Whether you're just learning how to surf, or hoping to move on to a more advanced board style, choosing the right size board is one of the most important and challenging decisions you'll have to make during what you hope will be a long and glorious surfing career.

In the words of the great Kim Kardashian, "You don't put a bumper sticker on a Bentley," which elegantly translates to don't buy a fancy skateboard if you can't ride it.

In my somewhat lengthy analogy, I would say that for your first surfboard, you will need something that can catch a lot of waves. Even if you're the next John John Florence, if you can't stand up on the board, you're going to struggle. Choosing the right board for you can be very difficult, so I'll walk you through it step by step, giving me some surfing wisdom along the way.

What dimensions should my surfboard be?

Before you buy any surfboard, you must understand exactly what you are buying (or at least let me explain it for you). Each surfboard you see has a series of numbers in the middle. Length. Width. Thickness. The volume. The first three measurements are its size, while volume is a measure of how much space the plate takes up in the water. These numbers basically determine the board's buoyancy, agility and ability to perform in different conditions.

The two most important measurements to start with are length and volume. If a board is larger, it is more buoyant and easier to catch waves. Similar to length, the longer the board, the easier it is to surf. That's why longboards are traditionally considered the easiest to ride -- they're long (about 8 feet) and bulky.

As you get better as a surfer, you'll become more comfortable with your board and its features, learning how to notice small changes in its size. But before you get to that point, we've conducted a survey to help you choose the board you need and its size.

Before you buy any surfboard, you must understand exactly what you are buying (or at least let me explain it for you). Each surfboard you see has a series of numbers in the middle. Length. Width. Thickness. The volume. The first three measurements are its size, while volume is a measure of how much space the plate takes up in the water. These numbers basically determine the board's buoyancy, agility and ability to perform in different conditions.

The two most important measurements to start with are length and volume. If a board is larger, it is more buoyant and easier to catch waves. Similar to length, the longer the board, the easier it is to surf. That's why longboards are traditionally considered the easiest to ride -- they're long (about 8 feet) and bulky.

As you get better as a surfer, you'll become more comfortable with your board and its features, learning how to notice small changes in its size. But before you get to that point, we've conducted a survey to help you choose the board you need and its size.


What kind of board should I pick?

Foamies

The surfboards you see at almost every beginner surf camp are foam boards. The deck is foam, not fiberglass. This means that if it hits you or anyone else in the water, the board is much safer. Foam boards are usually long, wide and bulky. This makes the board float more, making it easier to stand up. The best surfboard for your first surfing lesson.


Longboards

Longboards are leisure crafts in the surfing world. Requires minimal effort, is easy to paddle, you just need to slide. As a beginner, you'll want a board with a low weight to volume ratio to give you as much time as possible when the time is right. The longboard is the board. It's great for small waves because they float on flat parts, and because it carries your momentum perfectly.This is not to say that longboards are exclusively for beginners. In the longboard world, there are many different design variations. One trick I'm sure you know is at five or ten, the surfer's feet are in front of the board, toes dangling. To do this, you need a special longboard style and a lot of skill.


Shortboards

These are the boards that the majority of people you see use. From those surfers out in your local lineup to the professionals surfing on the world tour. Shortboards are very fast and easy to maneuver because they are short (under 6 and a half feet) and are relatively thin. Another big plus of a shortboard is that it is much easier to duckdive with, allowing you to take on bigger waves. However because of this they aren’t ideal for your average beginner surfer.However, if you think you’re ready to make the step up, I’d only really recommend purchasing your first shortboard if you’ve mastered the arts of paddling, taking off and turning a longboard or a hybrid board.


Fish

The Fish is a product of California innovation of the 60’s and 70’s. It is characterized by its alternate fin set ups, its unique tail shape and its high volume. It is sometimes seen as a stepping stone between the longboard and the shortboard. While the board is significantly shorter than a longboard, it maintains the volume which helps the board to glide.The Fish truly produces a unique style of surfing. It is the ultimate board for carving long turns in slow mushy waves. Perfect for summer conditions when the swell is weak.


Hybrid Boards

Hybrid shortboards and various other boards such as the Mini Mal and the Egg are all designed to have qualities of both the short and longboard. Mini Mals are perfect either as your fist board or as a step up from a foam board. They have very similar characteristics to a longboard, with the exception that they are a few feet shorter and almost always have three fins whereas longboards vary between one and three. Perhaps the main reason why they’re so popular as a beginner board is because they float well, paddle well, are much lighter than longboards, and are far easier to maneuver.

All in all, you’re probably pretty overwhelmed by all this and to be honest, I can’t really blame you. It does take a long time to properly wrap your head around the concepts of board dimensions and the different models of surfboards. It takes even longer to understand your own personal relationship with a surfboard and how you react to changes. Luckily for you, we’ve designed an advanced algorithm that will sort all that out for you!