Types of Surfboards
35 commentsThruster, Malibu, Fish, or Gun? For a moment there you might have thought that we had strayed off the surfboard subject, but we didn't. We're talking about the four primary types of surfboard designs.
The first is the shortboard, also known as the thruster. This is the type of board that is pictured below. It's a board used to perform quick maneuvers on waves and is the most popular type of surfboard design. The size of these shortboards is generally from around 5'8'' to 6'10''.
The Shortboard
The next type of board is the longboard or malibu (mal). The main difference in design is that the nose of the longboard is rounded. Other than that there is no real difference, though shortboards tend to have three fins and longboards tend to have a single fin. Before we get e-mails from twin fin and other surfers we should say that surfboards can have as many fins as they like; it's not very standardised. Mini-mals, or funboards range from 7'2'' to 9'0'' and Malibus are 9'0'' and upwards in length.
The Longboard
The fish is the next type of board that we'll look at. The fish is very similar to a shortboard but is smaller in length. The lack of length is made up for with an increase in the width of the board, giving it a slightly more rounded shape. Fish are generally between 4'8'' and 6'0''. There is a popular misconception that fish make good beginners surfboards - this is not the case.
The Fish
The gun is a bigger version of the shortboard and is used in the big wave arena. The increased length of the board makes it possible to paddle into bigger waves. The gun can be anywhere from 7'2'' in length to over 12' for the really big waves.
The Gun
Surfboard for the Beginner
The best surfboard for the beginner is a malibu. Why? Because the bigger, thicker mals are easier to catch waves with and are more stable to stand up on. The ideal board is at least 9' long and is made of foam. Foamies, as they are often called, are the ideal board to start on and are used in surf schools to learn on. A pop-out is a surfboard that is made on a production line and is a cheap alternative to a custom-made fibreglass surfboard. The pop-out is made of foam covered with thick fibreglass and is practically indestructible - great for running right up to the beach! The pop-out is a good beginner choice because of its cost and the fact that it floats really well. (It's a little chunkier than your average thruster.)
That's a quick look at surfboards, and it makes them look very simple indeed. But there is a lot more that goes into the design and construction of a surfboard.
it looks good but it is very long
year i agree with you it is a bit to long
Great Help :D And Yes it is a bit too long..
thanks for the resources
need more info on the fish
thanxx
Thanks, but more info about the fish.
great site
Any more pictures?
im doing project can you tell me some names of surfboards
there are
gun's
fish
foamboard's
short/longboard's
mali's
thats basically it...hope it helped
ive gotaa make a surfboard for my math report what r some good websites for it
the egg
thanx man
hi
on lots of other website it says fish are good for beginners
so im a bit confused now
@ I<3thebeach - Don't be confused, fish are not beginner boards. Longboards and funboards are much better suited to beginners.
very nice
would a 7ft gun be a good choice for an allround starter board
@Guest on Apr 5, 2012: No, gun's are for big wave riding.
thanks for a bit of info on surfboards
thanks !
Thanks for the info. I started with a foamy, and was looking for what to get next. Can't wait to get the next board.
I'm 5'1 130 lbs and a girl haha. Been out a couple times on a foamy. What would be my best bet seeing that I'm still a beginner surfing the south shore of oahu
I want a board that is easy to paddle with and I can duck dive and still easy to maneuver an that is short
I am doing a writing project and this site really helped:)
I'm just getting into surfing and I'm thinking about buying a 6'8" thruster. I know everyone says not to start with a short board, but I've been body boarding and knee boarding for years. I figure if I can stand up on a 54" knee board which is very narrow then I should be able to surf a thruster right? Any opinions?
thx bro
In just getting into surfing and was looking for a mini mal I'm 5'5 and 47kg or 105ibs what size board should I get?
Does anyone know some good mal/minimal manufacturers?
Thank you
I think you covered everything there is to those boards. You are missing some other types of boards.
cool man
Sufboards are Cool Man!
Radical dood
Narley!!