What board do I need?
Buying a surfboard can be a very complicated endeavour. Un-like many sports, the main tool in surfing (the board) has a huge array of basic shapes and sizes. When you look closer at the issue, these shapes get more and more refined, with small almost unperceivable differences. All of these differences can be very confusing at first sight. And most of the numbers and names are irrelevant for the total beginner.
If you are buying your first board the most important thing is to be honest with yourself regarding your skill level. Exaggerating your skills to yourself or the surf shop will only result in a slow and painfully unrewarding learning curve, as you will probably be kitted out with a board that is too small for your skills.
Total Beginner
Whatever you may want, a total beginner (less than a handful of sessions in the water) will need a big forgiving surfboard. You will be looking for something which is at least your height plus an extended arm above your head. So an adult of about 6 ft ill be looking for something between 8ft and 8 ½ ft, and so on. The type of board you are looking for is called a mini-mal (literally meaning 'small Malibu', the Malibu being the classic longboard) . These boards are very stable due to plenty of width, they are easy and fast to paddle due to the length, and they catch lots and lots of waves!
Get one that you like the look of, and don't assume that you have to have a cheap construction. It's important that you have pride in your board, as it can make a real psychological difference in the water. A minimal can be a very good looking board if shaped in the right hands.
What are these boards like to surf? I hear you ask...
They are easy to paddle, which is what you will want as you start to develop your surfing arm muscles.
They catch as many waves as you can handle. This is due to the overall volume and size of the board. A bigger board will harness more of the wave's natural energy, combined with the fast paddle speed this equates to catching more waves. A big board will probably get 'on the plane' faster than a small board... this doesn't mean that its going to fly away without you... 'Planning' is when a surfboard goes fast enough to skim along the surface of the water, rather than push its way through. This means you will be going faster and having more fun more often.
They are wide and stable so they won't wobble about as much when you are trying to stand up, and they will turn smoothly and consistently. They will also allow you to stand up when the board is moving quite slowly, perfect if you got to your feet a bit late and the wave is just white water.
How long will I be riding a mini-mal?
In simple terms you will need to stay on a mini-mal up until the point you are using your own surfing skill to accelerate along the wave, and you are no longer relying on the power of the wave itself. You will also want to be starting to make fairly confident turns, at the bottom and higher up the wave.
Intermediate Boards
First of all is to assess whether you are ready for the next step in board shapes.
As an intermediate surfer you are making fairly confident turns all over the wave face. You can take off on most waves when you put your mind to it. You can get out back without too much difficulty on most days. You no longer rely on the power of the wave alone to get you moving along, but instead can use your skills to increase your speed on demand and have gained an awareness of what to do on the approaching wave face to make the ride a successful one.
If this is you read on...
Intermediate boards split the pack 3 ways these days... Retro, Modern Shortboard or Longboard.
All are acceptable intermediate shapes, but they all equate to a different surfing style.
Which one are you?
Retro boards
Eggs, magic carpets, retro rockets,... they are all shapes of a bygone era which have over the last few years seen a soaring increase in popularity. This is because they force a laid back cruisy style, and they go really well on mushy British waves (ok they are not always mushy but lets not pretend we live in Indo). These boards have plenty of Foam in them, so they catch a lot of waves, and they tend to be quite wide.
Modern Shortboard
Aspiring Kelly Slater or not, these are the boards which most surfers ride. They offer the highest potential performance, and tend to be suited to an aggressive surfing style. You may not be at the point where you can take advantage of the boards full capability, but you can still ride one of these boards... with one important point kept well in mind... DO NOT GO TOO SMALL!!! Too many intermediate surfers slow their progress by buying a board that is too small, too thin, too narrow or too short. Once again be really honest with your surf shop at this point. Explain what you can do in a typical session, your style of riding and where you would like to take your surfing.
Longboard
Longboarding is the original surfing style, and has attracted many converts in recent years, and with Britsh Longboarders like Ben Skinner flying the flag for the discipline, its not hard to see why. Despite what many beginners think, longboards are not really easy to ride. They require a whole new skill set compared to shortboards, but if you are coming off a mini-mal, you will be at a good point to start learning. Longboards paddle very fast, are difficult to get through breaking waves, can catch the smallest of summer swells and offer a very soulful approach to the sport of surfing. Saying that there are plenty of performance shape which are aimed for those wanting to rip it up a bit!
Materials
Surfboards come in many different construction methods.
Wood
In days of yore boards were all made from wood, either balsa or something similar. This in probably not the way you really want to go, unless you are willing to spend a lot of money on something which you will probably damage. Great on a wall though! Expect to pay thousands for a hand shaped wooden surfboard.
Custom Glass
A polyurethane core wrapped in fibreglass sheeting and then coated in resin. This is the most common surfboard construction, and is the longest running and most universally appreciated type to date. These boards can be made by hand by a surfboard shaper. Very light they perform well, and have a subtle flex, however they are certainly not bullet proof and the owner must be careful not to hit them on hard objects....rocks....other boards.... Car roofs, as they can be damaged.
Foam
Most people's first memory of surfing will be floundering around in waist depth water with a big blue or yellow foam board. Made in a similar way to other boards but with no hard coating, and by using stiff and heavy foam to provide the strength. These boards will have a slick bottom to allow for some speed, and are ideal for first timers, although most people will 'out grow' them within a season or less. They are very safe for kids though, so a great family option.
Pop-out
A derogatory term laid on boards which are mass produced from moulds. Quite obvious to spot as they tend to weigh a fair bit and have a seam line running around them. Tough as old nails though, and a great option for those on a budget.
Epoxy
Epoxy boards are unsurprisingly made from Epoxy, a light and very strong resin, which replaces the resin previously used for custom boards. By using epoxy, they have to use a polystyrene core as opposed to polyurethane, which also contributes to the weight loss. Epoxy boards are very strong, and very light, as they can often do away with the wooden 'stringer' which traditionally provides a boards strength, as the board is strong enough without. They are also slightly more buoyant than traditional boars and have a stiffer flex.
Parabolics/carbon rails/firewire etc etc
Surfboard technology has moved forwards leaps and bounds in recent years. We now have a mind boggling array of tech to take advantage of. A lot of these changes have resulted in loosing the stringer of the surfboard, which has been replaced by very strong rails. This results in a board with very active flex properties, which can in the right hands give a faster turning and more snappy board.
Whats the best material for a beginner?
To be honest it doesn't hugely matter. Although as a beginner you will be falling off and onto your board quite a lot, so it may be sensible to go for something which will survive all the abuse you throw at it. An epoxy board is very often the beginners board of choice nowadays and with such reasonably priced handmade epoxy boards coming out of China now you can see why!
