If you’re new to surfing, it would interest you to know what a surfboard is and its benefits to different categories of surfers.
A surfboard is a flat but lightweight platform used in ocean rides. An individual who is riding in the ocean wave will support himself by standing on a surfboard. A good surfboard should be strong enough to offer the needed support conveniently.
Do you enjoy surfing, or you want to have a taste of how it feels to surf for the first time? With the right board, you can have an easier and better surfing experience. Now let’s consider the various classes of surfers that need this product.
- Professionals: Surfboards are very important to professionals who do not only surf for pleasure but partake in competitions. As a professional, you will need more than one surfboard in your collection. In most cases, you will require at least one standard surfboard and another to serve as backup.
- Leisure riders: Most people surf for relaxation and for the enhancement of their physical fitness. If your interest is to ride for fun, you can easily find a surfboard with leisure-friendly makeup.
- Novices: At some point in life, everyone must have been a novice. Therefore, you should consider buying a surfboard with easy to use features. In this review, we will be considering some of the best surfboards for beginners, so relax while we ride on.
- Competitors: If your interest is to buy a Surfboard for competition, we have the recommended product for you. It should be sizable, light, strong, sturdy and ergonomically designed to offer support while withstanding the ocean waves.
- Environmentally-friendly persons: Modern technology has been introduced into the production of ecologically friendly surfboards. These ones are made from biodegradable materials and resins from organic sources. As an environmentally minded surfer, you should consider buying any of the eco-friendly surfboards on the market.
Meanwhile, whether you’re a professional who’s into leisure or competitive surfing or a beginner whose interest is to have a feel of the first ride, you should buy the best-rated surfboards only. There are numerous surfboards on sale, but your level of expertise will determine the one to buy. Nevertheless, if you have determined to surf the oceans, you should try your skills with a high-quality standard surfboard.
Types of Surfboards
Longboards
These are surfboards with lengths measuring 8 feet and above. They are designed to be stable. You will notice that they have a wide nose and more volume. Over the years, different changes have been made on the original longboards to enhance its usage. For example, there are longboards which are designed for traditional cruising and nose riding while some are made only for competitions.
They can either have a single fin or a 2 + 1 fin. A single fin longboard allows you to enjoy more glide at low input while you have greater hold but less glide in a 2+1 fin setup. Longboards are the best surfboards for beginners and novices alike, but you’ll have a tough time riding on low ocean waves.
Shortboards
Shortboards have a pointy nose and are about 6 feet long. One of the most interesting things about shortboards is that they cannot be determined by their type of fin set up. Shortboards are suitable for experienced and highly technical surfers. This is because they have less speed and stability which are essential for maneuvering.
Your skills and understanding of the waves come to play when surfing with a shortboard especially while trying to catch up with the waves. A shortboard becomes handy when surfing in a large wave that is close to or higher than the waist level.
Fish Surfboards
Fish surfboards are designed to have some of the features of the defunct kneeboards. They are only 6 feet long with more volumes. Fish boards feature a flat locker, wide tail with shallow cuts and a wide nose. They function very well inlined waves and can either have a quad fin or keel fin set up.
They are more suitable for subpar conditions and tend to have more glides than shortboards because of the ease by which it can increase speed. However, you are sure to get the best results by using fish for either thigh high or overhead waves even though they can get pushed into much larger waves at a lined-up break point.
Foamboards
Foamboards are the latest surfboards and are ideal for all categories of surfers. They are made from polyurethane foam with layers of epoxy resin or fiberglass cloth for a covering. Foamboards are light, strong, buoyant and can be maneuvered easily.
Gun
This is the most ruthless of the surfboards. They are designed for die-hard surfers who are ready to venture into the most tumultuous waves. They have the same size as a longboard, but the features are different. A gun can have any fin set up while the nose and tail are generally pointy. They are not for the unskilled and are designed for life’s threatening and dangerous waves. Guns are the most ideal surfboards for double overhead waves.
Funboards
Funboards have lengths that range from 7 to 8 feet. Their relaxed rocker and wide nose design make it easier for riding under various wave conditions. You can either call them eggs or mid-lengths. A funboard is not limited to any fin set up but their performance is enhanced if they are designed with the same tail and fin set up as the shortboard. They have good stability which makes it the ideal choice for professional and beginners’ surfers alike. Its ability to function in either overhead or knee-high wave depends on its fin and rocker configuration.
