All About Soft Top Surfboards-Everything You Need to Know
Everyone from beginners to professionals are having fun riding soft top surfboards these days. The question isn’t should I buy a foamie surfboard, but rather which foam top surfboard is right for you. In this article we breakdown all the main questions about foam surfboards that we have heard over the years to provide you with a detailed guide on what the best soft top surfboard is for you.
If you are brand new surfing and know very little about surfboards in general, you have come to the right place! Not only will we talk about features and benefits of foam top surfboards, but also the details on why these boards make the perfect starter board.
Having surfed for over 20 years, and competed professionally, I personally still love having a foam top board around to grab and mess around on. First thing to know about foam top boards, they are definitely not for beginners and “kooks” as some “hard core” surfers will try to tell you.
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All About Soft Top Surfboards
Chances are you have seen a soft top board already – whether at Costco (“Wavestorm”) or during a surf lesson where the instructor pushed you into waves on a massive 12’ foam longboard that could catch even the smallest ripple. These are just a few of the many styles of foamie surfboards that are on the market today.
The brand Soft Top has been around for years and is likely the board you didn’t even know you learned on. Every surf school in the 90’s had some length or version to make it easy on inspiring surfers to get up and catch waves.
Many new surfers are faced with questions on the right equipment to purchase. Is a foam surfboard better than a fiberglass or epoxy board? Are soft top surfboards easier to ride? Are soft top surfboards good for catching waves?
Without trying to intentionally damage anyone’s ego reading this, the answer, in short, is that a soft top surfboard is likely the best purchase when you are first starting out. They are easier to ride than fiberglass and epoxy boards and are extremely effective at catching waves.
Benefits of Foam Surfboards
When you are first learning to surf, the most important thing is time in the water. The easier you make it on yourself to get into the water the quicker you will progress. Having an easy to carry, extremely durable soft top surfboard makes it very convenient to jump in for a quick surf and not have to worry as much about hurting your board. Soft tops can take a beating and are the perfect board to carry down tight apartment building stairways or elevators.
Flexible Fins
The fins on a soft top board are flexible, so when you hit rocks there is a better chance of the fin just bending and scratching than breaking off entirely. Not only are fins expensive, but when they break they often ding in front or behind the fin box, causing more time out of the water and costly repairs.
Again, time in the water is the key to progressing in surfing. If you are constantly breaking fins or dinging your board, this is time and money wasted getting repairs that could be spent catching waves!
Durable Foam
Most foam surfboards use a specialized foam that doesn’t absorb water. Meaning that if you ding or cut your foam surfboard, you can ride it without the foam getting waterlogged. In comparison, fiberglass boards when dinged need to be taken out of the water immediately as the foam inside will absorb water quickly.
This also means more costly repairs as the foam needs to be carved out that was exposed to water, then filled in with a Q cell foam and sealed with new fiberglass. Then sanded to match the rest of the board’s curvature.
So, while that rad paint job on a custom fiberglass board may look super good now, consider how it will look when it is spotted like a cow with white repair marks all over. The awesome design on the foam surfboard will still look rad even after hitting every rock in the ocean.
Wax is Optional
Soft top surfboards do not require wax which is a huge plus when it comes to keeping your car clean. You may see some surfers waxing up their foam board. This isn’t necessary but does provide a little extra grip.
On foam boards, you can wax your board just like a regular board, covering the entire surface. Or, you can do a cross pattern that is large “X’s” across the board. This gives your grip in key areas while limiting the amount of wax on the board. For the warm water crowd, this is nice too because there is less contact of wax to your skin.
Why Use A Soft Top Surfboard
With more people enjoying what the ocean has to offer, the surf industry is exploding. With it, innovation on products that were previously overlooked. This has ultimately led to the development of high performance foam top surfboards.
These soft top boards are perfect for playful days shredding the shorebreak. Or hard charging closeout beach break where you would normally snap a dozen shortboards in a day doing what you could do on a foamie – with limited to no damage to the performance foam shortboard.
Have you ever heard the saying that most injuries happen in small surf? This is so true and it is often from hitting a hard fiberglass board or cutting your foot on the sharp fin. Riding a foam longboard with rubberized fins makes small days safer – and much more fun.
Catch More Waves and Have More Fun
Now is also time for a slice of humble pie. If you are not training for an event – i.e. have to be riding a performance board – and the waves are under knee high; you need to be on a soft top. You will catch so many more waves on a soft top surfboard than a performance board. Not only will the wave count be higher but your “stoke” for surfing will increase exponentially. The best surfers are the ones who are having the most fun.
