When you’re talking about buying a surfboard for your kids, the rules change a bit. First of all, they grow like weeds, and this means that a surfboard that is the right fit for them now, won’t be next year. Second, their ability to learn new things and adapt is superior to adults, so the style of board that you get them is really relative.
Let’s start by addressing the first one. You may want to buy a board that is a little too big so that your grom can grow into it. As a guideline, a board that is 12-24” bigger than they are, is a good place to start. Make sure that the board is on the skinny side of things 19- 20” so that their arms can fit around it. This will make it not only easier to paddle but this ensures that your son/daughter will be able to carry it from car without dropping it.
Our second point is that the shape you pick for your child’s board isn’t that important. As long as the volume is appropriate for their size, you can get a shortboard or a funboard and they will be able to stand up quite easily.
Our recommendation out of our line is a small EpoxiSoft, the Poacher, or one of our shortboards, with the Poacher taking the lead.
THE POACHER FUNBOARD
The Poacher is great for a grom because of its short length and slender profile. The wide round nose will allow them to catch a ton of waves while the tail shape and fin setup will allow them to turn the board easily. It’s also big enough that they will be able to grow into it as they not only grow taller but get better.
THE SHORTBOARD
Our shortboards are another great way to go. They are a little bit narrower and have that “cool” surfboard shape that the groms want to have when they head to the beach. Currently we have two feature designs in our shortboard lineup with the “Standard” and the “Whip It”. These are definitely a little big for most groms as the shortest one we carry is a 6’0" but would allow them to grown into it as they mature. We are planning to add more shortboard shapes and small sizes so check our site to see what we are carrying now.
THE EPOXISOFT
Although surfing is a relatively safe sport, there are definitely inherent risks with surfing including getting hit by your surf- board. The soft top or foam surfboard is perfect for the surfer worried about injury while surfing, especially if you are trying to teach young kids or anyone worried about the bumps and bruises that are sometimes tied into learning.
Unfortunately, soft tops aren’t necessarily the best to learn on because of their very generic shape (typically flat on the bot- tom) and the fact that over time they can take on water. However, the plus side is that they have a low price point for someone not sure they’ll enjoy surfing. They’re also a good place to start with young surfers because we all know how easily their attention gets changed... this week surfing... next week skateboard- ing. :)
WHAT MAKES OUR EPOXYSOFT SURFBOARDS DIFFERENT?
Unlike the soft boards that you find at your local shop which are made up of all foam, ours our made on top of a real surf- board! So here is how it works, we make a hand shaped epoxy surfboard and wrap the top with our soft grip material. No laminated bottoms here! You get performance you can’t get with a standard soft board while having the comfort of knowing you can take some spills and not land on top of a hard epoxy or fiberglass surface. (Not to mention you can use alternative fins for when you start to progress!)