Hybrid boards
Hybrid boards are between 6 to 8.5 feet long with a round profile and tail. They are ideal for smaller waves while their fin set up are not restricted. Hybrid boards are suitable for leisure riding than for competition. They can be used in surfing conditions that are not possible for riding in shortboards or longboards and they can be used easily by beginners.
How Did We Pick the Best?
If you already know the product that is best for you, then, your challenges are not much. However, if you would like to change your brand by considering any of our top-rated surfboards, first, you should be convinced by the exhaustive research and tests that we carried out. So, how did we pick the best?
We inaugurated a team comprising of beginners and professional surfers to assist us in the tests and examination of over a hundred surfboard models. Their goal was to review and report on the products based on size, weight, material, fins, nose and tail, attachments, and price. Other criteria for the reviews include the skill level and fitness of the user, wave type and capacity of the board.
To increase our scope of understanding of these products, we consulted with professional surfers during which some of the members on my team engaged in a friendly surfing session with these experts to have a detailed understanding and experience with the surfboards in different wave conditions.
Moreover, we compared various online analyses of these products from bloggers with comments and ratings from the various buyers and users.
We made researches and examined these products thoroughly for over two years so that we can develop a reliable and comprehensive review of the best surfboards on the market.
Finally, we pulled together the reports from the members of the team and collated the views of the experts. We compared and analyzed these data with the resources from the web to create the list of top 10 surfboards on the market.
Therefore, we are confident that this buying guide will serve its ultimate purpose to help you to buy your preferred product.
Things to Consider while Buying Best Surfboards
In addition to buying the surfboards that suit your budget, a good surfboard should be able to serve you correctly in all ramifications. Here are the basic things you should consider before selecting the surfboard to buy.
Your skill level and fitness
A rounder and high-volume surfboard are recommended for you if you’re a beginner. The reason is that this shape makes them more stable and easier to glide or paddle. These boards are 6 to 8 feet long and are designed from synthetic rubber materials to increase their performance. Their high volume makes them suitable for smaller waves. Funboards are a typical example of a beginner’s surfboard.
The hybrid and egg surfboards are ideal for experienced surfers because of their ease of maneuverability, speed, and responsiveness. However, they are not as fast as the shortboards which make them unsuitable for use for professional surfers.
The shortboards are usually short in length which range from 5 to 6 feet and has a much lower volume. The smaller volume makes it difficult to paddle which is the reason it can only be used by professional surfers.
The foam board has a very soft feel which makes it the ideal choice for beginners, novices, and children surfers.
Your level of fitness should determine the volume of your board. If you’re heavy, less fit, and inexperienced you should consider buying a surfboard with more volume. The volume can be calculated by multiplying the thickness, width, and length dimensions of the board. Experience and fitness are very essential when shopping for a surfboard.
Size
The size of your surfboard should match your level of experience. For example, longboards are bigger than shortboards and can be handled easily which make it suitable for beginners. Shortboards, on the other hand, require more experience and skills which is the reason they are the ideal choice for professional surfers.
Weight
This is very important because you can only buy a surfboard that the right weight to offer you the needed support conveniently.
Materials
The best value surfboards should be made from materials that are light to be handled easily, strong to support your weight and stable enough to guarantee your safety on the water.
Many of the boards on sale are made from materials that contain expanded polyethylene (EPE) which helps to enhance its comfortability and stability while surfing. In addition, surfboards that are made from polypropylene are more rigid and strong while allowing to experience high-speed rides.
Surfboards made from wood tend to last longer and can glide smoothly with little effort. However, they are heavier than the boards that are made from synthetic materials.
Capacity
You should weigh the capacity of the board to handle your overall height and weight before buying. As we mentioned earlier the capacity of the board is determined by its volume which increases with the size of the board. This rating plays a major role in the stability of the surfboard on water.
Type of Wave
The type of wave determines the type of surfboard you buy since they perform in various waves differently. The feeling and experience you will have while surfing in a large wave will be different from a small wave. The same thing happens when surfing in deep or shallow water. Here, your experience in water will help you to choose the surfboard that suits the condition of the wave.
