I was talking to a guy named Brandon recently who works at a wave pool and he said something that I keep thinking about:
To paraphrase, he said:
"So many people show up with the wrong board for their session. It's not the beginners, when someone is a true beginner we throw them on a big, giant soft top that will float them and help them catch their first waves.
And it's not the true experts. We get plenty of surfers who show up and want us to fire up the machine and make the best air section or barrel we can produce.
It's almost always the intermediate surfers. They show up on boards that are too small, struggle to catch waves consistently, and spend half their session frustrated.
When you've paid for a one-hour session, you want to catch every wave that comes your way."
Now, let's apply that same logic to the ocean.
None of us gets unlimited surf sessions. We only get so many good mornings, beach days, and clean waves. Don't waste them because you're riding the wrong equipment.
We say this a lot around here, but wave count really is one of the biggest drivers of both surfing progression and surfing enjoyment. You can't get better if you aren't getting the reps.
Every time you paddle out, your board should give you the right balance of wave-catching confidence, paddling ease, and control for the kind of surfing you're trying to do.
More often than not, that probably means riding a little more board than you think you need.
I'd much rather see someone ride a board that's an inch or two longer, catch more waves, and learn where to stand to turn it well than ride a board that feels "high performance" but leaves them scratching for waves all session.
That's why, when someone is deciding between two lengths of the same model, I almost always tell them:
Every time you paddle out, you should ride the board that is going to give you the right blend of wave-count / paddling confidence, and control (for the kind of surfing you want to do).
Whenever a customer is debating between two lengths of the same model, I tell them "my general rule is, when in doubt go with the one that's 1 to 2" longer, you will be happier with the wave count and can figure out the turning as you get familiar and comfortable with the board."
The extra wave count is immediate, and the turning will come with familiarity.
Here is the aformentioned Brandon surfing a 6'0 R-Series Survey at Waco Surf in Texas, making the most of every wave that comes his way.
Photo: Courtesy of Rob Henson
