Choosing a board that is appropriate for your skill level while learning to surf may be very beneficial.
Choosing the incorrect board early on may cause serious issues and significantly reduce the enjoyment of surfing.
Many foam soft top surfboards have entered the market in recent years, but it’s not always clear whether they are the best ones to learn on. So, this is the main question that has to be addressed:
Soft-top surfboards—are they simpler? In fact, soft-top surfboards are perhaps the simplest to use when just starting out or learning. They are an excellent alternative for students, but there are a few restrictions that will be discussed further down.
What is a surfboard with a soft top?
A surfboard with a spongey foam top and a firm plastic bottom is known as a soft-top surfboard. This is to ensure that there is no misunderstanding about the nature of this kind of surfboard. They typically feature soft plastic fins and the top and bottom are bonded together.
Surf schools all around the globe utilize these surfboards, which often have a ton of vibrant colors and patterns on them.
Some individuals look up “foam surfboard”—a term that refers to a soft top—online. The sole contrast to be made between a soft top foam surfboard and other surfboards is that fiberglass surfboards, which have a hard outside shell, also contain a polyurethane (PU) foam core inside of them.
Surfing with a Foam Soft Top Board is simple.
As we’ll see in a moment, there are a number of reasons why I would suggest these types of surfboards to beginners.
Safety
The first justification is that, when it comes to learning, soft-top surfboards are by far the safest choice.
This is because of two key factors:
- Less dangerous for you if you fall off.
- More secure for other people if you fall off!
A soft top gives you a cushioned landing when you fall off your surfboard. Although it may seem unusual, learning to fall off your surfboard without getting harmed may be challenging in the beginning. In the beginning, I’m sure I did myself no favors by falling on the deck and striking the board fairly hard.
In this situation, a foam soft top surfboard will make landing on it less painful, making it much simpler for beginners.
Design
Beginner surfers often use soft-top surfboards. This indicates that they have a large template with a broad tail and wide snout.
Soft top riders can catch several waves fast and paddle their boards with ease thanks to these sorts of designs.
By doing all of the aforementioned, you’ll advance much more quickly and have a lot of fun, which are two fantastic benefits of owning a foam soft top surfboard!
Float
In addition to floating riders very effectively, soft-top surfboards also benefit from the design aspects. Compared to regular surfboards, the material and structure they utilize seem to be more buoyant, however, this might simply be due to the thicker design.
One thing about foam soft-top surfboards is that they often have a lot of volume. This is a reliable indicator of the amount of float a surfboard will provide. Your board will have greater float or buoyancy the more volume it has.
Care
These sorts of boards are also very simple to maintain. Foam soft tops are a wonderful substitute for classic fiberglass surfboards because of how delicate they are.
Soft tops are less likely to shatter or fracture than fiberglass surfboards. This implies that you don’t have to worry too much about them being hurt if you drop them or bump against objects.
Fun
The most enjoyable surfboards on the market right now are probably soft top boards. They help you catch plenty of waves and make riding that much simpler since they are soft, fun, and loud.
Final thoughts
Actually, some of the greatest entry-level surfboards available are soft tops. This is due to the fact that their build and design allow for more affordable mass production than most other types of surfboards, which helps to keep prices low. A soft top is the best option if you want a board that performs well in a variety of smaller, enjoyable situations.