Surfing is something that you never stop learning, but there does come a time when  you start to progress and new surfboards are needed.  Most beginner surfers learn to surf on huge foam boards, so choosing a board to progress to is a really exciting stage of surfing.  One of the best things you can do whilst on your surf holiday is to try out different surfboards to find out what type of surfing you enjoy most.  Here is a quick glimpse into the main different types of boards you can rent:
 
  • 1- Shortboards


After surfing the larger foam boards shortboards will feel like hard work.  They are less stable, but a lot of fun.  Whether made of fibreglass or epoxy resin, shortboards are designed to be very maneuverable, easy to duck dive, and will provide a lot of speed.  These boards are anything between 5ft8” to 7ft in length and enable surfers to drop into fast paced waves, carve, pump, and maximize a lot of different types of waves.  Progressing to shortboards can be difficult, but if you choose slightly larger and more buoyant boards you'll soon adapt and enjoy the freedom the boards bring.   
 
  • 2- Fish


For a more retro style of surfing, fish shaped boards bring a different feel to riding a wave.  Instead of being very fast paced like a shortboard, fish boards give a cruisey buttery style of riding.  They are normally very thick, giving a lot of buoyancy, and wide, which gives stability.  Fish shaped boards tend to be around 5ft6” to 6ft, and will have either 2 or 4 fins, enabling the board to slide across waves and give a very fluid feel to the wave.  These boards are one of the best ways to progress to a shortboard after learning to surf on a mini mal.
 
  • 3- Longboard


Probably one of the most natural progressions from a beginners board, longboards are cruisey and very easy to surf.  They will catch most waves, especially smaller waves.  Longboards are very forgiving as they are so stable and will enable you to catch a lot of waves.  Usually 8ft plus in length, they can be made of epoxy or fibre glass, but if you want to try something very traditional, see if you can rent a wooden longboard.  These boards will have you up and riding very quickly, but mastering a longboard is something else as they have their own tricks and maneuvers such as walking to the end of the nose, spinning the board or even having a friend jump onto the board with you.  So next time you are staying at one of our surf camps, make sure you try out lots of different boards and really have fun in the surf.