There is a ton of information online about new technology in surfboards. Each brand has their own terms they use to describe the board they are selling. You will see lots of terms that make no sense to the average surfer. Our goal is to break things down to simple terms to help you understand what the differences are in construction which is the explanation of what the board is made of.
The answer to this question requires a bit of understanding to determine what is best for you. It depends on the surfers experience, their weight, height, paddling ability, where you surf and goals with your surfing. As a general rule, Epoxy boards are better for new surfers as they are as much as 50% more durable and paddle much easier than a traditional Polyurethane (AKA Poly) board. Poly boards are sometimes better for more experienced surfers who require a more sensitive ride feel and are not as concerned with durability.
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.
Once you have mastered your longer boards you are ready to progress to a shorter, performance board. Here's a few tips that will help you with your progression into riding a shorter board.
As your surfing skill improves, you will paddle better and will be able to make your pop up without major issues. Getting into the wave requires the right paddle position on the board.
Sizing our customers up brings a whole new dimension to surfing. Typically, as a beginner surfer you are forced to buy a surfboard with one primary focus, stability. The bummer about this is even though you are able to stand up... once up, you can hardly turn your board. This forces you to buy another board just to progress and move on (just what you wanted to do... buy 2 boards to learn to surf).
A lot of the time when you’re starting out the cheapest solution is often the most sought after, and used surfboards are typically going to be your cheapest option. Unfortunately they can also be the worst choice a new surfer can make. Here’s what we mean...
As a beginner surfer, bigger is almost always better when it comes to surfboard size. The first thing a new surfer needs from their surfboard is stability and buoyancy. As a surfer progresses along their journey in learning how to surf, there will be a number of different reasons they’ll adjust the size of their board to fit a variety of different needs.
When building your surfboard quiver we should all start with your goals in mind. Here at Degree 33 we are always talking to our customers about the progression ladder which means when you start out you go BIG and as you get better, you take another step on the ladder and gradually move to a smaller board with each step.
