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Surfboard Reviews and Buying Guide:Surfing is an incredibly exhilarating sport that lets you glide and ride waves in the ocean. Much like skateboarding, you ride on a board and need great balance to stay up while the wave takes you up and down. For beginners, a soft surfboard (or foamie) is best because the soft foam construction makes them very buoyant which should allow you to catch more waves. The ideal length of a soft board is about 8' for an adult and 6' for a child. Beyond learning to surf, a pop-out board is a great surfboard for beginners too. For the more avid surfer, the top makers of surfboards are Rusty, Becker, Jacks, Channel Island and Santa Cruz. Channel Island Surfboards are the most popular brand searched for online with new models like the A6 Merrick, Red Beauty, CI Skinny Fish, TS2, and S-Core.
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Short Boards vs Long Boards:To get an idea of the differences and which brands are top rated, we suggest going online to Amazon.com. Yes, Amazon carries quite a few of the top selling models and their prices are very competitive. They have a wide selection of short boards here with prices ranging from about $200 to $500. The long boards have similar costs and you can see pictures, descriptions, and owner reviews posted on the site. Check out all the top selling long boards here. For those that can't seem to decide, perhaps the hybrid boards would be the best choice.
Surfboard Equipment - Wax - Bags - Fins - Rack:Surfing is a pretty inexpensive sport as long as you are not breaking/smashing boards all the time. You may need to get a surf rack, keep plenty of surf wax around, buy some fins and a surf leash (or legrope), and a surf bag. Wetsuits are optional, but most likely necessary in colder water areas like the Bay Area. We prefer doing our online shopping for surf equipment at Surferswarehouse.com where they carry surf videos, surfboard wax, surfboard bags, surfboard ding repair, surfboard fins, surfboard leashes, surfboard locks, surfboard nose guards, surfboard racks, surfboards, and wetsuits. Surfboard wax (Palmers, Sex Wax, Sticky Bumps) is about $7. Surfboard bags (Balin, Ocean Earth, StayCovered, Stickybumps) are from $60-$270. Block Surf leashes are about $20. A good surfboard rack from Snubber runs about $80. Surfboards are covered in more details above with prices and sizes.
Surfing Lesson:Surfing lessons can be as difficult as trying to learn golf. The basics in surfing are balance and wave preparedness, but so many other factors must be taught as well. You need to learn how to catch a wave, how to paddle, how to duck dive, how to stand up, and where to be positioned on the board for the various maneuvers. You need to understand wave priority and make sure you are not taking someone elses wave. Make sure you are a fit swimmer because you will need to swim with your board out to the waves. Be aware of rip currents and other surfers, and try to surf with a buddy if at all possible. The ocean can be a dangerous environment if not treated with respect. Never drink and surf and always know the surf conditions. Practice makes perfect so take a few lessons to learn the basics and then go to an area that has small waves you can enhance your skills on. Most surfing lessons are about $100 and include 2-3 hours of instruction to get you started.
Best Places to Surf:If you love to surf, then traveling will become a lifestyle for you. Most likely you didn't grow up in a place like Hawaii or Australia where the waves are incredible year round. Perhaps southern California was your hangout for years, but eventually you will want to test your surfing skills at the Pipeline in Hawaii or down in Brazil. The island of Santa Catarina has the best that Brazil has to offer with quality waves such as Santinho and Mocambique. Bali is another great destination for surfing consistent waves, warm water and not too many crowds. Bali picks up the swells from the Southern Ocean and from April to November will see consistent surf of up to 12 ft. This is also the dry season so it's the best time to come. Australia is our personal favorite with a huge coastline on 3 fronts, east, west and south. The surfing is good with consistent waves, world class surf conditions, and a variety of waves for all levels of surfer. Of course we couldn't leave off Hawaii with Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea, Jaws. You get powerful reefbreaks, Pipeline and some of the best waves on the planet. It can get crowded and a little expensive.
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