Choosing the right board

24 February, 2013

Having the right board is so very important in surfing.  There are also so many factors to take into account including:

• Your body size/shape
• Your Ability
• The waves you are surfing (i.e. a board for surf lessons Middleton will not necessarily work for waves in Indo)
• The size of waves
• The distance you have to paddle to get to the wave
• The type of wave
• The heaviness of the wave

Most experienced surfers have a range of surfboards in their quiver.  Many quivers would include some or all of the following:

• Fish - great for fat and small surf
• Short board - great for medium sized hollow waves
• Semi Gun - for barrelling waves that are reasonable in size
• Gun - for the larger days when you want a lot of speed and be able to get to your feet later
• Malibu - for the really small days or for fat waves (also good for all types of waves if a Mal is your preferred choice of board)
• Softie - great for learner family, friends etc to have a go on
• SUP - Stand up Paddle Board for the small and flat days (unless it becomes your thing!). Here is a tutorial on how to do SUP in a right way.

Choosing the right surfboard is so important - it really deserves alot of research.  Try as many boards as you can - see which ones you like.  Get advice from a reputable surf shop or surf school.

When you get the right board - surfing can be so much more enjoyable and your surfing can improve dramatically.

See you in the water!

Luke