The most common question we get asked is – Which surfboard should I buy? whatever your level of surfing experience you’re always looking for a new surfboard to help you progress or just to try something new, in this series of blog posts we will go through the options and give some general advice for anyone looking for a new surfboard.

We have a huge range of surfboards that we regularly ship all over the continent to every type of surfer, so you can be sure that we will have something that will suit you.

Your First Surfboard

Usually when people get in touch they have been for a few surfing lessons and have ridden 8 or 9 foot long soft boards that pick up waves easily and give you a nice stable platform for learning the basics, from that stage they often start looking for a first surfboard which will offer the same benefits without holding them back.

We aim to help guide you through this process, all the staff at the Magicseaweed store have been through it ourselves, between us we’ve made some good and bad choices that you can learn from in the case studies featured throughout the series.

These are the most popular characteristics that first time board buyers ask for in a surfboard:

• Good value for Money
• Very Durable
• Easy to transport
• Able to be duck-dived under waves
• Works in small and big waves
• Allows progression
• Looks cool

Unfortunately it’s impossible to get a surfboard that meets all these needs, you’re going to have to compromise to get the best surfboard you can for your surfing, first there’s a couple of basic things you should know about what surfboards are made of:

Materials and Construction

There are dozens of types of surfboard construction, we will focus on the basics of the main types you’re likely to see when looking at a first board:

Softboard – these boards have a layer of soft foam on the top and often a slick layer of plastic on the bottom.

• The best durability
• Safer as they don’t have sharp points (except the fins)
• The best value
• Used by nearly all surf schools

Moulded Epoxy Sandwich Construction – the most common brands using this type of construction are Bic, NSP and Surf Series, although many others use something very similar, they are sometimes described as “Pop-outs” because of the mould used to shape the core of the board.

• Very good durability
• Usually have removable fins, sometimes compatible with fin systems like FCS
• Good value, often available in packages with a board bag & leash

Traditional Polyester Resin – the standard surfboard construction for many years, a soft foam blank is shaped into the surfboard then layers of polyester resin and fibreglass cloth are laminated over the top to make it water tight and give it a hard outer shell.

• Relatively lightweight
• Looks like a traditional surfboard
• Available in all shapes and sizes
• Usually have removable fins which can be replaced easily
• Can be repaired if dinged or cracked

They will crack or ding if dropped or knocked into something, you will see pressure dents in the deck after use where the fibreglass sinks slightly into the foam core (this is normal and does not affect the way the board works).

Epoxy Resin – the board is made in the same way as a polyester board but uses a different kind of foam as the core and epoxy resin and fibreglass cloth on the outer layer.

• lighter than a Polyester resin surfboard
• A little bit more durable than a Polyester resin surfboard
• Looks like a traditional surfboard
• Available in all shapes and sizes
• Usually have removable fins which can be replaced easily
• Can be repaired if dinged or cracked

These boards are lighter and are usually more resistant to cracks, the outer layer tends to bend rather than split when it’s struck by something.

Those are the main types of construction you will encounter so now you know the main benefits of each construction method you can concentrate on getting the right shape of surfboard.

Popular Types of Surfboards for Beginners

Have a browse of any of the photo pages on Magicseaweed or the car park at your favourite spot and you will see all shapes and sizes of board, it’s no coincidence that all surf schools use the same type of long, wide, round nosed boards to teach surfing on, these boards have lots of volume to give you the float and stability you need to paddle into waves and stand up for the first time.

If you are looking for your very first surfboard this is the type to get, don’t be seduced by the pointy noses and narrow outlines of more high performance boards, they will not give you what you need when starting out and can even be harmful to your surfing by hampering your ability to catch waves and get to your feet.

The classic beginners Mini Mal shape is at least 8 foot long with a round nose and lots of width, it will be hard to transport and you wont be able to duck dive it under waves, but what it will do is get you into lots of waves and allow you to stand up and start learning the basics of surfing along the face of an unbroken wave, if you have patience at this stage you are likely to develop good habits that will be of huge benefit once you down size to a smaller board.

