surfboard

It Is Recommended by Professionals to Use Soft-Top Surfboards to Make the First Steps and Develop

Soft-Top Surfboards: An Underestimated Treasure in the Surfing World

Soft-Top Surfboards

From time to time, surfers ask themselves: when will a soft-top surfboard be the most suitable?

The most important thing about surfing is to use the right equipment.This is the first step for those who decide to start conquering waves on the surf.

The first question is: to buy an old surfboard or a new one? A new surfboard will cost about $ 600, and it can be too expensive to buy if you just decide to use it sometimes.

On the other hand, it will be difficult to choose a soft-top item that was already in use even if it costs only half of the initial amount.

Difficulties may arise in use since you do not know how the previous owner handled it. And if you are a beginner, you probably do not even know what to seek when making such a purchase.

The simple solution to this issue is a new soft-top surfboard and now we will tell you why you should use it.

Soft-Top Surfboards

For beginners, the SurfScience team recommends starting the selection of the soft-top equipment by choosing the design of your longboard.

Based on our numerous materials, a longboard is the best beginning item because it has many advantages to use.

Surfing on longboards is easy to learn because they catch waves smoothly. That soft-top surfboard has high stability on the waves so you will feel as stable as possible on it.

With such a soft-top board, it is easier to follow your progress and practice new tricks because it has its own character and can help you on the water.

On the other hand, there is the option because the soft-top surfboards made of polystyrene are now more attractive for a beginner to use.

Such surfboards give a greater variety in the use of additional equipment which means more opportunities for your surfing.

Soft-top surfboards can be manufactured both in the form of shortboards and longboards.

The latter are made specifically for beginners in surfing. In this article, we have gathered the benefits of such a surfboard and want to highlight why beginners should use this type.

Price of different surfboards

surf shop

Regardless of the skill level of the surfer, the price of the surfboard always plays one of the key roles and affects the choice of the board.

Prices for soft-top surfboards are different since such boards are available in different lengths.

We have searched and found out that the Liquid Shredder company is selling a 4.8-inch short-board children’s model for $ 129. A surfboard model with a length of 9’ will cost you $ 439.

You are unlikely to find analogs with a big difference in price because the model of a soft-top shortboard with a length of 6’4 costs only $ 269. We were pleased to see on the market of soft-tops the offers from Surftech even in two different lines.

Concerning a classic soft-top longboard from this company, you can pay more than a thousand dollars (made by using materials and special techniques of this manufacturer).

But with them, you can choose a soft-top surfboard and pay no more than $ 600. Moreover, one of the lines of soft-tops is presented in the price category which does not exceed 360 dollars.

The third manufacturer, Catch Surf, offers you four different models of soft-top to use. These soft-top models are also varied in price, starting with a hybrid surfboard with a length of 4’ for $ 240 and ending with a soft-top longboard with a length of 9’ that costs $ 540.

The productivity of soft-top surfboards

soft-top-by-surftech

Soft-top surfboards have recently forced surfers to compromise in favor of performance on the water. It’s good that the situation has changed now.

Soft-top planks now combine perfectly with short and long sides.

The planks in soft-tops perform the function of maintaining safety, which is necessary for a novice surfer, and are also an excellent design solution that uses joining a surface and sides.

To prove this, we can say that all the manufacturing companies mentioned above use professionals in creating surfboard forms and designs. Experienced shapers always use many criteria when creating a new surfboard.

They undoubtedly consider the level of performance that allows you to catch as many waves as possible and, at the same time, have the most fun on the soft-top surf in use.

Catch Surf, with their Y-Boards line, insists that they always use the shape of a hand when creating rails for soft-tops. They use the same soft-top design features as in a classic hard-surface surfboard.

Catch Surf also uses modern technology to create a unique design for soft-top planks.

They use CAD software technologies and develop each item to find the most suitable shape to use as well as to seek forms that were not previously used to create the soft-top boards.

surfboards

Traditionally, soft-top items do not differ in strength. The soft-top manufacturers Liquid Shredder and Catch Surf solved this problem and used a base made of solid and durable wood.

For strength, they also use epoxy resin or glue. So, soft-top surfboards can compete in strength with traditional surfboards gaining additional flexibility by gluing in.

The invention of the sandwich construction by Surftech has eliminated the ongoing need for further development of a stringer system.

This design uses a hard bottom and soft-top construction thus creating strong and lightweight soft-top equipment.

The speed and quality of such surfboards meet the requirements of not only beginners in surfing but even those who have been surfing for a long time.

Although professionals, of course, do not give preference to such a soft-top surfboard because it simply bothers them.

