Beginner Surfboards
Starting to surf is one of the most fun things you can do. Your Beginner Surfboard, the one that is right for you, has to be chosen carefully from the wide range available
A wide range of boards can be great for you as a Beginner surfer. They’ll give you fun and can help you progress. There’s also plenty of boards that will not be good. Here’s how to make the right decision working through the myriad of Beginner Surfboards.
What You Want
Your Beginner fun will be maximised with the right board. The above pics are all of the Softlite Softboard range
Summer Fun
A selection of fine Beginner Softboards ideal for summer fun. A Softboard has a soft foam deck so minimises your surfing risk. These are all quality Softboards coming in at a good budget. From the left are the Ocean & Earth The Bug Mini and Ryder Apprentice. These are in kids sizes and great for starting. In pink is an Ocean & Earth Ezi Rider then Ryder Mal Series longboards. For an adult these are the ideal Beginner board, big and long with lots of volume
If you want to have fun surfing then you can go with an inexpensive Softboard that is big. As big as possible or big compared to your size. A Softboard has a soft foam top so the risk of an inevitable bump is greatly reduced and the foam is easy, comfy to lie on. If you’re getting a Beginner board for a kid then the board should still be bigger than the child. Yet it doesn’t have to be too big as kids have higher energy and ability levels. The board should be say 12inches – 30cms- taller. If you’re getting a Beginner board for an adult it should be at least 24 inches – 60cms – taller if not more, and wide.
So by getting a bigger wider board you get volume. This gives good floatation so you can paddle the board. Ease of paddling means you’ll enjoy just getting around where you want to on the water in the surf. Ease of paddling also means you’ll be able to catch waves. The extra length and width mean your board will be stable, helping you get to your feet. Once on the wave the floatation means the board will carry you and not sink. You’ll glide on the waves. The floatation also gives speed and speed equates to fun.
A great way for your kids to spend summer, starting to surf. This great Beginner Surfboard is a Ryder Apprentice coming in ideal kids’ sizes
A big board does have some drawbacks. It catches more of the wave power so is harder to manage and handle in the surf. However as a Beginner you should be going out where the waves are small, no more than waist high. Also the bigger board can be more expensive than the smaller board as it uses more material. It may seem like a simple dollar decision to go for a less expensive smaller board. However if you want to surf, the smaller board will be that much harder to start on, to paddle and stand up on, if you can start at all.
Progressing Beginner
If you want to start to surf and make it one of your regular sport activities, if you want to progress rapidly, or have a good board to hand down through your family a little more budget opens up great options.
You still start out with the same ‘big’ size board described above. However you can start with a Softboard or with a hard board and one with quality features.
More Softboards
These are all Softlite Softboards. Softlite gives you a great Beginners Surfboard range with quality design and materials that work. There’s a huge range of shapes and colours for your kids and you. From left is the Softlite Fish Stick, Koolite, Pop Stick and Chop Stick Softboards. Softlite were one of the first brands to make Softboards and Beginner surfing cool again
The design might have slightly less width in the nose and tail. This slight difference will help you move and turn the board on the wave while still having good paddling and wave catching. The board can be flatter with better shape rails. These features will give you more speed and responsiveness. So you’ll be able to get around crumbling waves with control and have long rides.
What’s inside your board will also affect your surfing. Having quality materials will make you progress more easily and faster giving you more fun. On the left you can see that extra layers under the soft skin of a softboard will give it strength. The quality of the inner foam core will give you resilience and floatation. Added wooden stringers keep your shape integrity and give your board long life. All these features are invisible, inside your board
Having higher quality materials means that your board will keep its shape. It won’t bend on the wave and lose its speed. A quality foam core will give you extra floatation without extra bulk. Wooden stringers maintain shape integrity and durability. A fin system will allow you to start with soft fins then swap them out.
Beginner Hard Boards
Hard boards made of fibreglass, or in the case above a BIC plastic board, can get you into waves like this
Hard boards for you as a Beginner can be constructed of fibreglass like normal surfboards, and also plastic. A hard board gives longevity over a Softboard. PU and epoxy construction and both fibreglass board options that are strong and will last. The epoxy though is stronger, lighter, more dent and ding resistant and will last longer.
For fibgreglass Beginner boards NSP has a range of epoxy shapes proven to get you surfing. They come in a more fun shape the Elements HDT Fun Mini-Mal on the left, and a great longer cruising shape the Elements HDT Longboard
Another material used is plastic. This may not sound so cool yet BIC has a great range of Beginner boards that will get your surfing. The boards are nearly indestructible so great for travel and can be traded in.
In most cases the hard board is heavier than your Softboard so gives you more stability, flow and glide. Once you start paddling the board picks up momentum. This helps you get onto the wave. Once on the wave you’ll keep gliding. The response of the board will be a little more controlled and stable. So you can easily start doing turns.
The BIC range is comprehensive with Beginner board designs to favour your preferred style and surf conditions
Hard boards come with fin systems so you’ve got the option to change fins as standard.
If you’ve seen the Pro and Advanced surfers doing fast big powerful moves and want to surf like that, you may be tempted to go for a fibreglass board that is like one of theirs. This is not a good board to begin to surf. The Pros are athletes with programs optimising their physical fitness to excel in getting the most from the surfboard. Their boards have way too little volume for you to start on.
If you want to progress rapidly you need to get a Beginner board with a fin system. This will allow you to swap out the soft plastic fins that are included with your board and use more advanced stiffer fins. These stiffer fins will give you more speed and drive helping you make longer rides
There’s also wider shorter boards that could be used as a Beginner option. However this squat shape will not give your surfing style the right foundation. A too short board will not do long turns. You’ll be too jerky on the wave and your board will tend not to want to go forward. A longer board gives you longer turns and this is a great foundation for your surfing.
All Covered
Coming in-store we can quickly go through what you’re after and give you the best options. Beginning your surfing with the right board will see you progress fast with the most fun.
