Which Surfboard Should a Beginner Ride?

A beginner needs a big board: long, wide and thick. It floats better, paddles faster and stays steady when you stand up, so you catch more waves and fall less. The small, pointy boards you see in surf videos make learning much harder.

This guide explains the main types of board, how big yours should be, and when it’s time to go smaller.

Why size matters: volume

The size of a board that matters most is its volume, given in litres. The more volume, the more the board floats. A board with plenty of volume:

keeps your body higher out of the water, so you paddle faster
catches waves earlier, before they get steep
wobbles less when you pop up and stand

Length, width and thickness all add volume. A long, wide, thick board is the easiest to learn on.

Types of board

Soft-top (foamie), 7 to 9 feet. A foam deck and a soft, rounded shape. Stable, buoyant and much less painful when it hits you. This is the right board for your first sessions, and most surf schools use them.
Mini-mal, 7 to 8 feet. A shorter version of a longboard, usually with a hard fibreglass or epoxy finish. A good next step once you catch the whitewater easily and want to start on unbroken waves.
Longboard, 9 feet or more. Very easy to paddle and glides on small waves, but heavy and hard to turn, and a big hard board is dangerous in a crowd. Fun on small days when you can control it.
Funboard or egg, around 7 feet. Wide and rounded. Easier to turn than a mini-mal while still forgiving.
Fish, hybrid and shortboard. Shorter boards made to turn. They need a fast pop-up and good wave reading. Leave them for later.

The main board types to scale, seen from above. Start on a foam board and step down one size at a time; a longboard is a fun side step on small days.

How big should your board be?

Shops and shapers give different numbers, so treat these as a starting point. For a soft-top on your first days:

Under 70 kg: 7’6” to 8’0”
70 to 90 kg: 8’0” to 8’6”
Over 90 kg: 8’6” to 9’6”

For volume, a common rule for complete beginners is roughly as many litres as you weigh in kilos: about 70 litres for a 70 kg surfer. Some guides suggest less. If you are fit, tall or have paddled before, you can go a little smaller; if you are new to the ocean, go bigger. In doubt, take the bigger board.

When to step down

Move to a smaller board when the one you have feels easy, not when you are bored of it. Good signs:

You stand up on almost every wave you catch, without thinking about it.
You catch unbroken waves and ride along the face, not only straight to the beach.
You can paddle back out through the whitewater without too much trouble.

Go down one step at a time: from a foamie to a mini-mal, then to a funboard. Dropping straight to a short board usually means catching fewer waves and learning more slowly.

Common mistake

Buying a short board too early because it looks like the real thing. On a board that doesn't float you, you catch a few waves a session instead of dozens, and progress stalls.

Rent or buy?

Rent for your first trips. You will change board size quickly as you learn, and flying with a board costs money and needs a board bag. In Tamraght and Taghazout, surf shops rent boards by the day, and at a surf camp the board is usually included.

Check the board before you paddle out

A rented board should be in good shape. Before you pay or paddle out, check for:

Dings and cracks. Water gets into the foam, the board gets heavy and the damage grows.
Fins. They should be firmly fixed, with no cracks at the base.
The leash. No cuts or knots in the cord, a working Velcro strap and a secure string at the tail.
Wax. A hard board needs fresh wax, or your feet will slip.

Boards in good shape at Travel Surf Nature

At Travel Surf Nature in Tamraght, boards and wetsuits are included in the surf lessons, and they are in good shape: no dinged boards, no wetsuits with holes, sizes that fit. Your instructor starts you on a board that floats you and tells you when it’s time to go smaller.