Surfboards

Here in the surfboards section we are going to cover a number of things such as what is the best board for you if you are starting out, we will then move onto boards as your surfing ability progresses and we will also talk about different types of surfboards such as Shortboards, Mini Mals, Longboards and Fishes.

 

Beginner

If you are starting out surfing for the very first time its super important that you get on the right board from the get go. If you end up riding something that is completely wrong for you chances are you will find it very difficult to learn on and get pretty annoyed with surfing fast.
Things you are looking for in a good beginner board is something that is going to be stable, paddle easy, and catch waves easy.
The things that allow this are having a board that has a good amount of length, width, thickness and something that is the correct shape.
A great board to learn on is a soft top board, this will prevent injury when you fall and you will be doing lots of that when you start. It is also very helpful if the board has a rounded nose as this will increase surface area on the water making the board more efficient at catching waves as well as adding stability.

Intermediate

As you progress in surfing and become comfortable on your beginner board you will want to upgrade to something that is going to take your surfing to that next level.
The problem with beginner boards is because they are made with stability in mind to help you stand up and catch waves easy they lack the elements that allow a surfboard to turn easily and also duckdive well.
When you get to the stage that you can catch waves no problem, stand up and go along a wave you will want to step your game up by learning how to turn, This is where you are going to have most fun in surfing!
So what board should you look out for now you are at this level? Well that all comes down to personnel preference but we will try and give you an idea to get you started.
When you get to this level your best bet is to hit up a shaper, A good shaper will take the time out to discuss exactly what you are looking for in a board and make it specifically for you, he will take into account your surfing ability, what kind of waves you will be riding and also your height and weight to determine the length, width and thickness of the board.
If you don’t have a good local shaper than your best option is a surfshop. Surf shops are great for a decent selection of boards but you want to make sure the people working in or running the shop know what they are talking about, the last thing you want is to be filled with a load of incorrect advice just so they can make a sale. Make sure the person you are talking to knows their stuff. Ask around down the beach where the best shop is you should go to, try and make sure you approach guys who surf good and look like they are in the know. The last thing you want is to go down a shop and get advice on your new shortboard from a guy who only rides longboard’s because longboarding and shortboarding are two different worlds.
Here is a rough guide to what kind of board will be right for you. This guide is based on the fact you will be riding fairly decent waves so we are talking Australia, California, South Africa, European countries such as France and Portugal. If you happen to be from a wave starved country or one where the waves seriously lack power then you might want to add a touch more width and thickness to the board so that it floats and catches poor waves better.

Weight	Dimensions
- 110 lb	5'9" x 17 1/2" x 2"
111 - 125 lb	5'10" x 17 3/4" x 2 1/8"
126 - 140 lb	6'0" x 18" x 2 1/8"
141 - 155 lb	6'0" x 18 1/4" x 2 3/16"
156 - 170 lb	6'2" x 18 3/8" x 2 1/4"
171 - 185 lb	6'3" x 18 1/2" x 2 5/16"
186 - 200 lb	6'4" - 6'6" x 18 3/4 x 2 3/8
Over 200 lb	A Beast of a Board

Shortboards

What we have mainly talked about above is shortboards. So what are shortboards I hear you ask? Well if you watch the best guys in the world on surf videos or go down your local beach and see guys doing big turns or even busting airs, well the boards they are riding are shortboards.
Shortboards are made very light, thin and narrow.They have a pointed nose and narrow tail. All these factors make the board extremely responsive and very fast. The more in depth you get with shortboards the more complicated they become. When surfers at a very high standard get a board made they know exactly what they are looking for and become ridiculously specific when choosing the dimensions of their new board. A guy who loves riding a board that is 18 1/8 inches wide might hate riding a board that is 18 1/4 wide this is because it doesn’t feel right for him. That is how specific things get, we are only talking about 1/8 of an inch difference but to a surfer who knows what they want it can be the biggest deal in the world. This usually only happens once a surfer has reached a very high level and has ridden and owned 50+ boards. We must point out that this only happens when you have ridden such a high quantity of different boards as by now you would have ridden every dimension going and know what works for you and what doesn’t. We thought we would tell you that just to give you a little taster of things to come as you might find yourself in this situation one day.
Shortboards usually come as a Thruster setup; this is the fin setup of 3 fins, 1 in the middle and one on each side on the tail of the board. Although there has been a revival of quad surfboards in recent years, this is a setup with no fin in the middle but 2 fins just set inside your side fins. When choosing the right fin setup for you its all personnel preference and you wont know exactly what is right for you until you actually ride it.

Fishes

A fish surfboard is like a shortboard only it is shorter wider and thicker. By adding width and thickness to the board (more paddling and wave catching ability) you are able to sacrifice length, which will make the board very responsive and fast. Some people love fishes others don’t its all about personnel choice. A general rule of thumb is fishes are made for small weak waves where your normal shortboard is too small and thin to get going. So if the waves are only knee to waist high you can still catch waves on a shortboard as long as it’s a fish. The added width and thickness allows you to float better so that you can paddle for and catch waves in the first place. Fishes are usually ridden at least 3 inches shorter than your normal shortboard so if you ride a 6’0 shortboard you want to ride a 5’8 or 5’9 fish but again its all personnel preference.

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Mals

Mini Mals are good for 2 things, 1, they are great to learn on and 2, they are great fun to ride when the waves are tiny.
What is a mini mal? A min mal is a cross between a shortboard and a Longboard. Another name for a Longboard is a Mal (short for Malibu the place where hundreds of longboarder riders would congregate to ride the perfect waves there in the 60’s) so a small version of a Longboard (mal) is a mini mal.
They are wide, thick and long. This makes them great for learning on as they float and catch waves easy and the rounded nose adds plenty of stability.
They are also great for riding small waves for the same reason that they catch waves with very little effort and because they are smaller than a Longboard it makes them a lot more manoeuvrable. Min Mals are usually ridden from 7’2 -8’6 in length depending on your size, ability and waves you are going to ride.

 

 

 

 

Long Boards (Mals)

If you are all about feeling the glide along a wave and the laid back soul of surfing then maybe Longboarding is for you.
A board is classified as a Longboard when its length reaches 9 foot, hence the expression 9 plus. They are made for performing moves like the hang 5 (1 foot with your 5 toes hanging over the nose) and hang 10’s (both feet on the nose with all 10 toes handing over the edge). Longboards are traditionally ridden as a single fin, which is 1 big fin in the middle of the boards tail. Although they are widely available as a Thruster setup which allows for them to be more stable by having 2 extra fins, or more manoeuvrable by having a smaller back fin but still offering hold from the 2 side fins.