Hey Zuz, I am confused: A foamie or a hardtop?

New segment alert! We call it: Hey Zuz – I Am Confused. Our own version of an agony aunt, or what happens when you finally get answers to your question—but the advice is somewhat conflicting. What now?!

???? Hey Zuz – I am confused.

I’m buying my first-ever surfboard. Some people say I should get a foamie. Some people say I should start on a hardtop. I am genuinely lost.

???? Dear reader!

Everybody wants to help. But everyone may come with their own surf experiences or preferences—i.e., they believe foamies are bad for the environment. Or they could have certain preconceptions about your surfing profile: where you surf, how often, your height, body type, fitness level, your surfing aspirations, or even how big your car is. They may not always get it 100% right. It doesn’t make their desire to help any less valid.

Surfers who recommend that you get a foamie may do it for a few different reasons. Foamies are generally considered safer, both for beginners and those around them. Getting hit—or worse, hitting someone else—with a log (a heavy longboard) is a terrifying experience. There are financial considerations too. Foamies are much cheaper, and this year you could get one for as little as $116 if you lived in the U.S. and shopped at Costco. There’s also an abundance of secondhand foamies available on Facebook Marketplace or being sold post-season by surf schools. And as soon as you outgrow a foamie, you can resell it. It’s also easier to recommend a foamie—they tend to come in 8ft and up, and usually have enough volume to float well unless you’re really tall or on the heavier side.

Of course, all of this is a moot point if you already had your heart set on a hardtop, or you already went through a foamie phase on a rental board and want to upscale, or you’re actually quite light or on the shorter side and a typical foamie may be too wide for you to paddle comfortably or feel like driving a tank. If you’re surfing at a non-busy break or you have shortboarding ambitions, an epoxy board might be just the ticket (I learned on a 7’6” epoxy BIC).

The ideal scenario? Test out some boards at your local break. See if the shoe fits. But perhaps stop short of getting a custom board just yet. That’s a totally different, more expensive kettle of fish.

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team