Surfboard types
Seven families cover 95 per cent of what gets surfed: softboard, mid-length, fish, hybrid, shortboard, gun and longboard. Which one is yours follows from your level and the waves at your spot, and only then from the dimensions.
Each family exists to solve a different problem, and pushing it outside its dimension range turns it into something else. Choosing the right type matters more than fine-tuning half an inch inside the right type.
Which one is yours
- Softboard — Everyone's first few weeks, no exceptions, plus foam days with kids or friends who want a go.
- Mid-length — Anyone catching green waves but not consistently, and anyone coming back to the water after years away. Also whoever wants one board for everything.
- Fish — Anyone at intermediate level or above with a lot of small days. It is the board that saves entire summers.
- Hybrid — Anyone surfing consistently who wants one board that works on normal days without giving up turning.
- Shortboard — Anyone linking turns in most conditions and surfing often. Level matters far more than age or fitness.
- Gun — Upper intermediate and above, and only if you are genuinely going to surf waves over six feet.
- Longboard — Anyone after classic style, nose rides and paddling without effort. Also anyone surfing very small, long waves.
Ranges for each type
| Board | Length | Width | Thickness | Fill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softboard | 7'0" – 8'6" | 24 % | 2¾" – 3¾" | 0.60 |
| Mid-length | 6'6" – 8'0" | 26 % | 2⅛" – 3⅜" | 0.59 |
| Fish | 5'4" – 6'8" | 30 % | 2⅛" – 3" | 0.53 |
| Hybrid | 5'6" – 6'5" | 28 % | 2⅛" – 2⅞" | 0.57 |
| Shortboard | 5'6" – 7'0" | 27 % | 1¾" – 2⅞" | 0.55 |
| Longboard | 8'6" – 10'0" | 21 % | 2½" – 3½" | 0.61 |
| Gun | 7'0" – 9'6" | 22 % | 2⅜" – 3⅜" | 0.52 |
Width is expressed as a percentage of length. The fill factor is the fraction of the length × width × thickness box the board actually occupies: a fish fills 0.53 and a longboard 0.61, which is why two boards of the same length can float completely differently.