Before you plunge into the waves as a beginner, advanced, or full professional, it’s time to pack! To make your wave trip a personal highlight of the day, we have put together some helpful tips for choosing the right surf equipment:
1) THE RIGHT SURFBOARD:
Ask yourself what you can do … and what your surfboard should be able to do. Depending on the application, different board shapes come into question. Typically, beginners start with a long, wide surfboard and rounded tips. The advantage here is that the larger area also offers more buoyancy and is better in the water.
If you are one of the advanced or even professional surfers, a small, agile board is an option.
You can read more about choosing the right surfboard in this post about choosing the right surfboard.
2) THE RIGHT WETSUIT:
A wetsuit is a neoprene surf suit. The range of wetsuits is now large – and the choice is therefore becoming increasingly difficult. In addition to the choice of the preferred brand and optics, you should above all pay attention to the right material and the correct size. Special surfing suits have a high percentage of stretch on the shoulders, which simplifies typical surfer movements such as paddling.
In addition, your suit should fit like a second skin – without wrinkles. Neoprene protects you from getting too cold as well as from too much sunlight on the water. You should therefore always wear a wetsuit even at high temperatures. The basic rule here applies: the colder, the thicker your surf suit should be. From 25 degrees you can confidently do without a neoprene portion in the wetsuit.
3) THE RIGHT LEASH
Simply translated, leash means “leash”. And even if you don’t actually need the leash for surfing, it is still one of the most important pieces of equipment. The leash connects you to the surfboard and ensures that your board is not lost in the wide waves even in the event of a fall.
To do this, attach one end to your surfboard and close the other end with Velcro on your ankle. Thanks to solid rubber, the leash is very stretchy and flexible, so that it does not restrict you when surfing. Remember that the leash should always be a little longer than your board.
4) THE RIGHT FINS
Each surfboard usually has one to five fins. They give you and your surfboard support on the water. On some surfboards, the fins are permanently installed so that you cannot swap them. Other surfboards, on the other hand, have fins that you can also take out.
Longboards, for example, often only have one fin, which is located in the middle of the tail. This is called “single fin”. The most common, however, is the “thruster”, where you have two other fins on the outside of the board in addition to the central fin in the middle of the tail.
5) THE RIGHT SURF WAX
To make your surfboard non-slip and easy to grip, you need surf wax. You can buy surf wax in solid blocks of approx. 75g and then apply it generously in circular movements. When choosing the right surf wax, the water temperature is the most important factor. So you should use softer wax in cooler temperatures – and choose appropriately hard wax on warm days.
6) THE RIGHT BOARD BAG
Safety first: This also applies to the transport of your surfboard. You should always use a board bag so that your surfboard is protected from dirt, weather, and bumps when driving or on a plane. Whether on air travel or simply when being transported by car – surfboards should always be transported safely. A simple surf sock is often enough for short distances, while you should stow your surfboard safely and securely in a padded board bag for more turbulent transport routes.
Before you plunge into the waves as a beginner, advanced, or full professional, it’s time to pack! To make your wave trip a personal highlight of the day, we have put together some helpful tips for choosing the right surf equipment:
1) THE RIGHT SURFBOARD:
Ask yourself what you can do … and what your surfboard should be able to do. Depending on the application, different board shapes come into question. Typically, beginners start with a long, wide surfboard and rounded tips. The advantage here is that the larger area also offers more buoyancy and is better in the water.
If you are one of the advanced or even professional surfers, a small, agile board is an option.
You can read more about choosing the right surfboard in this post about choosing the right surfboard.
2) THE RIGHT WETSUIT:
A wetsuit is a neoprene surf suit. The range of wetsuits is now large – and the choice is therefore becoming increasingly difficult. In addition to the choice of the preferred brand and optics, you should above all pay attention to the right material and the correct size. Special surfing suits have a high percentage of stretch on the shoulders, which simplifies typical surfer movements such as paddling.
In addition, your suit should fit like a second skin – without wrinkles. Neoprene protects you from getting too cold as well as from too much sunlight on the water. You should therefore always wear a wetsuit even at high temperatures. The basic rule here applies: the colder, the thicker your surf suit should be. From 25 degrees you can confidently do without a neoprene portion in the wetsuit.
3) THE RIGHT LEASH
Simply translated, leash means “leash”. And even if you don’t actually need the leash for surfing, it is still one of the most important pieces of equipment. The leash connects you to the surfboard and ensures that your board is not lost in the wide waves even in the event of a fall.
To do this, attach one end to your surfboard and close the other end with Velcro on your ankle. Thanks to solid rubber, the leash is very stretchy and flexible, so that it does not restrict you when surfing. Remember that the leash should always be a little longer than your board.
4) THE RIGHT FINS
Each surfboard usually has one to five fins. They give you and your surfboard support on the water. On some surfboards, the fins are permanently installed so that you cannot swap them. Other surfboards, on the other hand, have fins that you can also take out.
Longboards, for example, often only have one fin, which is located in the middle of the tail. This is called “single fin”. The most common, however, is the “thruster”, where you have two other fins on the outside of the board in addition to the central fin in the middle of the tail.
5) THE RIGHT SURF WAX
To make your surfboard non-slip and easy to grip, you need surf wax. You can buy surf wax in solid blocks of approx. 75g and then apply it generously in circular movements. When choosing the right surf wax, the water temperature is the most important factor. So you should use softer wax in cooler temperatures – and choose appropriately hard wax on warm days.
6) THE RIGHT BOARD BAG
Safety first: This also applies to the transport of your surfboard. You should always use a board bag so that your surfboard is protected from dirt, weather, and bumps when driving or on a plane. Whether on air travel or simply when being transported by car – surfboards should always be transported safely. A simple surf sock is often enough for short distances, while you should stow your surfboard safely and securely in a padded board bag for more turbulent transport routes.