Using a soft top surfboard is the best way to put a smile on your face and get time in the water. Because the boards are so versatile and easy to use, you will be diving into the ocean every chance you get.
As you progress as a surfer, you will learn what you like and what you are looking for in a surfboard. And, when the waves are a bigger and your confidence is high from shredding a foam board, you can bring out a performance board to push yourself to the next level.
Having already taken dozens (or hundreds) of wipeouts on your foam board in preparation for this day you will know the way the wave breaks and set yourself up better for progression.
And, when the surf gets small or messy again, you can go back to old faithful – your foam surfboard – and continue to push yourself to take off just a little bit deeper on the wave. Luckily, soft top surfboards last a very long time if you rinse them off after each surf. Because of their watertight foam construction, the foam soft top surfboards will last much longer than a standard fiberglass board.
What size soft top surfboard should I get?
Since you are likely convinced by now that you should get some kind of soft top surfboard, the question becomes what size soft top should you buy. The most common length is an 8ft foamie. This is the length of the Wavestorm brand found at Costco that have flooded the beaches in recent years.
The 8 Foot Foam Surfboard
The 8’ soft top is really the best for a variety of conditions. The length isn’t too cumbersome but it is still long enough to slide into even the smallest waves. Most 8’ foamies have very little nose and tail rocker. This means you are getting the most surface area on the water as you paddle and catch waves. The downside to having limited to non-existent nose rocker is that the board will “pearl” – a.k.a nosedive – on waves with any steepness.
Having a modest width of 20-24” on your 8’ board will also give you more control and allow you to sit comfortably on the board when in the lineup. Going much wider than this may make it tougher to sit with your legs holding onto the board. This causes instability and will not let you spin the board around as easily as you should be able to.
Most foam boards are a bit thicker than standard longboards and shortboards. A good width for your soft top surfboard is about 3”. This gives the board enough volume to float most surfers while making it easy enough to grab the board when it comes time to duck dive or turtle under an incoming wave. Some board makers add a lot of thickness to a shorter board claiming more maneuverability and similar float – be careful with these as they are hard to get a good grip on when getting under waves.
A soft top surfboard 8’ in length is again the best starter and all around board that you are going to get. It is the kind of board that you will never want to get rid of. When friends want to learn to surf, it is the perfect board to put them on to have a fun day in the water.
And as if there wasn’t enough good things to say about the 8 foot soft top surfboard, they are also the best board for young children. Because they are lightweight, buoyant, and narrow – they allow for easy paddling. Thinking of a present on a special occasion for your future shredder? Go with the 8 foot foamie.
The 9 Foot Soft Top Surfboard
As you move up a foot in length the experience really starts to change. While the 8’ foamie can get tossed around in the surf, the 9’ and above boards are typically built a bit more rigid. Many 9’ boards will have a large single fin, and sometimes a couple small side bites for extra stability on the wave. These boards are going to be better for the larger rider who needs the extra length to reach the volume necessary to have a good float and not be sinking the board.
Having a 9 ft soft top surfboard in your quiver is a great addition when you are dealing with very small waves. Also, for beginners, if you are over 200lbs then you will want to opt for a 9’ or larger board. Advanced riders between 200-250lbs can get away with riding a smaller board but will be working a lot harder on getting into waves.
Don’t assume that you need a longer board just because you have never surfed before. Going with a board that is too long will make it tough to handle. Lighter riders, under 150lbs, especially should be aware of this as too long or big of a board can actually drag you back towards shore in the white water. Don’t worry – this only happens in big surf and boards that are way too big for you (note: an 8’ foamie is great for those under 150 lbs).
10 Foot Soft Top Surfboards
Let the glory days of surf camp come flashing back by jumping onto the classic beginner log. The bright blue foam top and white slick bottom is the classic 10 ft soft top surfboard. These boards are the surf instructors best friend as pretty much anyone can catch anything. Need a wave, splash the water and let the beginner ride that ripple of fun!
All jokes aside, the 10 foot foamie is a fun board for when conditions are poor to very poor. These boards are extremely stable and can cut through wind chop effectively. When you need to get that surf in but conditions are not cooperating, the 10 footer is the way to go.
Also, for riders that are over 250lbs, this is going to be the board for you. The shape of most 10 foot soft top surfboards is very similar to that of its 8 ft younger sibling. This means that for the riders over 250lbs you are getting the same performance elements that a 180lb rider is getting on an 8 footer. It comes down to the required volume you need based on weight when choosing a board size. As we have said before… bigger isn’t always better when learning to surf.
