When should I downsize?

When can I downsize is the second most popular question among surfers. It naturally follows the first most popular question among beginner surfers: what should my first surfboard be? We certainly do seem to care about equipment more than anything else in surfing.

you don’t have to downsize

Downsizing is not, in fact, a required milestone in your surfing journey. The accepted truth in the surfing community is: if you’re thinking you’re ready to downsize, you’re more likely not ready to downsize. But we do want to bring you one step closer.

Here are a few scenarios when you might consider downsizing your board:

Super early in your surfing career, you may benefit from downsizing if the original board you’re learning on is simply too big or too wide for you, making learning challenging or physically uncomfortable. This typically happens if you’re not as tall as the average surfer or your wingspan is on the shorter side.

If you’re moving to a different surf spot with completely different conditions—i.e. super fast closeouts—you may downsize if riding your original board becomes too dangerous for those conditions. Getting smacked by a 10-foot log versus a 7’6” midlength may just save your life. Or seek a surf spot better suited to the board you own.

Once you feel you can no longer progress on your original board is also a good time to consider a change.

Typically, surfers are advised to downsize when they’ve mastered pop-ups, can ride down the line, want a more responsive board, and have more control over it. All fair.

longer boards and shorter boards catch waves differently

But one thing we tend to forget is that longer boards and shorter boards catch waves differently.

On a bigger board, you can pretty much catch a wave from almost anywhere: far back, on the shoulder, at the peak, even once it has broken. To catch a wave on a shorter board, you generally need to take off at the peak or you’ll have a miserable time. Meaning, you’ll want to consistently be able to take off at the peak on your longer board before switching. Otherwise, you may go a very long time without catching anything.

not all downsizing is the same

It’s worth noting that there are a few types of “downsizing,” too. You may be going from your 8ft foamie to a 7’6” or 7’4” midlength, or opting for a more dramatic downsize to a shortboard of 6’6” or smaller. Whatever your downsize journey is, you will not want to rush it.

If you must, also take into consideration that going shorter usually means less volume, which makes catching waves and paddling even harder.

The biggest tip we can offer when downsizing: don’t get rid of your original board just yet. It’s a process. And sometimes you actually need to go back in order to start enjoying surfing again.

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team