Advantages of a soft-top surfboard:

  1. Soft-tops make a good choice for tourist surfing. The soft-top does not cause inconvenience in travel and use and it does not produce loud noises when moving on rails. The airline staff will thank you for this.
  2. Safety is one of the most important criteria when choosing the equipment. Soft-top surfboards are not overestimated in this regard. The soft-tops consist of a soft deck and rails that cushion any blows in an extreme situation. This criterion is one of the most important for beginners in surfing as it will protect you from the trauma that may occur during your first workouts.
  3. Durability: such a soft-top surfboard will serve you as much as you need in the first steps of training. The rails of this surfboard are quite durable and will not cause discomfort with their sounds when you use them. Such a soft-top surfboard eliminates this unpleasant experience and allows you to use it comfortably and enjoy surfing.
  4. Choosing such a surfboard saves you money and time. These soft-top boards are usually cheaper to manufacture and will not ruin you on your first purchase. Save your time by buying such equipment directly from the window and use it. In any case, you will benefit from the purchase, saving your money for additional dressing which will not require so much as for ordinary longboards of the standard length.
  5. The softness of the board will prevent other surfers from being damaged. Initially, you may not have to think about this moment but in the future, it will become a pleasant plus to use. You will see that you need to get used to the behavior on the water and you will not be distracted by the objections of other surfers.
  6. The high cost of the soft-top surfboard is a plus if you’d like to resell it in the future. If you plan to use your outdated standard board for reselling, you are unlikely to refund half the original cost. But when you become skilled enough to buy a new item, reselling a soft-top board will not be a problem. So, you can return most of the amount originally spent and be in profit to use the money for any additional equipment.
  7. A long warranty is provided. Many companies provide you with a guarantee of one year or more for soft-top surfboards. This condition is simply not possible with standard surfboards. For example, Liquid Shredder uses a 12-month warranty for soft-tops but try to find a similar offer for a hard-top longboard.
  8. Soft-top board performance is excellent. The soft-top does not force you to sacrifice performance for the sake of security. High-quality modern production technologies make this surfboard reliable and suitable for great surfing. The materials that soft-tops use will allow you to become an absolutely confident surfer. Such a surfboard will ideally prepare you for the transition to the next level – the acquisition of a standard board that you can use to develop your skills.

Soft-Top Surfboards

Disadvantages of a soft-top surfboard:

  1. Classic soft-tops are heavier than hard surfboards. These soft-tops are heavier due to the production factor but it is unlikely that this will have a strong impact on your ride to make you notice a significant difference in use.
  2. Soft-top surfboards can be disorienting in the water. The soft-tops give the feeling that standard rules do not work on waves. But this feeling appears because such a board has an increased level of security. And the rules on the water should always be followed with soft-tops.
  3. Some soft-top surfboards may cause a rash. To avoid this, stock up on the extra equipment. If you ride in the warm water, it is better to use some kind of protective suit. This will help you not to get a rash and make your rides more comfortable.

In this article, we have provided you with options for surfboards which show that your standard longboard can be replaced.

Of course, different surfboards work differently.

You can especially feel the difference if you switch from a hard-top board to a soft-top surfboard or vice versa.

Now, you just have to conduct a personal study on which board you would prefer more.

Visit a surf store that is the most attractive to you and make your choice. Do not forget about the fun but still, react responsibly to this task.

Below we give 3 examples of the companies whom you can trust and use in choosing a soft-top surfboard.

catch-surf-softboards

Catch Surf:

  • the rails of this company are made by hand and in the design of their soft-top surfboards, they use the same characteristics as they use in a standard hard-top board;
  • the design and construction of each of its boards are developed with the help of specialized software. This means that you will not find the second version of your soft-top board since it is specially created for your parameters;
  • surf ribs are suspended which means they do not let water through;
  • they use the good wood in the core of the structure which is sucked on a handmade stringer system;
  • the use of epoxy resin and fiberglass materials allows binding the stringer to the surfboard.

liquid-shredder

Liquid Shredder:

  • uses a 12-month warranty for soft-tops;
  • chooses a form with high performance;
  • uses a closed rail system;
  • for high performance, uses a solid stringer made of good wood;
  • uses a full rocker bow of the soft-top surfboard;
  • also uses a full rocker for part of the tail;
  • applies manual control;
  • uses the closed-cell foam;
  • creates increased speed of vinyl skin (application of aviation quality).

Surftech board

Surftech:

  • uses soft rails;
  • for soft-top surfboards, uses a hard bottom;
  • allows you to reach the level of an average surfer;
  • involves designers and manufacturers who are professional shapers;
  • uses epoxy resin in the construction;
  • uses high-quality design in the form of a sandwich which is based on fiberglass.

Summing up, we can say that we tried to collect the maximum amount of information that can help you make a choice.

We can only advise you on a suitable surfboard and company that is convenient to work with and get a quality product.

But the fact is that only you can make a decision on what kind of board to use.

Be careful when choosing a surfboard and let your surfing be fun and enjoyable.

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