How to choose a surfboard: straight answers, not a sales pitch
Updated 2026-09-20
How many boards do you actually need. Whether a mid-length beats a longboard for you. Whether a fish is hard to ride. Whether a cheap board is a false economy. When a custom order is worth the wait. This section answers the questions people type into a search box before they buy a board, using boards actually bought, ridden and in most cases sold again, not a shop's buying guide.
Nobody here is trying to sell you a board. There are no affiliate links on this site and nobody pays for a mention. So when the answer is "don't buy," that is what gets written.
What this section covers
The questions are the ones I get asked, and the ones I asked myself before wasting money: how many boards you actually need, whether a mid-length beats a longboard for you, whether a fish is hard to ride, whether a cheap board is a false economy, when a custom order is worth the wait, and how volume actually works once you get past the marketing number on a sticker.
Some answers come with real numbers behind them, drawn from how those boards actually break down by material, by build path and by what stayed versus what sold. The rest come from riding the boards, in real conditions, more than once.
For how volume actually works, see surfboard volume explained. If you are still deciding what kind of board fits your waves and your build, start with what I ask myself before any purchase.
Questions people ask
Do I need to read every page here before I buy a board?
No. Start with the one closest to your actual question. Most of these pages stand on their own and link sideways to the others when a related question comes up.
Is any of this sponsored?
No. The site earns from advertising, not from board sales, and no shaper or shop pays for placement here.
Pages in this section
- Are cheap surfboards a waste of money? I bought one to find out
- Are fish surfboards hard to ride? The direct answer
- Custom or stock surfboard? When paying for custom is worth it
- How many surfboards do you need? A straight answer
- Mid-length or longboard? What the length numbers actually show
- Surfboard for bigger surfers: what actually worked at 100 kg
- Surfboard for small waves: grovellers, fish and mids compared
- Surfboard volume explained: what the liter number actually tells you
- Twin, quad or thruster: which fin setup actually suits you
- Which surfboard should I get? The checklist I use before buying
- EPS or PU surfboard? What years of riding both taught me
- Fish or mid-length? How to tell which one suits you
- Surfboard for older surfers: paddle power over performance
- What is a mid-length surfboard? A practical definition
- Which softboard is best? Four compared side by side