So, you want to learn to surf? Well, first things first- you’re going to need a board. There are three main types of boards you can purchase.

1. THE SOFT BOARD

This is made of foam and can be seen in action at most surf schools. The advantages of the soft board are that it’s buoyant, wide and easy to catch waves on. As it’s soft, it’s much harder to hurt yourself falling off. There are rubber fins, which mean less fin slashes. Also, a soft board basically signals to everyone that you are a beginner, and you’ll find they are therefore more accommodating of your initial floundering. The main disadvantage of the soft board is that once you are past the beginner phase, you will need to purchase a fibreglass board to keep progressing.

2. POP OUT EPOXY

Not to be confused with performance epoxy. These boards are strong and relatively indestructable. Favoured as a learner board they are relatively in exspensive and have a good re-sale value.

3. THE FIBREGLASS BOARD

A fibreglass board is composed of three elements. Firstly, in the centre there is a foam blank. This is the core of your board. Around this is some matting, and then this is covered by a layer of fibreglass. The main advantage is that you can surf this board as long as you like, and the majority of other surfers ride the same sort. You can often get advice from those with similar boards on how to best utilize its’ abilities. If it gets dinged, the board will normally be okay for another surf or two, provided you put waterproof tape over the hole. The disadvantage: It’s easy to hurt yourself. Normally a bad injury won’t happen unless you can’t handle your equipment or are surfing in conditions far beyond your ability, however prepare yourself for small bruises, cuts and battle scars.

4. PERFORMANCE EPOXY

Built using new construction methods these boards are similar to a traditional Poly board but are stringerless and gain there srtength from the Epoxy construction method. The first performancs epoxy boards tended not to have as much flex as the traditional board but developments in the field have now ironed out these issues. The advantage of performance Epoxy is that they are tougher and lighter than a poly board but don't lose there float. The costs of owning one are higher though.


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LONG OR SHORT? YOUR FIRST BOARD
It depends on your body size, age and fitness. For the sheer beginner, I almost always recommend a mini Mal (between 7 and 9 foot).

When standing next to a potential board, always stand in front of it with your arm straight up in the air. You want it to be at least as high as your wrist (at least a foot taller than yourself), so that it’s not too short to put your toes over the tail without sinking the nose. When looking at the width of a board, it needs to be at least 21 inches and not too thin around three inches if you are an adult. This means it will float you, allowing you to paddle onto waves without sinking.

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a beginner on a tiny short board. Forget looks or cool paint jobs, for your first board, you want something that is going to get you on those waves. When you get better, you can choose whether your next board will be longer or shorter, depending on your surfing style and the waves on offer.

THE LONGBOARD
A longboard is traditionally any board over 9 foot. The floatation is a huge advantage when paddling out or getting onto waves. An advantage long boarders have is that they can get on the wave earlier. This enables them to sit further out than the short boarders, and therefore have first pick on the incoming waves. The disadvantages: the size. If you are 5”6 and ever have to carry a 9”3 down the beach, you’ll know exactly what I mean! Travelling with it is much harder. You can’t duck dive them; instead you have to do an ‘turtle roll’. More board means more risks; it’s important you learn to control it straight away as letting it go is a huge hazard to other surfers. It’s very hard to take a steep drop on a long board, hence why you should get on the wave earlier.

THE SHORTBOARD

A short board requires a much higher level of fitness due to the amount of paddling. It’s important to have an excellent paddling technique as otherwise you will use up too much energy without results. It generally takes about 3 or 4 months to get your paddling to a good level, which can be too frustrating for beginners wanting to catch waves. The advantages are that you can duck dive through waves, which is an amazing feeling. Again, this requires proper technique. There are far more ‘tricks’ that you can do on a shortboard. To understand the difference, imagine a skateboard ramp. A person on a regular skateboard has far more options than that of someone on a retro Malibu shape. They are also extremely responsive compared to longboards. For example, a move that would get you a small turn on a Malibu will get you a big turn on a shortboard.

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ONE LAST THING

Surfing is all about fun, if you choose the wrong board and struggle to surf you won't enjoy it. Start on the right board and you'll soon progress and be able to take your surfing forward.