How To Buy Your First Surfboard

Buying a surfboard can be confusing, but one thing's for certain - like anything else, you get what you pay for. You can't get a Mercedes at a Kia price, right? The same thing's true in surfboard buying. Spend a little bit more up front and get quality, performance, and resale value. Some people still think of surfboards as mere toys. But being the smart cookie that you are, you know better than that, right? Right! But, you say, you're just a beginner? No problem, you have to start somewhere. So let's get started! There are a few different ways you can go if you are a beginner. New or used, and then cheap import vs. the pricier domestic. Hold on, i know what you're thinking. You don't even know if you'll like surfing, so why spend more money than you have to? That's an understandable approach, but what happens when you want to sell your $300 - $400 imported surfboard? Only another beginner will buy it, because experienced surfers don't want them. On top of that, imports lose roughly 50% of their value after the're waxed up. So we can't endorse imports, whether they are made of traditional materials, epoxy, or the newer soft technology. Speaking of what they're made of we need to look at construction techniques before we can find the right size "stick" for you.

There are many ways to build a surfboard these days. Let's break it down -

Balsa / exotic Woods - Balsa and other wooden surfboards are still being made, but their price tag makes them unrealistic for anyone but the purist. If you go this route, do your research and talk to the experts. One things for sure, they're so beautiful, you'll be afraid to take them out in the water!

Composites - The traditional polyurethane foam and fiberglass way of doing things has lost some ground to the new composite "sandwich" construction method (which utilizes vacuum bagging and epoxy resins). These molded boards are considered imports, even though they are high priced items and sold in surf shops (vs. places like Costco). Unlike the cheaper foam and glass imports, they are strong. And while these "compsands" are pretty tough, they have their drawbacks. The outer coating chips and peels, rendering them ugly pretty fast. No big deal, except that they cost more than the old fashioned traditional surfboard! If you do get a ding, it's costly and hard to fix.To top it all off, they just don't ride as well as the old school domestic "poly" board. All this makes them harder to resell because your potential customers will be beginners only. We didn't figure the depreciation in there either.

Traditional - We say "traditional" to differentiate these boards from the cheaper "imports". The imports use the same construction methods, but are of much lower quality. Nothing beats the poly foam/fibergalss/ poly resin "traditional". Experienced surfers prefer the traditional to all other types of surfboard. Their line of thought is that they ride and "fit" much better on a wave. We couldn't agree more - we think the traditional surfboard is still the best surfboard money can buy. Yes, the traditional surfboards have their draw backs too. They can be made light to enhance performance, but they will become brittle. So you want to look for a heavier glassed board. Yes, they'll still ding if you're not careful, but the repairs are cheap and easy compared to the "compsands". Any good surf shop showroom will have both types of poly boards - lightweight and traditional (or heavier) weight. Some people equate a little extra weight on a surfboard as a bad thing. But that's a good thing if you're a beginner, you want stability not a loosey - goosey feather weight. And the biggest difference is this: tradition. Yep, tradition. Most poly boards are still made by hand from start to finish, just like they have been for 50 years. And they have a mysterious depth of beauty that the others do not. Some may be roughed out with a machine and then finished by hand, but even they are considered pieces of art. Another benefit is the fact that the better known brands will appreciate in value if they are cared for. And, even after all the new state of the art technologies, these old school boards still ride waves the best! Sometimes tradition rules, and in surfing it always has, and always will.

Ok , now you have a rough idea of a few of the many ways a surfboard is put together. Now it's time for the fun part - figuring out which surfboard model will be right for you and where to buy it.

So, forget Costco and forget any surf shop that tries to push a cheap mass - produced imported model on you. They'll save you money alright, but you'll soon be back after you either break the cheapie board, or get laughed at by that cute girl that you're trying to impress.You're going to spend the money, get your monies worth. Find a nice (keyword: NICE) local surf shop and saunter in and check out the newest "sticks". If it's a shop that plans on being in business for a long time, the staff will be friendly and helpful. You can also go to many different websites and order a board and have it shipped to you. For new or used, www.chubbysurf.com and Longboard House spring to mind, but I strongly suggest you go to a shop. If they're good to you, you'll have a place you can go and get what you need from people who deserve your money. They were beginers once too, so don't let that stop you. They can set you up with everything you need from the board, wax, leash and many other cool accessories. Use the links below to find out where you can get the good stuff. Surf shops are also a great place to hang when the surf is crummy.

Hopefully we've convinced you to go with a traditional, domestic model surfboard. Now all you have to do is decide which surfboard is right for you. You want something that will float you. You want something under you that you feel won't get away from you. But, you also want a board that will respond to you. And you want the board to go in the direction you want, not have a mind of it's own! Keeping all that in mind then, there are three keys to the best beginners board: thickness, width, and length.

1 - Thickness - The overall thickness is for float ability so you can paddle easily, and catch waves easily.

2 - Width - The width is for stability so the board feels sure under your feet.

3 - And the length means you can ride good waves, bad waves, and everything in between.

Those three keys are easy to remember but, so you can find the right size, we need to go into a bit more detail. Try to get a board that is 3" - 3.5" thick (profile), and 22" - 24" for the widest outline point . The lighter and smaller you are, the thinner and narrower you can go. Your friendly salesman should be able to clue you in on the measurements, if they can't you should be concerned. Length should be 3 - 4 feet taller than your height. A pre-teen should generally have a board in the 7' range. Teens and young adults in the 8' range, and adults in the 9' range. If you are really short and light or tall and heavy you'll have to adjust up or down accordingly. Once again, this is where your salesman can help you. Don't worry about the fins, three are fine, but I strongly suggest one long center fin. Single fins are the best all around, you get stability, and they also enable you to turn from the center of the board (verses having to put your weight on the tail to turn). Now the bottom line - new boards in the 7' - 8' range, known as "fun boards", should be in the $600 - $800 range. The 9' range, known as "longboards", will be between $800 and $1000. These are just averages, the price may vary up or down. But the best thing is, it's an investment, and a fine piece of handcrafted art too. Below are listed some of the oldest labels in the surfboard business. They all started in the late 50's or early 60's, so they have experience coming out of their ears. The quality, ride and value is there, and every real surfer knows of these storied labels. So if you ever want to sell it, you'll have no trouble. They all make longboards, and they all make funboards. We've listed from one to ten our favorites. This is a suggested list of what we feel are the best models for beginners. They contain all the ingredients that make up a top notch surfboard for a beginner, novice, or even an expert surfer. Most come in a full range of sizes, giving them the ability to be labeled a funboard or a longboard. That should make your choice much easier. As far as finding the best beginner's surfboards, we think our list is right on. We've only pictured the winner, but don't be fooled by it's mild look. It's got everything a great beginners board needs, and then some. And inside it is your key to "The Sport Of Kings".... .... plus more fun than you can shake a "stick" at ....

#1 -HOBIE SURFBOARDS - "SLUG"

#2 - RICK SURFBOARDS - "U.F.O."

#3 - HARBOUR SURFBOARDS - "CHEATER"

#4 - BING SURFBOARDS - "LIGHTWEIGHT"

#5 - HANSEN SURFBOARDS - "50/50"

#6 - CON SURFBOARDS - "IRON BUTTERFLY"

#7 - SURFBOARDS HAWAII - "GLASS SLIPPER"

#8 - DEWEY WEBER SURFBOARDS - "FEATHER FASTBACK"

#9 - JACOBS SURFBOARDS - "TOM WEGENER MODEL A"

#10 - GORDIE SURFBOARDS - "LIZZARD"