Beginners guide
Buy the correct board for the level of surfer you are today, not for who you want to become!
You might look cool carrying a short board from the car to the water, but it is all about catching waves and having fun. It takes time to progress far enough to be able to ride a short board if that is what you want to ride in the future. To get there you will need a few lessons because any one can stand up on a board but standing up in the correct way is going to be key to your success. So, what will you need? A foam board would be our recommendation. Why? - because they make learning fun to start with and they also have a great talent for catching waves. The more you catch, the quicker you will learn, they are safer for you and everyone else around you.
Details about dimensions:
Thickness: Volume is everything…well almost everything. Selecting a good beginner board has a lot to do with making sure it has plenty of volume for your body weight. Lots of volume in a board makes it float better and for someone learning it makes it easier to get to your feet and most importantly to catch waves!!
Width: When starting out, a nice wide board will give you stability when popping up and will be a little more forgiving when you make mistakes. We recommend choosing a board around 20’’+ wide.
Length: A big board is more forgiving, easier to stand up on and catch waves on but can be more challenging to handle and manoeuvre for a junior or small adult. We recommend something in the range of 7ft for a lightweight user and 7’6-9ft for taller or heavier riders. The only downside is, it is a bit more of a challenge to manoeuvre but you will get the hang of it.
We recommend the SoftDog Skool range:
Skool Dog 7'2 Width 24” Volume 64L+
Skool Dog 8'0 Width 25” Volume 84L+
Skool Dog 9'0 Width 25” Volume 96L+
We will be getting this range of boards at Two Seasons in May/June 2021, in the meantime please browse our currently boards here. For further information regarding buying surf equipment or to learn more about the basics please contact our specialist surf store in Plymouth and they will be happy to have a chat with you for all you surfing needs.
