The 6 Best Longboard Surfboards for Beginners

It is a common misconception that longboard surfboards are not as cool as shortboards. This false notion leads many beginner surfers to start on surfboards that are too small for their skill level, and then they never improve and ultimately give up on surfing because it is “too hard.” 

As an award-winning surf school, we have taught thousands of beginner surfers how to stand to their feet and ride waves over the last decade. One thing we have learned is that using the right equipment is an essential part of the learning process. Therefore, we have compiled a list of our favorite beginner longboards that will help you get the most out of your learn-to-surf journey.

As a beginner surfer, you will want to start on a bigger surfboard — somewhere between 8 and 9 feet — known as a longboard. Longboard surfboards have more volume than shortboards and mid-length surfboards, making it easier for you to paddle, catch waves, and ultimately stand to your feet.

Why Start with a Longboard?

• High volume = easier to paddle, catch waves, and pop up
• Longboards are typically used in smaller waves (better for beginners)
• Longboard allows you to catch the wave at an earlier, less critical stage of the wave
• Longboards allow you to build your core and paddling muscles before moving to a shorter board

To get started, we recommend using a soft top longboard, which is covered in padded foam to prevent damaging the board and injuring yourself when wiping out. If you fall and get hit by a soft-top surfboard, it won’t hurt nearly as bad as getting hit by a hard-top surfboard.

That being said, we have also included some recommendations for the best hard top longboards for beginner and intermediate surfers. When looking for a hard-top longboard, make sure to prioritize volume — you want a board that will provide you with a nice combination of float, stability, and paddle power. 

Keep in mind that the majority of each surf session is spent paddling, not surfing. For this reason, it is best to start with a high-volume longboard that is easy to paddle. This allows you to build your paddling muscles (core and shoulders) and cardiovascular endurance over time. 

Surfboard dimensions can be found along the stringer — the middle line running from the nose to the tail — on most surfboards. These dimensions include length, width, rail thickness, and total volume. The higher the volume of the surfboard, the better the board will float you.

For more on surfboard volume I suggest checking out our post: Surfboard Shapes Explained.

The 3 Best Soft Top Longboards

Soft top surfboards have a soft padded foam deck instead of a traditional hard epoxy exterior. Soft top longboards are the ideal beginner surfboards because they are safer, easier to paddle, more stable, and more affordable than most hard-top boards. 

Soft top longboards can be found in a variety of lengths, shapes, and fin setups, and have also been showcased in some of the biggest, most powerful surf in the world. Here is our list of the top 3 soft top longboards for beginner surfers:

NSP 9’2” P2 Soft Longboard

We are big fans of NSP surfboards here at Bodhi Surf +Yoga. We have a large quiver of NSP soft tops that we use on a daily basis for our beginner surfers. These boards help beginners quickly gain confidence and comfortably progress in the surf.

What has impressed us most about the NSP P2 soft tops is their sheer durability. We have been using the same soft top surfboards nearly every day for the past 5 years! NSP soft tops can take a beating and last longer than any other soft top surfboards on the market. 

Check out the NSP 9’2’’ PS Soft Longboard

Catch Surf Odysea 9’0” Log

When it comes to high-performance soft tops, the Odysea is one of the most popular surfboards on the market. This soft top longboard has tons of float, is highly durable, and is designed for a broad range of skill levels.

Even professional surfers enjoy surfing Odysea soft tops. Just check out professional surfer Jamie O’Brien getting barreled at Pipeline on an 8-foot Odysea soft top! We don’t expect you to paddle out at the heaviest wave in the world like J.O.B., but knowing that your Catch Surf Odysea can survive Pipeline should give you plenty of buyer confidence.

Check out the Catch Surf 9’0″ Longboard

Almond 9’2” R-Series Surf Thump

Almond Surfboards are known for their high-quality performance surfboards designed for all kinds of surfers from beginner to advanced. Their R-Series soft top longboards are designed for maximum glide in small wave conditions, which is ideal for beginners. Best of all, the materials used in these surfboards are 100% recyclable. That means when the surfboard breaks (which all soft tops eventually do) you can keep it out of the landfill by recycling it through Almond’s Recycling Loyalty Program.

Check out the Almond 9’2″ R Series Longboard

The 3 Best Hard Top Longboards

Torq 9’0” Longboard

Not only do we use Torq surfboards here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, but we also see many of the best surfers in the region using these boards. Torq surfboards offer the ideal combination of performance and sustainability: they are highly versatile, user-friendly, and produce very little manufacturing waste. 

The Torq brand was founded on a new and revolutionary way of producing surfboards with perfect accuracy and nearly no waste. Each Torq surfboard is designed using the most innovative surfboard shaping technology on the market, making it the cleanest, lowest waste process currently used in surfboard manufacturing today. 

Check out the Torq 9’0″ Longboard

Firewire 9’1” Gem

This longboard was designed with a “one board in the trunk” philosophy in mind, making it the ideal surfboard option for beginner/intermediate longboarders who want a board that can hold a trim line and perform effortless turns. This board is highly utilitarian and meant to function in a variety of different conditions.

What we love about Firewire Surfboards is their commitment to sustainability. The Firewire Gem longboard is constructed using Timbertek technology. This innovative design includes a lightweight EPS core, sustainably-grown Paulownia wood deck skins, and an Entropy bio-resin hot coat. Not only is this board lightweight and durable, but it has one of the least toxic and smallest carbon footprints of any commercially available surfboard today.

Check out the Firewire 9’1″ Gem

NSP 9’0” Longboard Elements

All NSP surfboards are designed with durability in mind. They may not be the highest-performing surfboards on the market, but they are highly accessible, versatile, affordable, and long-lasting. The NSP Longboard Elements surfboard is a great board for beginners for these reasons. 

As a beginner, you really don’t need a high-performance surfboard anyway. The last thing you want is to buy a surfboard that you end up breaking within the first couple of months. The NSP Elements is a best-selling, exceptionally durable longboard for recreational surfers to fast-track their skills on and accelerate the learning curve.

Check out the NSP 9’0″ Longboard Elements

How to Surf Your New Longboard

If you are looking for step-by-step instructions on how to surf your new longboard, then you’ve come to the right place! 

Check out our complete Learn How to Surf Guide, which includes seven how-to videos to prepare you for paddling out and catching your first green waves.

This detailed guide outlines the surf lesson methodology that we have developed in our 12+ year history of Bodhi Surf + Yoga. It is informed by the International Surf Association’s curriculum as well as the cumulative wisdom and experience of our various surf instructors.

Our goal is to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to become an independent surfer. That said, we recommend you follow up completion of this series with an in-person visit to participate in one of our one or two-week surf and yoga vacations here in beautiful Bahia Ballena, Osa, Costa Rica!