MSW Case Study: Shaun’s first surfboard – 6’6″ x 18 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ Maurice Cole – “It forced me to develop quicker than I should have and has led to me developing some bad habits that I’m still trying to shake off now, if I could go back I would definitely have gone for something like a mini-mal which would have given me the chance to improve my style gradually and concentrate on getting the fundamentals right before moving to a shortboard style board.”

We sell soft roof rack systems which will allow you to transport any type of board on nearly any vehicle, so don’t be afraid to go for a big board, the size of board is probably the biggest factor in paddle speed and wave catching ability, if you can catch twice the amount of waves in a session it will take you half the time to learn the skills you need to step down to a smaller board.

Price Vs Suitability

We often get enquiries from first time board buyers about high performance surfboards that are on special offer at a good price, the big risk with going for a board that’s too short and narrow with not enough volume is that you wont be able to catch waves on it.
Even if you can catch waves you will find it very difficult to stand up and start developing the basics of making your bottom turn and trimming along the face of the wave if the board is too small.

You might save a little money buying a well priced but unsuitable surfboard, but it can have a big impact on your progression and the enjoyment you get out of surfing, go for a high volume, wide board to start with to make sure you can master the basics before stepping down to a smaller board.

MSW Case Study: Ross’s first surfboard – 6’10″ Surfers Paradise Gun – “I got it second hand for £80, it was a bargain, I thought that just because a board was long I would be able to surf it, the 6’10″ gun I bought cheap would have been more suited to 2nd reef pipe than low tide Bantham, to this day I still haven’t stood up on this board, the lesson learned is more volume = more waves and more fun!

I also only waxed the board in the middle for my front foot, these days I wax all over the deck to make sure I’m not going to slip off”

If you are on a tight budget then buying a bigger board when your aim is to surf a high performance shortboard might seem like wasted money, but the majority of beginner friendly boards are built to last longer than a fibreglass shortboard, even years down the line when you are riding a short board you can still use the big board on days when the waves are small.

Essential Accessories

Unless you buy a board with a package you will need a few things before you get in the water, if you’re in the UK a wetsuit is a must if you want to stay in the water long enough to learn to surf, take a look at our in depth wetsuit guide if you want some advice on choosing the right wetsuit for you.

The next essential is a leash, we will touch on surfing etiquette at the end of this post but suffice to say you will be falling off your first surfboard a lot, a general rule of thumb is to go for a leash which is around the same length as your board, if you have an 8 foot board go for an 8 foot leash, there are hundreds to choose from and they all do basically the same thing, if you pay a little more you will usually get a stronger leash.

Look after your leash and it will help you out of a lot of situations but leashes can snap at any time, regardless of wave size or the age of the leash, a leash is not a substitute for good swimming ability and shouldn’t be relied upon to get you out of trouble. Never wrap your leash around the fins at the tail of your surfboard, fins are very sharp and can easily put a nick in a leash which will weaken it and can cause it to snap. Be aware that the board will spring back towards you if the leash has been stretched on a wipeout.

Surf wax is the next essential item, apply the wax all over the deck of the board and try and get an even coverage, we stock a huge range of surf wax, for beginners the main thing to get right is the temperature rating, you can get hard and soft waxes, softer for colder water and harder for warmer water, the most popular wax for the UK is cool in the summer and cold in the winter. You can add a thin layer of very hard basecoat wax before applying the appropriate temperature wax to give it a better base to stick to.

You can usually get away without a board bag for your first board if it’s a soft board or a tough composite material, but if you plan on taking it on a trip check out the full Magicseaweed boardbag guide for some in depth advice.

Basic Surfing Etiquette

Now you’ve got the perfect first surfboard you want to get straight out in the water and catch some waves, if you’ve had a lesson the surf school will have gone through some basic surf etiquette, and you may have been taught a few things buy other surfers in the line up as well. We won’t go into depth here but there are a few things that you should keep in mind before paddling out.

The surfer closest to the breaking wave has priority – a surfer will try and ride along the wave on the unbroken face, if someone is already on a wave you should not paddle for the wave, if you are both paddling for an unbroken wave the person who is closest to the part which is about to break has priority, it’s best to not paddle for a wave if someone else is already going for it.

