Which softboard is best? Four compared side by side
Updated 2026-09-19
The single feature that matters most on a softboard is whether the fins can be removed and swapped. A cheap softie with glued-in, fixed fins will always feel limited. A softie with a proper fin box, FCS or Futures, can grow with you from a first wave to years of casual use.
The budget option
A 7'0 budget softie, picked up below its listed price, sits at the cheap end of the category. It is thick, around three and a half inches, with a wide nose and a narrow tail, and it copped a fair bit of use before starting to show ripples and distortion in the deck. The fins on this one are a single fixed piece, bolted in with no way to change them. That is its real limitation: fine for an absolute beginner in junky, low-quality waves, but something you outgrow quickly the moment you want to try a different fin feel.
A mid-range step up
A 6'6 board with a racier bottom shape and a slimmer profile than the budget option, about 53 liters, was picked up at 50 percent off its usual price during a shop closing sale. Its fins are held in with screws rather than glue, meaning a swap to a proper FCS-style fin set is possible, though in practice it mostly gets ridden with the fins that came with it for close-in, shorebreak-style sessions where board control near other people matters more than fin performance.
A dedicated beginner model
A 7'6 model built specifically as a first-timer's board, about 57.5 liters, includes a grab handle for easier carrying and comes with genuinely soft, forgiving removable fins on an FCS II style setup. The construction includes a composite stringer and a mild vee and double concave in the bottom, more contour than a typical beginner softie carries, which makes it more capable than it needs to be for a first-timer, useful if the rider progresses quickly.
A more advanced softie
A second board in the same range, also 7'6 but thinner and about a kilogram heavier due to denser construction, costs more than the dedicated beginner model and swaps to a Futures-compatible fin box rather than FCS II. It is built with several layers of fiberglass over a recyclable EPS core, closer in feel to a fiberglass board than a typical softie. It suits an intermediate rider who wants a low-stress board that will not be outgrown as quickly as a pure beginner model.
Softboards travel better than fiberglass, and still need wax
One underrated advantage of a softie is how little thinking it demands in transit. The mid-range 6'6 board in the rack goes in a car, a surf bag or gets strapped to an e-bike without a second thought about dings or theft risk. A friend who rides a similar-style softie takes it as checked luggage on overseas trips without ever worrying about airport handling damage, something that would be a real concern with a fiberglass board.
One detail that surprises people new to softies: they still need wax. The deck surface on most models is not grippy enough on its own for confident footwork, so waxing up before a session remains part of the routine even though the board looks like it should not need it.
Sizing rules that actually held up
For a genuine beginner, do not go smaller than about 7'6, and 8 feet or a little over suits most adults learning from scratch better than a shorter board does. A common mistake is buying a softie sized for an intermediate rider and handing it to a true beginner, who then struggles with a board too small to paddle and catch waves easily. For an advanced surfer wanting a softie purely for fun in close-out shorebreak conditions, sizing can go shorter, even under 6 feet for a lighter, more experienced rider.
Questions people ask
What is the most important feature to look for in a softboard?
A proper, swappable fin box, either FCS or Futures. A softie with glued-in, fixed fins is limiting from the start and cannot grow with your surfing.
Are cheap softboards worth buying?
Yes, for an absolute beginner testing whether surfing is for them, a cheap softie is a reasonable, low-risk purchase, provided you accept its limitations, especially fixed fins.
What size softboard should a beginner buy?
At least 7'6, and often 8 feet or a little more for most adults. A board sized for an intermediate surfer is usually too small for someone just starting out.
Can an intermediate or advanced surfer still enjoy a softboard?
Yes, particularly a more advanced model with a Futures or FCS II fin box and a bit more shape in the bottom contour, ridden in close-out or shorebreak conditions where a fiberglass board would be a liability.
How does a softboard compare to a fiberglass board on cost?
Considerably cheaper new, and a softie in good condition still holds reasonable resale value. See are cheap surfboards a waste of money and EPS or PU surfboard for related buying questions, and the full review at Which Softboard is Best. The rest of the choosing a board questions cover what comes after a softboard.