Do I Really Need a Leash? And if so, what size?

When you embark on a surfing session, one of the first things you will notice, is that if you get separated from your board without a surfboard leash you will have a long swim to retrieve it. That’s assuming of course, that your surfboard hasn’t been stopped by someone else’s head. Oops. Keeping your board on a leash is just good surf etiquette. A surfboard without a leash, or a leg rope or leggie as they are sometimes called in Australia, can be much like an untrained puppy without a lead, a bit hard to handle, and potentially embarrassing, especially in a crowd. Read the rest of this entry »

Surfboard Foam: It’s What’s Inside That Counts.

When surfing first became popular as a sport 50 odd years ago, surfboards were made out of wood. These surfboards were extremely heavy, easily damaged, and difficult to repair. The surfboards of today are much lighter, float better, are easier to repair, and are capable of great maneuvers on the wave. What’s made the huge difference? Nowadays, the majority of surfboards are made with a foam middle, and then coated with a foam appropriate resin or epoxy.

The foam in the middle of your surfboard does several things. Firstly, it contributes to the board weighing a lot less. Secondly it enables the board to float better (also known as buoyancy). There are a couple of different types of foam that can be used for making surfboards. Read the rest of this entry »

Epoxy Surfboards: Pros vs. Cons

Epoxy surfboards started to become popular in the 1990′s. Prior to that for the last 40 or so years, traditional fiberglass surfboards were what the masses surfed with. As with anything new there have been many discussions over the benefits and downsides of an epoxy surfboard. For those of you considering purchasing a new surfboard here are some points to consider. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a Beginner and Looking for a Surfboard. What do I get?

Getting a surfboard for beginners can be a confusing exercise. For those of you with more enthusiasm for surfing than experience, this can be an especially tricky exercise. Obviously there are a few requirements that your first surfboard will need to meet until you get a bit more practice. Firstly, your surfboard needs to be stable so that you can paddle and stand on it (eventually) without it throwing you off. Secondly, it needs to be able to get you onto a wave fairly reliably, otherwise how will you ever surf on the wave? Thirdly, it should float really well (known as buoyancy) to maximize all of the above.

Now of course, you don’t want to hit the beach with your new surfboard looking like a beginner surfer do you? That takes away all of the fun. There are a few options you can select from, some being age dependent. Read the rest of this entry »