Have you ever been to the beach? If so have you ever bodysurfed or boogie boarded? Did you have a lot of fun doing those things? If the answer to any or all of the above is yes, then maybe you should think about learning to surf too. Sure it looks hard and maybe even a little scary too, but it is not impossible to learn and there are surfing schools out there that will teach you how to surf. When you decide you want to learn to surf there is really only one thing you need and that is a surfboard or more to the point a beginner surfboard.
There are a few types of surfboards that will make a great beginner surfboard, but the one that is perhaps best for the job is the soft surfboard. There are many pros to using a soft surfboard or foamie for learning to surf. First off they are made of foam and that is good because they are very light and buoyant. Secondly, since they are made of foam your physical injuries can be minimized even if it does not minimize the injuries to your pride, which is guaranteed until you get better at surfing. One more good thing about a foamie is that newbie’s can catch waves a lot easier and learn to stand a lot quicker too.
Another good beginner surfboard type is the pop-out. The pop-out surfboard is an entirely different stick from a soft surfboard by the way that it is made. While a soft surfboard is made of foam a pop-out surfboard is foam covered over with a thick fiberglass coat. This kind of board is loads heavier and virtually indestructible, which is a good thing for a beginner. The reasons that a beginner might want to learn on a pop-out is that it is a lot more steady in the water than a foamie and another reason is minimal board performance. The real downside to pop-out is of course its weight and that what it hits it will hurt.
Some custom surfboards are okay to use as a beginner surfboard, but the board you choose is very important. For starters stay away from thrusters or short boards because there is nothing about the design that will do a newbie any good. If you want to learn on a custom or glassed surfboard then steer more towards a mini-mal because they are longer, wider, and thicker. Another good thing about a mini-mal is that it will have excellent buoyancy, which will help the beginner surfer to catch waves much easier. The real downside to buying a mini-mal is the price because they can cost big time.
Another good custom for a beginner surfboard is the venerable longboard or Malibu as it is also called can benefit a beginner who is learning to surf. The longboard has all of the same attributes as a mini-mal and is even longer too. It is not that easy to turn a longboard because of its length, and another downside is that since they do not maneuver so easy it makes stepping down to a mini-mal difficult and even more so to a shortboard. However, they do provide a stable platform and catching a wave on a longboard is easier to do as a beginner than say on a thruster.