Surfing is one of the most enjoyable sporting activity and it has acquired immense popularity these days. When people first start out one of the most important things they are going to need is a surfboard. Surfboards for beginners is quite different from the surfboards that are designed for professionals. Read on to find out more about what makes a good surfboard for beginners.
1. Fiberglass or Foam
All surfboards are not equal or shaped the same or made out of the same material. Learners need a surfboard that offers good buoyancy. Surfboards that are made out of foam material floats well on water and thus are best suited for newbies. Foam surfboards or foamies are usually carved out of a single long piece of foam. These boards are thick and have great flotation so they are perfect for beginners. They are also soft so falling on them isn’t quite so painful. Poor performance is the only disadvantage of such type of surfboards. Pop out surfboards are manufactured in a factory assembly line. Such type of surfboards have a core structure made out of foam on top of which there is a thick fiber glass coating. This makes them quite heavy however they provide good stability over the water and can be used for a very long time. Getting hit with one hurts! Pop outs can be used both by beginners as well as skilled surfers. They are not very expensive. Custom boards are pricy and made to order so they’re best suited only for those professional surfers.
2. Length and Shape
The length and thickness of the surfboard matters a lot. Surfboard that is long and thick will offer better flotation. These type of surfboards are not suited for experienced surfers but they are a good choice for newbies. As per the recommendations of surfing experts, beginners need to use pop outs which are three feet longer than their height. Foam boards are constructed in a manner which makes their length less important but generally adults are recommended to use a foamy which is eight feet long and for children it needs to be at least six feet long.
3. Rent a Board
You can actually rent a surfboard from just about all surf shops and surfing schools all have rentals as well. Instead of spending money purchasing a new surf board, you can actually rent a low performance beginner surf board from these sources and make use of them until you gain some experience in surfing. Once you have gained experienced and you are sure that you want to continue with the sport, you should purchase a brand new one for yourself.
4. New or Used
You can buy a used surfboard for a much lower price than brand new ones. You can easily find a good beginner surfboard from a secondhand surfboard market. Shop around at local surf spots or on the web.
5. Surfing Accessories
Surfboards for beginners are the main piece of equipment which people learning the sport will require but there are accessories which can help make the sport safer and more enjoyable. Before getting a good balance on the surfboard, learners tend to fall a lot and therefore it is an excellent idea to have a leash to keep them connected with the board so that they don’t have to chase them after each fall. It should be about the same length as their board. To provide good traction for the feet on the slippery surface, all kinds of surfboards are coated with a layer of surf wax on the top deck but foamies are an exception. Surfers may need a wetsuit to keep themselves warm and comfortable while they are surfing in cool waters.