Don’t let go of your surfboard – always do your best to hold onto your surfboard, this is especially relevant when paddling out, sometimes it’s unavoidable when you fall off when riding the wave but it’s really important to keep hold of your board whenever possible. If you’ve got a 9 foot board on a 9 foot leash that’s an 18 foot radius of potential danger for other surfers when you let go of your board.

The Next Step

The next post in the series will look at your second board, an important choice for anyone’s progression in surfing and one that we get a lot of questions about, we will look at the different options available to make sure you get a good compromise of volume and manoeuvrability.

If you would like some specific advice on buying your first board give us a call on 01548 854660 or an e-mail at store@magicseaweed.com with some details about what board or boards you’ve been riding, your experience level and what you want out of the new surfboard and we will help you out.

You might be the top goal scorer for your 5-a-side team but the chances of you playing at Wembley are pretty slim, one of the beautiful things about surfing is that anyone with the ability and inclination can surf at the best spots in the world. Indonesia, Hawaii and Australia are only a plane ride away from any surfer on the planet.

If you are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime or even just a last minute deal to the Canaries or Morocco you will want to make sure you’re prepared, here is our run down of the top ten essential items everyone should include on their packing list.

1: Sun Protection

Being sunburnt is no fun, if it means you can’t surf head high perfection for a whole day or get a good nights sleep it’s a nightmare. Not all sun screens are created equal, relying on the airport branch of Boots to have a surfer friendly sun block is not a good idea, get something seriously waterproof, a gel is thicker and will stay on longer, lotion is easier to apply but easier to wash off and a zinc based sun block will give you the best protection for your face, and also accelerates your bodies wound healing process if you pick up an injury.

MSW Staff Tip – Apply sun cream as soon as you wake up so you’re protected all day and it’s soaked in by the time you get on your board.

2: Guide Books

If you’re not lucky enough to know the area you’re travelling to a guide book is essential for planning your trip and  making sure you make the most out of it once you’re there. Some areas have dedicated books which are updated regularly like Indo Surf and Lingo, and you can’t go to many places which aren’t covered by the Stormrider Guides. Stormrider guides are available as an app for your smart phone and in e-book format so you can pick up the book for the planning and reminiscing and still travel light with all the information you need at your fingertips.

3: Ding Repair

Dings happen, if you’re flying long haul and have to deal with a few transfers you might even have some repairing to do before you hit the water, once in the surf the possibilities for damaging your surfboard multiply exponentially with the extra hours in the water surfing decent waves. An epoxy repair stick is ideal for quick fixes on minor dings, you can use it on any type of surfboard and it doesn’t need any special treatment when packing.

Two part resins are often on the airlines prohibited list, so if you’re going to be heading away on a trip it’s better to play it safe with some one part sun cure resin. Stick some cling film in your bag too so you can cover the resin and give it a clean finish to sand back, in most popular surf destinations major dings can be repaired by a local expert for a reasonable price.

4: Luggage

Get your gear packed safely and conveniently with a decent back pack which doubles up as hand luggage on the plane and a day pack when you’ve reached your destination. With the security measures now in place it’s convenient to have a separate padded laptop pouch so you can easily remove it without unpacking your bag.

Hold luggage can usually be stashed in your surfboard bag, but if you are planning on renting boards at your destination or just need the extra space going for a roller pack will make it easier and relieve some stress when navigating through airports and cities.

MSW Staff Tip – “Always pack a roll of duct tape, it’s perfect for emergency repairs to bags, boards or even strapping up wounds. it was even used during the Vietnam War to repair helicopter blades!”

5: Surf forecast

Depending on how long you’re travelling for you should be able to get a decent report for the first few days of the trip before you go, if you’re a magicseaweed Pro subscriber you get a 16 day forecast which can be really helpful for last minute trip decisions.

MSW Staff Tip – Take a screen grab of the MSW app tide page so you can get an accurate tide table even when you don’t have signal

6: Surfboard Bag

If you’re flying long haul get a heavyweight surfboard bag, if you’re taking more than one board get a double, don’t try and make do, the chances are any savings you make by scrimping on a board bag will be undone by clumsy baggage handlers or extra fees at the airport.

