What should a beginner surfboard have? How to choose the best? If you want to learn to surf, choosing the right board to start and enjoy this sport is very important.

Surfboard for beginners – what should have the right one for you

Don’t get infatuated with something you saw on the beach or in a store because it might not be the best for you. It is essential to buy a beginner surfboard because it is one that will allow you to learn to catch waves and the techniques. If you choose an expert board you will get frustrated that you can’t handle it and do what you want on the water. Just need to practice and choosing a good board to have fun practicing this sport.

If you want to learn while having fun, looking for professional in this place with good waves, join our beginner surf course in Fuerteventura at surfintrip.com.

Adequate length, width and volume are crucial for a beginner surfboard

Forget about choosing narrow and sharp boards. There will be time for stylized and aggressive boards. If you are about to starting to surf, now is not the time.

A good beginner surfboard has a lot of volume, width and length and is not a capricious matter, but a practical one. More is the width and the more is the volume, more buoyancy and stability you will have, very important when you start surfing.

Choosing a board with a lot of volume means you need to make less physical effort to catch the wave. Of course, you should also always take your body weight into account, the more body weight the more volume your board should have.

As for the length, the recommended one for a beginner surfboard is between 7 feet and 9 feet (2.10 and 2.75 meters) and the width between 20 and 25 inches (50 – 64 cm).

Safety, resistance and good value for money when choosing a surfboard to learn

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on your first surfboard. If you practice, as soon as you level up you will want a better one. So the beginner surfboard need not be made of very expensive material. On the other side of this situation, when it comes to knowing which surfboard to choose for beginners if we bet on an excessively cheap model, it is possible that this makes our learning process difficult, the board being clearly hindering the enjoyment and learning about our surf sessions.

A few things about your beginner surfboard to keep in mind to minimize the amount of risk involved in learning to surf:

  • It’s better to start with a soft board than a fiberglass surfboard. Beginner surfboards are soft and are made of foam or covered in a soft rubber so they do less damage if the board hits you or someone.
  • You should always wear a leash! Make sure your board has the leash plug and get a good leash. What is a good leash? Mostly a comfortable one on the ankle and it’s new so the velcro system works as it should.
  • Another element that can improve safety are the soft fins. Soft plastic fins are much safer. They aren’t great at maneuverability, but they will definitely keep you and your surfing friends safer when you lose your board or fall.

However, it is desirable that it be durable. Not being used to its use, it is very probable that at sea and also on land, moving it, it will suffer more blows than usual. Once you get used to it you will no longer have this problem, but in principle you are interested in choosing a resistant one.

What are the materials for a surfboard that meet these requirements? As mentioned before it is better to start with a softboard than a fiberglass surfboard. Beginner surfboards are soft and are made of foam or covered in a soft rubber so they do less damage if the board hits you or someone.

Rounded nose on the boards to start surfing

It is very important that beginner surfboards have rounded nose. The reason is that the rounded nose facilitates stability and makes maneuvering the board much easier. It will help you gain confidence, learn faster and have more fun while learning to surf fast and fun.

Choose a surfboard with a cover

It’s not an essential part of a beginner surfboard, but it’s recommended. In the beginning you will have to learn how to handle the board out of the water or get used to taking care of it. So with a case it will be more protected.

What are the best types of surfboards for beginners and their characteristics?

There are two types of surfboards that have the characteristics that a good beginner/advanced beginner surfboard requires:

Surfboards for beginners: foamboards

This board is the best for those who want to know which board to start surfing with as soon as possible. Foamboards (or softboards) are foam surfboards and are best for learning the take off due to their large size and volume. As for the length of the board, the most recommended measurements for a foamboard are between 7’6 and 9′ feet (2.30 – 2.75 meters). In addition, the foam boards have a soft cover that is resistant to scratches and bumps.

Surfboards for advanced beginners: mini malibu

It is a perfect board for soft waves up to one and a half meters, is also suitable for beginners advaced for the fact that this board has generous dimensions and volumes that will give you great stability and control when catching the wave. In general, the mini Malibu measures 7 to 8 feet (2.13 to 2.43 meters) and  it’s made of fiberglass-coated polyurethane. A material characterized by its hardness and, therefore, different from softboards.

Now you know more or less where to start, but if you want to start with professionals, come and visit us in Corralejo!