Choosing the right surfboard is crucial to having a good surfing experience. Though some might think finding the right surfboard is easy as pie, there’s more to this process than meets the eye.
Many factors are involved in choosing a surfboard, from the level of surfing experience to the waves’ height or wind speed.
So, let’s see the best type of surfboard that one can have to experience unforgettable surfing memories!
How to Choose the Right Surfboard?
Choosing the best surfboard makes a considerable difference in the surfing experience, whether a professional surfer or an amateur.
So, take a brief look at the best surfboards available for varied-level surfers.
Best Surfboard for Beginners
While choosing a surfboard, beginners should focus on the size of the surfboard. Bigger the size, the higher the stability and balance.
The best beginner surfboard is a foam board or ‘foamies’ and a soft board. These are safe as the soft material of the soft top surfboards prevents serious injuries. Also, these boards are perfect for smaller and broken waves.
Best Surfboard for Intermediate Surfers
Intermediate surfers perform basic techniques and turn on their own surfboards.
So, longboards, funboards, mini mals, and fish surfboards are the best types of surfboards for intermediate surfers.
Best Surfboard for Professional Surfers
Surfers with good experience and skills have greater control over their surfboards. They can ride unbroken and big waves easily without having wipeouts.
Thus, pro-surfers, while choosing a surfboard, prefer shortboards and guns.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Surfboard
With a wide variety of surfboard selections available, choosing the best type comes down to 4 factors, as stated below.
Wave Size and Type
Waves are constantly changing. Different surfing spots have different wavelengths and wave heights. So, opt for the most stable board based on the type of waves you prefer surfing.
Small Waves
Small waves are ideal for beginners and intermediate surfers. However, this type of wave requires a high volume, bigger surfboard, and wider tail for stability.
Swallow and square tails are suitable for slower waves. Besides, mini mals, fish boards, longboards, and foamies are usually considered for riding small waves.
Medium Waves
Both intermediate and advanced surfers usually consider medium waves. These waves are higher and sometimes unbroken.
So, small wave performance, hybrid, and fish boards are primarily suitable for medium waves. Squash tails are also preferred for these waves.
Bigger Waves
These waves range from hip high to head high and sometimes even larger. Maneuvering these waves requires a lot of experience.
Hence, the surfboards need to be narrow with little volume for greater speed and agility. The preferred surfboards are shortboards, hybrid surfboards, and gun surfboards.
Fitness Level
Surfers with years of experience in surfing have greater endurance and increased wave time. In addition, higher stamina helps the surfer to balance and paddle adequately according to prevailing wave types. Hence, the higher the fitness level higher the surf performance.
Beginners should choose surfboard with high volume and length because they should not miss out on waves just because of their fitness level. Thus, choosing the perfect surfboard according to the fitness level is essential.
Height and Weight
The height and weight of the surfers are vital in determining surfboard volume. Therefore, they are the fundamental factors for calculating surfboard volume and length.
The surfboard size is proportional to the weight, while the surfboard length is proportional to the surfer’s height. Therefore, the surfboard is mostly 2-3 feet higher than the surfer in the case of beginners and intermediate surfers. So, for example, a 5 feet surfer would need an 8 feet surfboard.
On the contrary, in the case of advanced surfers, the height and volume depend on their desired performance. For example, a heavy person needs a high-volume surfboard for easier paddling and balance.
Skill Level
The ability of the surfer to use various maneuvers, maintain speed, paddle well, and catch waves contribute to the surfer’s skill level.
Beginners
Newbies learning to use a surfboard need to consider high-volume surfboards that are more stable with higher buoyancy. In addition, the nose must be rounded and the tail wider.
Intermediates
Intermediate surfers usually prefer surfboards with higher volume but with less height and volume for fine-tuning their turns and speed. Besides, the nose is either wide or pointed, and the tail narrows down.
Advanced
Pro surfers prioritize speed, performance, and maneuvers. As a result, the volume and length of such surfboards are lower.
Base Material
The surfboard’s core contributes to the different characters and performance of the surfboard. The base material determines the durability, weight, and design. There are polyester, epoxy, soft tops, fiberglass, and foam or cork base for making a surfboard.
The Importance of Accurate Volume Calculations
Surfing requires accuracy in calculating surfboard volume as it significantly impacts performance, speed, and techniques. Therefore, the surfboard volume is computed considering the surfer’s experience and weight.
For example, according to the surfboard volume calculator, for a beginner who’s learning to stand on the board or paddle, the suitable volume is 2-3 liters. But for an advanced surfer, the appropriate volume would be 5 or more liters.
The accuracy while calculating from the surfboard volume guide is essential because it’s linked to maneuvers, control, pivot, stability, paddling power, drive, buoyancy, and balance.
What is the Right Surfboard Height and Volume?
The surfboard’s volume and size depend on the ability and preference of the surfer. The ideal volume needed for the surfer is calculated by multiplying the weight, age, and fitness.
For example, if we refer to the surfboard volume chart, for an intermediate surfer who can ride green waves and is 60 kg, the volume of the surfboard will be around 35-40 liters, i.e., high volume surfboards. But an advanced surfer who rides barrels and ariels needs about 28-32 liters.
The surfboard height also depends on the same factors as surfboard volume. Referring to the surfboard height chart, for beginners and intermediate surfers, the surfboard is higher than their actual height and ranges from 7-9 feet.
For advanced surfers, the length is based on their preference. However, many opt for shortboards and guns with a range of 8-11 feet.
Selecting the Right Fin Configuration
Surf fins are the final component of choosing a surfboard. The fin types are based on the weight of the surfer. For example, a surfer weighing 70 kg would need small-sized surfboard fins, whereas another surfer weighing 85 kg would need large-sized fins.
So, here are the 4 popular fin types. Have a look!
Single Fin
Single fins are usually found in longboards. However, placing the fin in the back provides stability, while placing it in the front offers speed and agility.
Single fin surfboards are suitable for small and medium waves. The single fins offer slow and balanced turns.
Twin Fin
Twin fins have double fins for smooth maneuvering and speed. It provides more stability to the surfer than a single fin. However, as the fins are attached to the periphery of the tail, there’s more area for the water to flow, reducing the speed.
Thus, twin fin surfboards are not considered suitable for bigger waves. However, twin fins can be seen on fish boards. One of the twin fins to consider is the Futures twin fins which offer good speed and outstanding performance.
Thruster Fin
All surfers prefer this fin type. There are 3 fins as opposed to the 2 fins in twin fins. An extra fin to the back of the tail gives the surfer more stability facilitating various maneuvers.
It is a high-performance fin, and though it offers agility, just like twin fins, there is less speed due to the extra fin.
Quad Fin
This setup is suitable for bigger waves. The surfboard will have the mixed characters of twin and thruster fins, but with the middle fin missing, the surfer experiences sharp turns.
This fin can be used both in big hollows and small waves. The absence of a middle fin and the presence of 2 fins near the rails contribute to greater speed. Shapers fins consist of a large variety of fins, like 5 fins and 2+1 fins, along with the fins mentioned above.
Conclusion
Choosing a surfboard is an integral and initial part of the surfing experience. For every individual, the type of surfboard varies according to their skill or the speed at which they desire to ride the waves.
As the waves keep changing in their occurrence, in the course of surfing, there’s a possibility that a surfer, be it a pro or an amateur, is likely to update and change the type of surfboard they use.