Fins
Your ideal fin set should be determined by factors like skill level, weather, style of surfing, and wave type. meanwhile, surfboards with more fin setups tend to have higher versatility which makes them better. You should decide on the number of fins based on your surfing condition. Fins come in different sizes and shapes, but the standard fin is best for beginners.
In fact, lightweight surfers require smaller fins and smaller surfboards as well. However, people who are heavy will need to use bigger surfboards which will have bigger fins.
Bottom
This is the part of the surfboard that stays on the water. They are either concave or convex by shape. Boards may have channels and other features on the bottom to allow water to flow freely across the bottom. Water is directed through the fins of boards with concave bottom while the convex boards tend to displace more water and stays much lower in the waves.
Deck
The part of the board that you stand on is called the deck. Some shapes and contours can be added to the deck to give it some rigidity. An application of surf wax of various degree of hardness can be made on the deck based on the temperature of the water.
Nose and Tail
The tip of the board at the front is referred to as nose. It comes in various shapes like pointy or round. The tail determines how responsive the board is. Also, it comes in different shapes like square, diamond, swallows, squash or pin and more. Boards with pin tails moves faster on water while squash tails tend to increase the board’s stability on the water.
Attachments
Surfboards usually come with additional features to improve your performance on the water. You should consider buying boards with these features attached. Some of these attachments include a traction pad and an ankle leash to enhance its ease of handling and comfortability.
Price
Surfboards come at different prices based on their brand and material construction. Your major concern should be to buy a board that suits your budget. But buying a cheap but poor-quality surfboard implies that you’ll be spending more in the future. However, you should never compromise price with quality. A good quality surfboard at an affordable price will be durable and will offer you a good value for the money.
Our Top 10 List
Our top surfboards have been picked to serve every category of persons that are interested in buying. They are the best surfboards for the money, and we are confident that you’ll have the most enjoying experience in the waves while riding. So, feel free to pick any that suits your preference.
Tips on Surfing
Whether you are a novice or experienced surfer, these tips will help you to experience improvements in your surfing skills.
Surfing tips for beginners
- Choose the right surfboard as per your height, weight, and surfing conditions.
- Endeavor to engage in push-ups to enhance your physical fitness.
- Endeavor to mark the point on your board that makes it balance on water while you lay on it.
- Adjust the location of your chin backward to pull the board’s nose from the water.
- Don’t place much weight on the back of the board to prevent it from corking. Try to adjust until it is balanced on water.
- Avoid paddling with both hands simultaneously if you’re to control its speed. To maintain a constant speed while keeping track of the wave, always paddle by using the crawl stroke.
Surfing tips for intermediate
- Always stay calm to maintain your control ability.
- While trying to sit on the board, endeavor to reduce the rate of movements you make.
- Practice how to stand on the board by gradually raising yourself while your weight is balanced on the stringer.
- Endeavor to look up and not look at your feet when you stand.
Safety tips for new and experienced surfers
- Endeavor to wear your leash always.
- Cover the back of your head with your hand while your wrist and elbow are across your ear on falling off the board.
- Never leave your board to float in the ocean since they may be hazardous to other swimmers.
- Both experienced and beginners’ surfers should wear a vest or rash guard to keep the body from unnecessary harm.
- Always locate your board immediately you recover from the effect of the fall.
- You can improve your skills by having group practice sessions or joining a surfing class in your community.
- It is not all the boards that will be a perfect match for your size. Therefore, you should get one that is customized your taste.
Final Words
Surfing is a great adventure that has existed over the centuries. Your experience as a surfer can be influenced by the type of surfboard which you’re using. Buying the best surfboards can be challenging especially if your new in this field. The type of board to buy depends on your level of skill and overall body weight.
The Giantex 6” is our top pick and the best budget surfboards. It is constructed with high-quality materials to enhance its performance and durability. It is portable and lightweight, with a weight capacity of 200 pounds making it ideal for kids and adults alike. This product has a very high price to quality ratio.
Your years of experience as a surfer will provide you with a clue of the right board to buy but if you’re a beginner and interested in engaging in surfing sessions, then you should consider buying any of these picks that suit your preference.
Our best surfboards reviews have been packed with high-quality products that will enhance your comfortability and performance in the ocean. Therefore, we are confident that this buying guide will help you to make the right choice while shopping.
