Your Cart is Empty
FREE Shipping WORLDWIDE | $5 OFF Use Code SURF5BUCKS
One of the main questions that people ask about when they are talking about are foam surfboards is whether or not they are good for surfing.
In fact the answer is both yes and no.
While they are able to provide some level of buoyancy to a board, they are also heavy and difficult to handle when you are doing your own weight bearing tricks on them.
If you are just getting started in surfing or are trying out different tricks then you will probably want to go with a normal board.
If you are a beginner it might be difficult to you to pop up on a surfboard. But keep on trying, it's all about practice. However, if you are an experienced surfer then you are probably thinking about changing it up a bit. What are foam surfboards good for are those who are new to the sport or are doing tricks like what are called knee taps. They are easy to learn how to do, and can be used by beginners as well as professionals, especially if the rider has a good instructor. Keep in mind that surfing can be dangerous, so always be careful and don't go far away.
One of the advantages of a foam board is that they are more firm than the soft bic boards that are on the market. This makes them much better to use when doing different kinds of acrobatic moves. In fact experts recommend some kind of rigid foam surfboard for those that are going to be doing some knee tapping tricks.
The foam board is also much wider than other types of board that are available. This allows for more opportunities to catch waves. It is also great for catchments. Surfing is done in areas that have some kind of lip on them because it helps to trap the moisture that is in the air. The foam board is much more streamlined so that it can catch a wider range of waves and have more stability than other surfboards.
One disadvantage of the foam boards for beginners is that they are heavier than regular boards. The best way for a beginner to get used to the extra weight is to find someone with more experience. A good instructor will let you catch a few waves before he lets you go out with your new board. Most good surf instructors will not let beginners ride their regular board out in public until they are sure that you can handle the increased weight. The more experience an instructor has with teaching people how to surf, the less likely it is that you are going to be on a regular board out in public before long.
Another disadvantage of foam surfboards is that their trucks are usually made out of a material called corex. This plastic bottom is what makes up most of the middle section of most surfboards. The corex is usually made out of a hard plastic material that does not allow the surfboard to flex when the rider does a powerful turn. Corex surfboards are typically thicker than regular surfboards. The reason for this is that the extra weight makes for a board that can withstand more wear and tear.
One last advantage of foam boards is that they are much better at absorbing the impacts as well. If you are riding on a rock or hard sand, your beachboard is probably going to get dinged up pretty badly. On a foam board, however, the extra plastic does not allow that board to take as much abuse before becoming unusable. This is one of the best reasons that good quality riding boards are always made out of foam.
If you are looking to find a good foam board, the best option may be to look for one with a good quality corex layer. The more layers of polyethylene that are in the foam board, the more rigid it will be and the more durable it will be. The extra layers are just like putting layers of rubber on a car. It makes the car more resilient but it also increases the price of the car.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Poglianich
Content Strategist
Olivia Poglianich is a nomadic brand strategist and copywriter in the surf, watersports and outdoor adventure space who has worked with brands such as Visa, Disney and Grey Goose. Her writing has taken her all over the world, from a Serbian music festival to a Malaysian art and culture event. Olivia is a graduate of Cornell University and is often writing or reading about travel, hospitality, the start-up ecosystem or career coaching. Her latest interests are at the intersection of web3 and communal living, both on and offline.
