When Is the Right Time to Graduate from a Wavestorm?
The Wavestorm has probably introduced more people to surfing than any other surfboard in America.
That's not an insult. It's an accomplishment.
For well over a decade, millions of people have caught their first waves on an 8-foot Wavestorm. They're inexpensive, forgiving, durable enough for beach days, and they make surfing accessible in a way few products ever have.
If your goal is simply to get into the ocean and start catching waves, it's hard to argue with what the Wavestorm has done for surfing.
But eventually, many surfers begin asking a different question.
"What's next?"
Five Signs You're Ready for The Next Step:
A big soft top with generous rocker and a ton of float is a great board to start surfing.
It's not necessarily the board you'll want to keep surfing as your understanding of surfing begins to grow.
Here are a few signs you might be ready for the next step.
1. You're catching waves consistently.
You're no longer wondering if you'll stand up.
Now you're thinking about trimming down the line and choosing better waves.
2. You're surfing regularly.
If you're paddling out once or twice every Summer the Wavestorm may continue to make perfect sense. But if surfing has become part of your routine—every Saturday morning, before work, or whenever the forecast looks promising—you'll begin to appreciate a board built for years of regular use.
3. You're tired of replacing inexpensive boards.
There's nothing wrong with buying an affordable board to see if surfing sticks.
But once it has, many surfers realize they'd rather buy one board they'll still enjoy years from now than keep replacing disposable ones.
If you blow out your first Wavestorm through heavy use, you’re ready for something else.
4. You're paying attention to how your board feels.
One of the challenges with many entry-level foam boards is that they're designed primarily around the first few sessions.
At some point, you stop thinking about whether you'll stand up.
You start paying attention to how your board trims, turns, and carries speed across the wave.
5. You're introducing friends or family to surfing.
One of the things we hear most often from Joy owners is that the board gets a ton of use.
Dad surfs it, then the kids, then a friend who's visiting from out of town.
Where the 8'0 R-Series Joy Fits
We never designed our R-Series Joy to compete with the Wavestorm. It just happens to be a really good fit for the season that comes after it. It's trying to make the next ten years of surfing more enjoyable.
The R-Series Joy catches waves easily, has the durability people appreciate in a foam board, and uses a shape we've been refining for more than 18 years. It's the board we recommend to people who know they're going to keep surfing.
- Made in the USA
- Recyclable
- No wax required
- Real rails and Futures fins
- Based on our most popular fiberglass shape
Most importantly, it's designed around a simple idea: The best surfboard is the one that gets you surfing more often.
Learn more about the Joy here.
A Board That Grows With You
Many first surfboards are designed to be replaced. The Joy is designed to stay in your quiver.
We've watched complete beginners learn on it.
We've watched intermediate surfers continue riding it years later.
We've watched surf parents teach their kids on the same board.
We’ve watched really good surfers keep this board in their quiver when the waves are small.
We were trying to build the workhorse of your quiver—a board that catches waves easily and feels at home in a wide range of conditions.
So... When Is the Right Time?
If you're still figuring out whether surfing is for you, keep surfing your Wavestorm.
Seriously.
Keep catching waves, wear it out, have fun. But if you've reached the point where surfing has become part of your life—not just something you tried once on vacation—it may be time for a board built for the next chapter.
Not sure if you're ready yet?
Take our Which Surfboard Is Right for You? quiz. We'll recommend the board we'd choose if you walked into our shop—even if the answer isn't the Joy.
