Surfboard for a beginner
Starting out you need 85 to 100 per cent of your weight in litres: 68 to 80 litres at 176 lb (80 kg). That means a softboard between 7'6" and 8'6", and the high end of the range is the right one until you catch green waves comfortably.
L/kg0.85–1.00
ShapeSoftboard
At 176 lb68–80 L
Starting out means you do not yet catch already-formed waves on your own, or you catch them in the foam. At that point the only thing that matters is the number of waves: each wave is a repetition, and repetitions are what build your reading of the ocean and your paddling technique. A board with litres to spare multiplies those repetitions.
The volume you need here is the highest of the whole journey, and that throws people because it looks like a "surf school" board. It is exactly that, and it is the right call for a few months.
| weight | Small and soft | A bit of everything | With wall and power | Big and hollow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 lb | 50 L Softboard | 49 L Softboard | 47 L Softboard | 49 L Softboard |
| 132 lb | 60 L Softboard | 58 L Softboard | 56 L Softboard | 58 L Softboard |
| 154 lb | 70 L Softboard | 68 L Softboard | 65 L Softboard | 68 L Softboard |
| 176 lb | 80 L Softboard | 78 L Softboard | 75 L Softboard | 78 L Softboard |
| 198 lb | 90 L Softboard | 87 L Softboard | 84 L Softboard | 87 L Softboard |
| 220 lb | 100 L Softboard | 97 L Softboard | 93 L Softboard | 97 L Softboard |
Each cell is the recommended volume and the shape that goes with that weight in those waves. It comes from the same function that answers in the calculator, at average frequency and age 30.
The typical mistake at this level
Buying the board you want to own in two years instead of the one you need this month. A board thirty litres under what you need does not speed up your progress: it leaves you without waves, and without waves there is no progress.
When to move on
Once you catch green waves without a push and start turning, drop to a mid-length and take out fifteen to twenty-five litres. That is the most noticeable jump of the whole journey.