Buying your first surfboard

What you need to know when buying your first surfboard - Designed for beginners or those with little board experience.

My first recommendation is to go to a surf shop. Ask for help. Most shops will be glad to offer suggestions. Please be sure to tell them answers to the questions listed below so that they can help you.

My second recommendation is to get a lesson or two before you hit the water for the first time. Also, please read my guide to surfing to understand some of the basics.

When you are buying a board, you need to know:

1. Your age
2. You weight
3. Types of waves you will be surfing (ex. small (1-3 ft), big, steep, slow). As a beginner, you should only be surfing small waves at first.
4. The beaches you will be surfing (ex. Southern California, Hawaii, NJ, Virginia, etc). The boards for each of these environments can vary greatly.
5. Your level of fitness - Do you run at least 20 minutes 3+ times a week? You should before you enter the ocean.
6. How often you will be surfing. This is usually measured by times per week.
7. What is your surfing ability (ex. beginner, never surfed)

All of these factors go into an estimated equation which helps choose the type and size of surfboard for you.

In most cases, as a beginner, you should get a long and wide surfboard, either a funboard or longboard. It is a lot easier surf on a bigger board, at least 12 inches taller than you are. Everyone has their own opinion on this issue, but most people will agree that a bigger board is the way to go to learn. I learned on a 7'9 and couldnt imagine that I could learn on a smaller board. I actually wish I would have learned on a board that was 9'.

If you are young (a teenager), who plans on surfing everyday with your friends, who are decent surfers, then you can probably learn on any board you want to, like a shortboard. If you are not planning on surfing 3+ times a week for the first few months and you get a board that is made for the pros (a small shortboard), you will probably be floating in the ocean like a buoy while everyone else catches waves. Those boards are made for pros for a reason, and are generally made for waves over 3 feet. Once you are more experienced, you will be able to start riding different boards.

As a beginner, it’s easy to find a board that’s right for you. Just simply get a big board. It doesn’t need to be 10 ft tall, although longboards are great for learning, it can be as small as 7 or 8 feet. If you plan on surfing more than once a week, you can probably learn on a shortboard, because you will be in the water enough to pick it up but it’s a lot easier to catch waves and stand up on a longer board. Remember, the longer the board, the easier it is to catch waves, paddle, and stand up.

Surfing is not an easy sport to learn. If you are on vacation for a weekend or week, it’s not something you can just pick up. I have had so many (athletic) friends, in their teens and 20's assume that they could learn to surf in the week that they visited me. They were dead wrong. Surfing takes dedication, patience, and practice to learn but can be learned at any age. From small children to old people (in their 70's and 80's+), they are all surfing and learning to surf. It just takes time.

What do these boards cost?

Funboards are generally under $500 and can be as cheap as $250. Most shops also have used funboards that sell for around $200. The great thing about these boards is that you can buy a used one for $200 or $300, use it for 6-12 months, and resell it for maybe $50 less than what you paid for it. Since the sport is growing so much, these boards resell very easily. You can also get a soft top board which is a great board for a beginner because you will be falling a lot and do not want to get hurt.

How do you measure a surfboard?

Surfboards are generally measures by Length x Width x Thickness. So for example, someone may say their board is 6'5x20x2.5, this is then translated into LengthxWidthxThickness. When getting your first board, you do not need to pay too much attention to this because you are really just looking for a longer, wider, and thicker board. When you advance out of the beginner surfing phase, you may want a board that is tailored to you. I recommend going to a local shaper and having them make you a custom board. Custom boards are usually cheaper, are tailored to you, and are more respected in the surf community.