Choosing a board

If you need to get clued up on the basics, the following clip is a great way to familiarise yourself with all the elements of a surfboard.

Basic elements of a surfboard.

5 types of surfboard

What is a…

Longboard? beginner Malibu or mal

Retro/egg board? beginner sometimes refered to as a mini mal (funboard or hybrid?)

Shortboard?

Fish board? intermediate up…

Gun board? Expert – big wave surfing

When choosing a board you’ve got to decide on both shape and height, and take into account how much experience you have. These factors make a difference to the type of surf experience you can expect. For example, you can duck waves with a short board. It’s also better to manoeuvre and do tricks, but general consensus is that beginners are best off going for a long board as it’s the most stable option for getting to grips with standing up. The Surfer Today size chart is an excellent guide for choosing the best size and shape board for you. www.surfertoday.com/board-size-chart/surf

Not everyone starts on a longboard though, and you shouldn’t feel you have to at all. Check through surfing waves’ forum for advice for beginners who want to start on short boards. http://www.surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3265 We reckon if you’re already good at skateboarding or snowboarding, then you’ll have ace balance muscles and should be in a better position to pick things up whichever shape you go for. Nothing’s guaranteed though… so, regardless of whether you have additional Boardriding experience, try before you buy. You can find surf shops where you can hire boards in our travel section!

Watch these neat vids by Brian Fields for Expert Village choosing a surfboard for beginners

or choosing a surfboard…

Once you know what type & size you’re after you can either:

→ hit the surf shops and find your dream match.

→ consider giving a home to a good second-hand board… (Good for yours and some other dude’s pocket!). Search the Boardhunt site to see if anything’s up for sale in your area! http://www.boardhunt.com/index.aspx

As with most things, fine hand-crafted options, made with love from the best materials, are gonna carry a heavier price tag than those mass produced options. We’re keen to advocate looking out for options that have less of an impact on the environment, but it’s up to you to find the right money-to-ethics-to-aesthetics ratio and live happily with your final choice. Hopefully it’ll see you through many a rad session.

If you’re more experienced and happen to be reading this far, then the surf science site offers its thoughts on which boards work best based on various wave conditions. Highly recommended!

www.surfscience.com/topics/surfing-tips/tribal-knowledge/choosing-a-surfboard-type-based-on-the-waves

Our Brands section has some of the world’s best surfboard shapers and brands... Check it - might just lead to you finding your perfect stick!

Kelly Slater talks boards.

FINS

Fins – triple, single, quad, none?! Etc.

FINS – number of fins? Plastic or Performance.

Choosing the right performance fins.

www.tactics.com/info/guide-to-surfboard-shapes List 7 shapes…. So gotta be clear which are normally classified as which…

The other consideration that might come into play is graphics. The surfing world is noticeably less loud than its skate and snow cousins… skateboarders will look in wonder at the many choices in various shades of plain old white. ? It’s changing quite a bit though…. And many people are now putting their personal stamp on their stick.

Website: www.surfboardskinz.com/index.html#portfolio

Uhuru personalised printed graphic inlays… great website, but video clip is low quality…

http://www.uhurusurfcraft.com/index.html

Printed graphics

Or get creative and ‘paint’ your own - don’t miss the time lapse vid below to get yourself in the mood.

Now, what do you know about shapers and glassers? If you need to enlighten yourself on the work that’s needed to bring a great board to life then watch the following. Joe Fitzgerald’s surfboard shaping story is epic… and there’s a super chill vid of glasser Jack Reeves at work. Enjoy!