5 BEST SURFBOARDS FOR BEGINNERS IN 2023

Short, narrow, and thin surfboards are all bad options for beginners. Less volume in a surfboard means less floatation and therefore the board sits further in the water meaning it is far more difficult to paddle and gain the necessary speed to catch a wave.

More advanced surfers can use shorter, narrower, and thinner surfboards, because they have the necessary skills and ability to take off deeper on a wave, where there is more power to help you get to your feet and surf a wave.

So if you’re a beginner look for more volume in a surfboard.

Compared to shortboards, longboards are extremely stable, easier to ride, and are ideal for learning basic surfing techniques. A longboard is a lot easier to surf as it allows you to ride more easily, and is stable, which means that you will catch more waves, fall off less and learn how to surf a lot faster.

While shortboards provide greater responsiveness, and agility, which allows skillful, pro surfers to perform incredible maneuvers and tricks.

As you advance in surfing, you will eventually reduce your board length down to an increasingly popular shortboard.

In general terms, a 6’6″ surfboard is not a good surfboard option for a beginner. At this length, it is classed as a short board and would not provide enough volume for almost all beginner surfers.

There is, however, a couple of possible exceptions. A 6’6″ may be appropriate for a child learning to surf or a very short and light adult that has had a lot of experience in similar sports.

A good rule of thumb for beginner surfers is to start with a longboard that is roughly 3 feet longer than your height. For example, if you’re 5’10” tall, then you’d want to start with an 8’10” or more longboard.

If you are just starting your surf journey, no, the fish surfboard is not an ideal board for you. A fish surfboard is an ideal board for a longboarder that is looking to graduate to a board that allows for greater maneuverability.

Once you’ve mastered a longboard and have gained enough paddle fitness and wave knowledge then you could try your hand at surfing a fish surfboard.

Hybrid construction surfboards have great benefits for beginner surfers. Generally, these types of boards will have a hard glassed bottom to provide maximum performance in generating speed for ease in catching waves and trimming across the face of a wave. While the top of the hybrid surfboard maybe soft foam to reduce the chances of injury as you progress and learn to surf.

Also referred to as foamies, soft top boards are perfect for beginners because their soft foam design means that the boards are extremely buoyant, which allows beginners to pick up waves with ease. Soft top boards are commonly used by surf schools, due to the board being soft and so the potential for injuries is kept at a minimum.

Epoxy surfboards are particularly great for beginners, as they will be able to withstand the usual everyday impacts, knocks, and knocks that can occur during your learning stage. Beginners will also appreciate that since these are lighter boards, they will tolerate less impact and injuries if they do collide. In addition to being lighter, epoxy surfboards arguably travel quicker over the top of water compared to conventional fiberglass boards. An added advantage to epoxy boards is that they are easier to maintain and last longer compared to fiberglass surfboards.

A thruster set-up is the most common, which uses three equally-sized fins, with two outer fins being positioned further forward, while the middle fin is more towards the back of the board.

Often, longboards using a one-fin set-up will feature a larger fin, but you will also see some surfers who have one larger fin and two smaller ones on their boards.

A 2+1 set-up gives beginners a lot of stability but allows the more skilled surfer to generate speeds that the single fins alone cannot.

A twin fin setup (two fins) is not recommended for beginners as some control is lost, which is why you do not see a lot of beginners surfing with a twin fin.

In the most generalized terms the optimal size longboard for a beginner is 9’0″+ long, 22″+ wide, and 3″+ thick.

However, a good rule of thumb for beginner surfers is to start with a longboard that is roughly 3 feet longer than your height. For example, if you’re 5’10” tall, then you’d want to start with an 8’10” or more longboard.

A good rule of thumb for beginner surfers is to start with a longboard that is roughly 3 feet longer than your height. For example, if you’re 5’10” tall, then you’d want to start with an 8’10” or more longboard.

Longboards are great to allow for longer surfing sessions without getting overly fatigued, particularly if you are new to surfing.

If you are looking to get the most out of smaller days at a surf destination that appeals to you, longboards are your best friends in the water.

You also will be less fatigued when surfing with a longboard, since you do not need the same amount of power to get on a wave or to paddle back to the top of the lineup as with shortboards.

Along with longer days in the water and a higher number of waves, surfing with a longer board also provides longer rides. The greater volume and length, which allows longer boards to catch more waves compared to smaller surfboards, will also extend the length of each ride.

On a shorter surfboard, paddles are going to be a lot harder, in comparison, because the board is dipping into the water further, meaning there is a lot more drag and resistance in the water, which means slower paddling.

Finding balance is harder on the shorter board too, including paddling. The bigger the board, the more stable it is going to be, which means more waves that you are going to be riding. The increased stability of a longboard helps you to get along waves without getting caught by the board’s rails like on a shortboard.

Longboard’s longer and wider dimensions, allow beginner surfers to maneuver more easily. Because you aren’t required to make the same sensitive movements required on a shortboard to keep your speed and balance.

Longboards surf different lines, which allows surfers to smoothly ride the wave face and pick up waves farther out on the shoulder with less effort and more time than a shortboard. 

A beginner surfboard can range in price from $200-$1200. However, you do not have to get a high-end surfboard when you are starting out. Generally speaking, a good beginner surfboard is going to cost $400-$600, while a foam board for beginners costs in the $200-250 range and above.