In order to enjoy surfing, choosing the right board is essential to get started. In this article, we explain you why this choice is so important and how to choose a board adapted to your level.
ONLY ONE PIECE OF ADVICE Don't choose your board only by its design and color
When you start surfing and you want to invest in your first surfboard, you are often influenced by the design of the board.
We are usually attracted by shaper boards with a cute pastel green or an intense black glaze, fish type shapes or rather narrow boards, with not much volume.
And that makes sense! Nowadays the offer of surfboards in stores is very large and the boards are all nicer from one to the other…
And you can even have your board custom-made by a shaper. Who hasn’t wanted a Minvielle longboard worth more than 1000€ after a few months of surfing?
Unfortunately, this is the mistake not to make!
Why? Here are some reasons:
- 1. Your first board is like your first car… you’re going to bend it in half! Either because you didn’t see the guy who was on the inside, or because you dropped your board when you were surprised by a bigger set than the one expected, or simply by letting it slip out of your hands while rinsing it in the shower or trying to squeeze it into your car…
- At the spots where you are going to start surfing, there will probably be a lot of people surfing there as well. A “hard” board (resin or hepoxy) can be dangerous. For you as well as for others as you don’t have full control of your board yet.
- 3. With a board that is too small or too technical, you risk losing confidence in yourself. Surfing is about repetition. When you start this discipline, the goal is to catch as many waves as possible no matter the conditions so that it becomes an automatism and you end up progressing. If your board is not adapted to your level, you may not succeed in catching waves and / or being punished at the slightest mistake. You might get discouraged and never really improve or worse, have any fun!
But before telling you which board is the most suitable for beginners, we need to define the term "beginner".
This definition is indeed subjective, and can thus vary according to the people.
We will therefore differentiate two types of beginners before adapting our advice to each of the two types.
the "real beginners"
- First, there are the real beginners. Those who have already taken a few lessons but who are still having fun in the white wash close to the shore and who are not yet comfortable with the rowing techniques and the rules of priority in the open sea.
- For this type of public, we recommend a very wide and stable foam board. Brands such as Softech, Ocean Earth, Quiksilver and Roxy, Decathlon, offer very good foam boards in 8 or 9 feet with a large volume. These boards are wide enough to be very stable on the water so that you can have fun every time!
The initiated
- Secondly, there are people who are already initiated and who start to go offshore when the waves are not too big, even those who are starting to turn a little, but who remain unsure of themselves in the water.
- A For this type of public, we advise to stick to a foam board (even if it is tempting to switch immediately to a hard board) but to prioritize a board size between 7’6 and 8 feet depending on your height (the bigger or stronger you are, the more volume you choose) It is possible to go down to 7 feet but with quite a big volume but you should prioritize boards that are wide enough if you take them shorter.
- With this type of board, you will have a great margin of progression and you will be able to surf in all conditions. By choosing a foam board you can try things without fear of hurting yourself or others and you can easily start turning.
- Of course, a hard board is more maneuverable than a foam board. But trust us, if you have a good grip on a foam board, it will turn just as well as a hard board. A contrario, On the other hand, if you can’t turn on a foam board, don’t switch to a hard board! You won’t be able to turn it any better and you risk colliding with other surfers! Accidents happen, no matter how careful we are.
In any case, don’t hesitate to ask us for advice while visiting us at the tent, or to ask your surf instructors for advice.
Another tip, if you try a board that you’ve rented somewhere, don’t hesitate to ask for its size and volume.
It is important to know the size of your board in order to progress!
