Best Surfboards for Beginners: How to Choose the Right One
When you are learning to surf, your primary goal should be to catch as many waves as possible. In order to do that effectively, you need to be riding a board that paddles well AND is easy to manage.
Catching lots of waves involves more than just a board that paddles well, you also have to get it to the beach, carry it to the water, navigate the surf lineup, and be able to control it once you're up and riding.
Essentially, you are looking for the surfboard equivalent of Goldilocks's porridge: not to big, not too small, just right.
Big enough to catch waves. Small enough to manage and control.
So, if versatility is what you seek, you should look toward the middle of the spectrum of surfboard design. While a 10' longboard might paddle great and catch waves with ease, it is hard to control for a novice surfer that isn't accustomed to the footwork required. And while a 6'0 shortboard is easily whipped around at will—it's far too small for a novice to effectively catch waves on.
So, our "just right" advice for every aspiring surfer is in the middle: the 8 foot Joy. More specifically, the 8'0 R-Series Joy.
The R-Series is our unique answer to the typical "soft top". It's a durable, fiberglass-free version of some of our all-time best selling custom surfboard shapes. And it lacks some of the things that I hate about "soft tops", namely, the slick plastic bottom that's glued on and destined to fail. But we can discuss surfboard construction in more detail another time. Today is about you and setting you up for many years of surfing success.
The 8'0 R-Series Joy is the perfect board for beginner and novice surfers looking to maximize their time in the water and grow their wave-count in pursuit of surfing proficiency.
It's durable, it paddles great, it turns well from the middle (thanks to the elliptical outline) and is incredibly proven. (We have sold thousands of Joy models over the past 16 years both as custom surfboards and in our best selling R-Series construction).
If you are serious about becoming a confident, well-rounded surfer my advice to you would be to:
- Read Almond's Guide to Your First Year of Surfing
- Grab our 8'0 R-Series Joy.
- Find a longboard-friendly surf spot near your house (longboard-friendly waves tend to be the best places for beginners and novices to hone their skills)
- Commit to surfing regularly. (Whether regularly for you is daily, weekly, or every-other-week.)
Don't waste your time on the wrong equipment, if you are serious about improving your surfing you need the right board for the job.
Order your 8'0 R-Series Joy today and get your surfing journey started off on the right foot.