We’ve seen people take boards on Easyjet flights wrapped only in a thin layer of bubble wrap, letting the baggage handlers know what it is they’re handling might be a good way to make them think twice but we wouldn’t recommend taking your travel quiver away without decent protection.

MSW Staff Tip – check out the full surfboard bag guide post on the blog for lots more advice

7: Surf Wear

A full on surf trip means spending much more time in the water than you would do normally, you want to be comfortable, protected and you need to look good for your new Facebook profile picture. A super stretchy pair of technical boardshorts might seem like a luxury but you’ll probably find yourself wearing them all day every day and the performance benefit is just as welcome out of the water as in it.

8: Spare Hardware

Don’t count on being able to get hold of the basics when you’re travelling, even if the area is known for surf you might not be able to get simple things like a leash, wax or a set of fins.

The bottom line is, if you need it to surf, you need to pack at least two of them.

9: First aid kit

Many organised boat trips will insist that you bring a first aid kit with you onto the boat, even if you are not planning on being too far away from civilisation everyone should consider picking up the essentials: dressings, antiseptic cream or wipes and even a sterile needle kit will offer peace of mind at the least and could be a trip saver.

10: Step up board

One of the main reasons to go on a surf holiday is to push yourself and surf waves that you can’t at home, if you want to take on bigger, hollower waves than you have in the past you’ll need a board that can take you there.

Tom Butler: Hiding from the media from Clear Cut Productions on Vimeo.

Here Tom Butler uses his Fourth Charge to tackle some bigger than average waves in Ireland.

Your classic step-up board or mini-gun will be a good 4-6 inches longer than your regular shortboard, a pin tail for good hold in hollow waves and the volume to get you in nice and early. The Rusty Traveller, Channel Islands Proton Step-up or a Resin8 Semi Gun are perfect examples, with tried and tested templates they will give you the confidence to get out amongst the best waves you’ve ever surfed.

MSW Staff Tip – take a larger set of fins as a spare if you can, if the waves get bigger you can swap them in for extra hold.

That’s our top ten surf travel essentials so make sure you’re packing all of these so you can make sure you have a dream trip.

The staff at the Magicseaweed store have surfed all over the world from Indonesia to Ireland, Morocco to Mexico and most places in between so if you’d like some friendly, expert advice on any of the travel items here or for anything else related to your trip you can reach us by e-mail on store@magicseaweed.com or by phone on 01548 854660.

We get a lot of people asking about the GoPro cameras and which one to go for, we have stocked every camera GoPro produced from the original 35mm wrist mounted version to the latest state of the art GoPro hero 3 Black Edition, so we are in a great position to answer your questions and give you a practical guide to which one to buy.

The full specifications for each camera are available on the relevant product page on the magicseaweed store, this guide will focus on what you need to know to make a decision on which camera to buy: no jargon or confusing stats, just the basics that you need to know.

Here is our comparison table, take a look at the differences in the cameras and read on for the answers to the common questions about which GoPro to buy.

	GoPro Hero 3 Black	GoPro Hero 3 Silver	GoPro Hero 2	GoPro Hero 3 White
Price	£359.99	£279.99	£249.99	£199.99
Highest video resolution	4K at 15 fps	1080p at 30 fps	1080p at 30 fps	1080p at 30fps
Max frame rate at 720p	120 fps	60 fps	60 fps	60 fps
White Balance	Auto or Manual	Auto or Manual	Auto	Auto
HDMI Output port	Micro HDMI	Micro HDMI	Mini HDMI	Micro HDMI
3.5mm External Mic port	Available via optional adapter	Available via optional adapter	Yes	Available via optional adapter
3.5mm Standard Definition video port	Available via optional adapter	Available via optional adapter	Yes	Available via optional adapter
Still Photo Resolution	12 MP	11 MP	11 MP	5 MP
Max Still Photo’s in one second	30	10	10	3
WiFi connectivity	Built in (with waterproof remote included)	Built in	Available via optional WiFi BacPac	Built in
Storage format	Micro SD card	Micro SD card	SD card	Micro SD card
Compatible with GoPro 3D system	No	No	Yes (Two cameras required)	No
Weight (camera and battery)	74g	74g	100g	74g
Surf edition available?	Yes – supplied with one surfboard mount	No	Yes – supplied with 2 surfboard mounts and floaty back door	No
Flat Port for shooting underwater	Built in	Built in	Available via optional Dive Housing	Built in

What’s the difference between the different models and why is the Black edition more expensive?

