The best surfboard for beginners: volume, length and shape, explained by a Gold Coast shaper
More foam, more length, a forgiving outline. Here is how to size a first board properly, and which of our outlines are built for surfers who are still learning.
The best surfboard for a beginner has plenty of volume, length and width: enough foam to paddle easily, catch waves early and stand up on a stable platform. For your very first sessions that usually means a soft top or a longboard. Once you are catching waves and standing up, a mid-length, like our Asym | Mid, is the board most beginners progress fastest on.
The most common mistake is buying a board that is too small. A short board looks like what good surfers ride, but it paddles slowly, catches fewer waves and wobbles under your feet. Fewer waves means slower progress. Here is how to get the size right.
How much volume does a beginner need?
Volume is the amount of foam in the board, measured in litres. It is what floats you, and for a beginner it matters more than anything else.
Our volume calculator uses the guild factor method: your weight in kilograms, multiplied by a factor for your ability and the type of board. These are the beginner factors it uses.
| Board type | Beginner factor | 75 kg beginner | 90 kg beginner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shortboard | 0.55 to 0.62 | 41 to 46.5 L | 49.5 to 56 L |
| Fish or twin | 0.60 to 0.68 | 45 to 51 L | 54 to 61 L |
| Mid-length | 0.70 to 0.82 | 52.5 to 61.5 L | 63 to 74 L |
| Longboard | 0.95 to 1.10 | 71 to 82.5 L | 85.5 to 99 L |
So an 80 kg beginner on a mid-length works out at 80 x 0.70 to 0.82, about 56 to 66 litres. The calculator then nudges the number up for surfing less often, for age and for small, soft waves, and down for surfing most days.
The table also shows why a beginner shortboard is hard to find: a 75 kg beginner needs over 40 litres, which is a lot of foam for a short board. That is why beginners are better off on longer outlines, where the foam is spread out under them.
Volume is a starting point, not an order. Two boards with the same litres can feel nothing alike, which is why every custom starts with a conversation. More on that in what size surfboard should I get.
Which shape is best for beginners?
Length gives you paddle speed and glide. Width and a flatter rocker give you stability and help the board get going in small waves. A rounder, fuller outline is forgiving when your weight is in the wrong place, which, when you are learning, it often is.
These are our outlines with the ability ranges and wave ranges published on each board page.
| Model | Type | Ability | Waves (face) | Starting length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nude | Longboard | Longboard | Beginner to advanced | Any longboardable wave | Shown at 9'4" x 23" x 3" |
| Retro Fish | Fish | Beginner to advanced | 2ft to 6ft | Beginners: your height or taller |
| Asym | Mid | Asymmetric mid | Beginner to advanced | 3ft to 6ft | Set at your consultation |
| Duo, Asym, Blade | Shortboards and twins | Intermediate to advanced | 2ft to 6ft | Set at your consultation |
The Blade is our high-performance shortboard, designed around your height, weight, ability and style; it is built for speed and progressive surfing rather than learning.
For a first hard board, our current mid-length is the Asym | Mid. It is rated beginner to advanced, but it is built for points and A-frames from 3ft, so it makes more sense once you are surfing those waves. Before that, the Nude | Longboard, or a Retro Fish at your height or taller, is the easier start.
Is a longboard good for beginners?
Yes. A longboard has the most foam and the most length, so it paddles fastest, catches waves earliest and is the most stable to stand on. Our Nude | Longboard is published for beginner to advanced surfers. The trade-off is handling: a nine foot board is heavy to carry, harder to turn, and a handful in a shore break or a crowd. Many surfers learn on one, and many keep one forever for small, clean days.
Is a 7ft surfboard good for a beginner?
Often, yes, if it has the volume. A 7ft board is in mid-length territory, and a well shaped mid with enough litres for your weight is one of the best boards to learn on after a soft top or longboard. The length alone does not decide it, though. A thin, narrow 7ft board can be harder to ride than a thicker, wider 6'6". Check the litres against the table above.
Are fish surfboards good for beginners?
A fish can work, sized properly. On our Retro Fish, beginners ride it at their height or taller, intermediates 2 to 4 inches shorter, and advanced surfers 2 to 6 inches shorter. Joe is 6ft and rides a 5'5". If you are still learning to angle your take-offs, though, a mid-length is the easier place to start. There is more in fish vs mid-length vs longboard.
Soft top or hard board first?
For the first few sessions in the white water, a soft top is hard to beat: plenty of foam, forgiving when it hits you, and affordable. We repair soft tops too, if yours takes a knock.
Once you can catch unbroken waves and stand up most of the time, a hard board starts to pay off. It is faster, it turns, and it is built to your size instead of a stock one. That is the point where a custom mid-length makes sense.
Learning on the Gold Coast
The southern Gold Coast has two kinds of wave: the points, like Snapper, Kirra, Currumbin Alley and Burleigh, and the beach breaks in between. The points are long and often crowded. For learning, pick small, gentle days, surf patrolled beaches between the flags, and stay out of the line-up at the busy points until you can control your board. More waves on easier days beats a few scary ones.
Questions
More sizing answers on the volume calculator page.
What is the best surfboard for a beginner?
A board with plenty of volume, length and width. A soft top or longboard for the first sessions, then a mid-length. Our Nude | Longboard and Asym | Mid are both published for beginner to advanced surfers.
How many litres should a beginner surfboard be?
Multiply your weight in kilograms by a beginner factor: 0.70 to 0.82 for a mid-length, or 0.95 to 1.10 for a longboard. For an 80 kg beginner that is about 56 to 66 litres in a mid-length. Use the volume calculator for your own numbers.
What length surfboard should a beginner ride?
Usually a mid-length or longer, with enough volume for your weight. A 7ft board with the right litres is a good step after a soft top or longboard. Joe sets the exact length with you at the free consultation.
Should a beginner start on a longboard?
Yes. It paddles fastest, catches waves earliest and is the most stable to stand on. Our Nude | Longboard is published for beginner to advanced surfers. It is heavier and harder to turn, which matters in a shore break or a crowd.
Can a beginner ride a fish surfboard?
They can be, sized at your height or taller. Our Retro Fish is published for beginner to advanced surfers in 2ft to 6ft waves, but a mid-length is usually the easier first hard board.
