Surfboard | Surfboards

A surfboard is an essential piece of kit when it comes to participating in the sport of surfing. For a surfboard to perform well in the water it must be fairly light and must be strong to support the riders weight and any pressure the water may apply to the board. Surfboards were invented in Hawaii, and the first surfboards were usually made of wood from local trees. The disadvantage of making surfboards out of wood was the fact that the surfboard was so heavy.

However, modern surfboards have since progressed to make the surfboard lighter, stronger and more flexible. Surfboards are now constructed of polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fibreglass, cloth and polyester or epoxy resin. In recent years surfboards have also been constructed out of carbon fibre and even bamboo. These advancements in surfboard technology have made a world of difference in the progression and style of some of the world’s best surfers.

There are three main types of surfboards; these are the shortboard , mini mal and the longboard .

The Shortboard is widely used by most advanced and intermediate surfers and these boards can range in length from 5’0’’ to 7’0’’. Due to length width and thickness of the shortboard it is much harder to catch waves on due to having less volume in the surfboard. Shortboards are mainly associated with performance surfing which involves a lot of speed, drive and manoeuvrability to perform large cutbacks of the lip of the wave.

The Mini Mal is mainly associated as a beginners surfboard to having more volume than the shortboard, the length of the Mini Mal ranges from 7’2’’ to 8’6’’. The more length and with a surfboard has the easier the rider will be able to pick up waves do to buoyancy and stability.  This is why the Mini Mal is a all round surfboard for all levels of surfer.

Longboards are the largest surfboard of the three and range from 9’0’’ to 10’0’’ in length. The longboard can be surfed by all levels of surfer, but due to the large shape it is sometimes more manageable for a beginner to start on a Mini Mal. The longboard is normally associated with a less radical style, longboard riders perform more graceful turns and like to nose ride. However, there are shapes of longboard out there which almost resemble the performance of a shortboard. These are known as performance longboards and they are conventionally made with lighter glass, thinner rails and a 2 + 1 thruster set up for extra drive and hold in the waves.

Surfboard fins have also played a huge role in how a surfboard performs in the water. There are loads of different set up for loads of different shaped surfboards. Choosing the right fin set up for the shape of board or the condition of wave you surf is very important to the performance of the surfboard. Many different fin set ups will determine how fast your board will go, how well it will turn and how well it will hold the wave. Below are some of the fin setups you may want to consider for your surfboard.


Single fin
The single fin was originally the first kind of fin set up used on the first surfboards ever made. Single fin setups are common on long boards and retro shortboard, this fin setup is still used today and makes the surfboard feel real loose in the turn.

Twin Fin
The twin fin setup is a surfboard with two fins that are parallel to each other. Due to having two fins parallel this creates extra speed and drive due to the flow of water through both fins. The twin fin is mainly found on retro shortboard or a fish shaped board. The twin fin set up also makes the board feel looser in the turn, but the downside can be that the board can skip out in fast bottom turns due to not having the stability of the central fin to hold the turn. However, this really can depend on the shape of the board and the ability of the rider.

Thruster
The thruster set up is the most commonly used fin set up and features on shortboard, mini mal and even occasionally longboards. All the fins are the same size, with two parallel fins and a middle fin placed slightly further back on the surfboard. The advantage of having three fins is that the 2 fins on the side can bite into the water to stabilise hard and sharp turns while the middle fin holds the turn and keeps the drive.

2 + 1
2 + 1 setup is when there are two small fins called side bitters and a larger adjustable middle fin. This set up works similar to a thruster set up but is designed for the longboard.

Quad
As the set up implies, the surfboard would have four fins and this set up is designed for maximum speed. Like the twin fin this set up has no centre fin and with the fins sitting slightly behind each other this creates the maximum speed. This set up is great for small waves in which you need more speed top drive the line.

Learning to surf and your first surfboard

When you first start surfing it is important that you choose the right equipment. As a beginner it is important you get the right surfboard, because if you don’t learning to surf could be ten million times harder. The right length and shape surfboard could mean the difference of wallowing around in the white what for a life time, or standing up on your surfboard and surfing the clean face of the wave. There’s nothing worse than seeing beginner surfers who think it’s cool to buy the smallest shortboard possible because it’s what all the advanced surfer are riding. The beginner with the smallest board my look cool walking down to the water, but once in the surf you look ridiculous! Just picture yourself splashing around, trying to stay on the surfboard when paddling, and that’s even before you have even thought about standing on the surfboard. It’s just not cool, everyone is thinking look at this kook! Until you understand that surfing isn’t about looking cool, it’s about surfing you will go far.

So you want to spend your hard earned cash on a suitable surfboard, where do you start? Well, if you want expert advice on which surfboard to buy you could contact us and we will give you some options. Otherwise you can read the rest of this information. Generally it would be advisable for any beginner to start out on what is known as a soft surfboard and while doing so get some surf lessons. The soft surfboard is made up from soft foam only and isn’t glassed with hard resin like a conventional surfboard. The purpose of the surfboard being made out of foam is so you cause minimal damage to yourself and others in the water. It is inevitable that when you are learning to surf you are going to have your surfboard hit you, in fact as an advanced surfer this still happens. However, as you are learning to surf you are more likely to smash your face, take somebody’s eye out, or impale somebody with a hard glassed surfboard. So go to a good surf school and they will give you soft surfboards to use and then once you have progressed and know about surfing etiquette you can now spend money on something a little more advanced. 

When buying your first surfboard it may be a good idea to try different kinds of surfboards before you try. Some surf shops allow you to test surfboards before you buy them. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a shop near you with a test centre have a look round and buy a surfboard which has lots of length, width and thickness. These three measurements will determine how easy the surfboard is to surf. Getting a surfboard which has lots of volume will mean easier paddling; more float and easier take off. It’s not rocket science; make sure you get yourself the right surfboard.