There seem to be two types of surfers, surfers who hate soft boards and surfers who love softboards. If you’ve been paying attention to the JOB Surf Experience site or Jamie’s YouTube channel, you know we occupy the latter category. Soft boards haven’t always been accepted in lineups, but now they’re popping up everywhere. Beyond surf lessons and tandem surfing, soft boards can completely reinvigorate your love for surfing and increase your time in the water. To find out why we love soft boards so much, continue reading below for The Argument for Soft Boards: How Softboard Surfboards Will Revolutionize Your Surfing Experience.
Make the most of small waves with a soft board
Soft boards come in all shapes and sizes, from single fin logs to high-performance outlines. With a soft board, you can maximize your time in the water on small waves without having to ride a longboard. All softboards, regardless of their shape or length, pack more than enough volume to help you paddle into tiny summer surf. High-performance softboards are incredibly responsive, making one-foot days and slow-breaking longboard waves rippable.
Stay safe in heavy surf
While a soft board may not be your first choice for a heavy wave, it may be the safest choice. Jamie and Ben Gravy recently paddled out to Pipeline on softboards for Ben Gravy’s first heavy Pipe session. They chose softboards for two reasons; the high volume allows them to get an early roll-in entry, and they are safer than traditional fiberglass boards when you wipe out.
Charge shore breaks and closeouts
Shore breaks and closeouts used to be forbidden fruit for most surfers who would never risk life and limb, not to mention their boards, trying to ride such hazardous surf. Soft boards are durable enough to take a beating in the shore break, yet soft enough not to injure you if you collide with them while wiping out. No matter how fierce the shore break looks, you can at least attempt to tame it on a soft board.
Go finless
Going finless on a soft board in small, soft surf is perhaps the most fun you can have surfing outside of getting barreled. Surfing finless allows you to slip and slide down the wave’s face at will. Riding finless is one of the most expressive and fun ways to surf, especially on small waves.
Skim
The removable fins on softboards also allow them to double as skimboards. Slide into peeling shore break and launch off ramps into the shallows on soft boards. Unlike traditional skim boards, softboards won’t leave you with bruised shins after you wipe out.
Save money
If you’re new to surfing or looking for a fun summer/ small wave board, a softboard will save you hundreds of dollars compared to a brand new traditional, fiberglass surfboard. Softboards come in all shapes and sizes for all different levels of surfers. New surfers should stick to traditional longboard shapes, like the Catch Surf Log. Experienced surfers looking to retain that high-performance zest should stick to fish or shortboard outlines, like the Catch Surf Odysea Pro.
Check out our collection of JOB Catch Surf softboards when you book a North Shore Surf Lesson with Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience. Book your stay on the North Shore at Turtle Bay Resort to be close to all the action.