PICKING THE RIGHT BOARD
Sometimes choosing the right surfboard can be time consuming and lets face it with all the information available out there in web land, it can also be a little overwhelming.
Selecting the right surfboard is crucial when it comes to getting maximum enjoyment out of your surfing, regardless of ability. Here I will detail a few things that will help you in selecting that magic craft.
A soft board is a vital addition to any quiver if you’re a surfer in the Eastern suburbs. When summer comes along and the flags go up, soft boards are the perfect choice to avoid the crowds and get a few waves to yourself in restricted areas.
For the Groms or Beginner looking for their first board, a soft board will make surfing safe as the board has no sharp fins or a pointy nose. Boards range in length from 5’2 to 8’0 and we stock only the best from Softlite, Softech, El Nino and Catch Surf. In store one of our friendly staff can recommend the right size and help get you out there for your first wave.
0 – 1 YEARS
BEGINNER
A Softboard or Mini Mal shape with plenty of width and volume. This will give you the most stable platform whilst learning how to surf.
1 -4 YEARS
NOVICE
A higher volumed fish board thats still stable enough whilst allowing you to link a turn or 2 together, start duck-diving and surfing different types of waves as you are progressing.
4 - 10 Years
Intermediate
Hybrid or All round shortboard or high performance shorty(at the end of the scale). This board will allow you to really start linking some turns together in a variety of conditions and types of waves.
8 + Years
Advanced
Whatever you feel comfortable riding. By now you should know what does and doesn’t work for you and the length/volume you like. Don’t be afraid to keep up with current shaping trends by trying new shapes to progress you’re surfing though.
The right board for the conditions
Whether you surf every day of the week or once a month, this is a key factor in helping you choose the right board. Fit to very fit surfers will usually ride less volume(the amount of foam inside) in a board than someone of the same weight only surfing once a month. If you’re missing waves, you’re not having fun so with this in mind a little bit too much foam is generally better than not enough. There are so many different shapes out there that work well in certain conditions, some work better in Reef breaks, some better in beach breaks or even fat point break style waves.Be honest about where you’re going to be surfing most of the time. Theres no point buying a 7’2 Indo gun if you only surf South Bondi shorey every day. With any new board your initial surf will depend on many factors , surf condition , wave size etc. We always recommend giving a new board a few surfs across different conditions to allow a transition from your old board experience to the new board. If you are finding the board not performing to what you expected it may be a simple adjustment in fin size and construction to turn it into the magic craft.