... with the type of fishing and environment you will be fishing in though and to make sure the quality of the rod is up to par as well as the rod will probably get a little more beating in the surf than bait and waiting.

For smaller fish and lighter currents a lot of things work though and you should have plenty of choices.