There are now three generations of GoPro HD camera, the latest GoPro Hero 3 range are smaller and as such use a different waterproof housing to the original models which has a flat port built in, they use Micro SD cards rather than regular SD cards and they also all include WiFi capability built into the camera. Otherwise the White and Silver editions are equivalent to the Hero 1 and Hero 2 cameras respectively, see the list below to see the main specifications of each camera.

GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition:

• Very high frame rates for video and ability to use Pro Tune firmware, this is ideal if you are going to be editing the footage you shoot as you can slow it down and colour correct it more easily. You will need a very big, very fast Micro SD memory card and a powerful computer to play back and edit the video.
• 30 photo’s in a second burst mode, if you need to take stills of fast action this is the best camera to get.
• WiFi remote control provided, this gives you full control over the functions of the camera from the waterproof remote unit, if you want to mount the camera out of reach and still have control, this is a big advantage.

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition (and GoPro hero 2 cameras):

• Higher than normal frame rates and Pro Tune firmware, useful if you’re editing but not as good as the Black Edition.
• 10 photo’s in a second burst mode, very useful for taking still photo’s, not as good as the Black Edition.

GoPro Hero 3 White Edition (and GoPro Hero 1 cameras):

• Normal frame rates, great for watching back on a TV or a computer without editing.
• limited photo modes, you can take photo’s but there’s not as many modes as the other cameras.

Direct comparisons:

GoPro Hero 3 black edition Vs GoPro Hero 3 Silver edition

If you are going to be editing the footage and taking lots of still photo’s the Hero 3 is worth the extra, it’s also the latest and greatest so if you’re buying for someone who will only accept the best of the best this is the one to get.

If you are mainly going to be watching the footage back on the TV direct from the camera or you don’t want to mess around with editing on a PC or Mac too much the Silver edition offers great specifications for a brilliant price.

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition Vs GoPro Hero 3 White Edition

Someone looking for good still photo performance will want to go for the Silver edition, it offers higher resolution and a great burst mode. If you only want to shoot video and you’re not going to be editing it on a computer then the white edition will be a good choice, especially if you’re on a budget.

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition Vs GoPro Hero 2

If you have an Android phone or an iPhone you can use the built in WiFi in the Hero 3 with the free remote app, if you want to shoot footage under the water whilst dicing or snorkelling the Hero 3 is also a better option as it has a flat port built into the included housing.

The video and stills quality is the same so if the WiFi and flat port are not important features the Hero 2 is a great choice, especially if you want the surf hero mounts and floaty back door which are supplied with the Hero 2 surf edition.

What’s the difference between the surf edition and the regular edition?

The only difference between the surf version and the regular is the accessories, all GoPro HD cameras are supplied with a waterproof case, battery, USB cable and a selection of mounting hardware, the surf editions are supplied with a bigger sticky mount which you can use to secure it to a surfboard. The surfboard mounts are available separately in a pack of two if you want to mount it to more boards or if you purchase a non-surf edition camera.

What else do I need to buy?

The only other thing you need to shoot video and stills is an SD card, the newer Hero 3 cameras take Micro SD cards and all the other HD Hero’s take normal sized SD cards, if you are buying a Hero 3 Black edition go for a card which is at least class 10 to make sure you can take full advantage of the high frame rates and burst modes on the latest cameras.

I also want to use the camera for kite surfing, mountain biking, windsurfing etc. etc. what should I buy?

There is a full range of accessories for mounting the GoPro in various situations, have a look at the range: here

If there’s a sport or situation you want to capture with a GoPro and you’re not sure which mount would work give us a call on 01548 854660 or an e-mail at store@magicseaweed.com and we’ll do our best to help.