7 Foot Soft Top Surfboards
Case in point of bigger not always being better is the 7 ft soft top surfboard. These little boards usually come in more shortboard looking styles and some have fun fish tails. The 7 foot foamie is typically a bit wider than its 8 foot older sibling.
Just because they are shorter doesn’t mean however that they will be better for children and smaller riders. Actually, an 8 ft foamie is going to be the best for young kids and lightweight riders (see section above: 9 Foot Soft Top Surfboards).
With their more performance shape, these boards are going to be best for surfers who want to catch close out barrels in sandy shore break. These boards are going to be more for an intermediate to advanced rider who doesn’t want to bust up their fiberglass board but still wants to get gnarly.
There really isn’t any limit when it comes to riding soft tops and many professional athletes are proving that by riding 2nd reef Pipeline barrels on 7 ft soft top surfboards.
Finding The Best Soft Top Surfboard
Now that you have all the details on what size foam top board to purchase, the next step is finding the right board for you. When shopping for a new soft top there are 4 things to remember; size, shape, function, and look. Since you have size dialed in, we will focus on the later 3.
Best Shape Soft Top Surfboard
For beginners, kids, and ocean addicts of all ages, the best shape board will be a drawn out oval shape. Typically somewhere close to 8’ long x 22” wide x 3” thick for the dimensions. These are just fun boards. There really isn’t any other way to put it. This classic soft top shape will not go out of style and will create more smiles in its life than Chuck E Cheese.
Intermediate and advanced riders will want to look at the void in which they hope to fill in their quiver. If you are intermediate to advanced you likely own more than one board and have an idea of what style shape you like. The big thing here is to think about where you are surfing the most.
In Santa Barbara, CA there are tons of surfers on foam boards at Sandspit where big barreling waves break in inches of water. The success rate actually getting a wave is 1 in 10 on most days. When it is under head high and not as critical, riders are pulling out the foamies just to get comfortable with the currents and speed of the wave. When the swell picks up and wave heights are well overhead, all these riders have gotten beat downs on the foamies – without messing up their performance boards – and are now charging the sets on shortboards.
Depending on what kind of wave you want to progress at or are surfing the most, start here when choosing the shape of your next soft top surfboard.
Functional Elements To Consider on Soft Top Surfboards
The function of the board is similar to what you will be looking for in shape but dives deeper to materials, fin box and fin layout. Not all soft top boards are created equal. Some will leave your chest and inner arms bright red from rash burn (why the rash guard was created). Some will be less or more grippy. And then there is the one that is meant for you.
For those living in cold water zones, the rash element really won’t come into play since your whole body will be covered in neoprene. However, riders in warm water zones will want to steer clear of these boards or be nursing wounds in regret.
Fin Configuration
As we touched on in the different sizes of soft top boards, the larger 9 ft and 10 ft boards will often have a single fin. While a single fin provides stability on the face of a wave, it does get wobbly in white water. This is why many long boards will have a thruster (3 fin) setup with small fins on the side for extra stability.
Some of the more performance foamies come in thruster, twin or quad setups. Quad setups blend the attributes of a twin and a thruster, providing speed down the line without drag from the center fin like in a thruster setup, they have much more hold and control than a standard twin. Quads are typically best for smaller days or fast hollow days.
Thruster has been the gold standard for over 25 years. You know what you are getting on a thruster setup. They are the most reliable and most ridden in all size waves. Twin setups are great on long point breaks or waves that you can really get a glide going. They are much less predictable and not as maneuverable as quads and thruster setups.
Get The Look You Want On Your Soft Top
Because soft tops can take such a beating, they are the best boards to splurge on cool designs with. You don’t need to worry about patching up with white fiberglass or trying to color match like you would on a traditional shortboard or longboard.
As we have mentioned many times before, the way to get better (at any level) is to spend more time in the water. And, to do that, you need to make it easy – and fun! This is where the look of the board comes into play.
Ready to Purchase a Soft Top Surfboard?
You know the size, function and shape you want, now it is time to have some fun! Let your inner spirit take over and choose whatever crazy color or design speaks to you. Go funky or stay traditional, whatever your style is run with it when choosing your soft top surfboard.
About the Author Stephen H
Stephen is a a UCSB Alumni and holds a B.S. in Economics. He has been included in Honolulu Magazine's list of 50 Top Executives and was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Association (SBA). In Hawaii, Stephen competed in various SUP and Outrigger Canoe racing events. He won the State Championship OC1 race and the prestigious Molokai2Oahu outrigger race (koa division). He is currently training for the Molokai2Oahu Solo race on a standup paddle board.