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You may be wondering what the difference is between a softboard and other longboards. The difference is mainly in the composition of the board. Softboards are usually longboards, in that they are bigger and longer than expert surfboards, and made to be more conducive to safety for beginners and kids. Non-soft longboards are made of materials that are conducive to speed and the needs of more advanced surfers.
A softboard is just that: soft. It has a soft top and a soft but slick bottom, which will help beginners catch waves, but if they should get dinged on the head or any other part of their body by their board while learning, the softboard is safer. The softboard also has rubber fins, which are good for holding onto that wave, but the rubber is softer than the usual resin or fiberglass fins which can be painful if you’re on the wrong end of them. Basically, a softboard is engineered for beginners and kids, so that they can have fun learning how to surf, without getting hurt by their board during the process.
A longboard that is not a softboard is constructed differently. Often, a longboard has a soft top, but a hard bottom made of resin or fiberglass. The hard bottom makes a good contact point with the water, and helps the surfboard ride faster, while the soft top is good for the surfer. Longboards also have hard fins, made of resin or fiberglass, which also help the board ride the water faster, but are not good for kids or beginners. Longboards with soft tops and hard bottoms and fins are good for intermediate surfers, who won’t likely be beat up by their board and have improving surfing skills.
So when you start surfing, you may want to look into getting a softboard for those first few months out on the water. A softboard is great for beginners and kids learning the basics, because it’s made with safety in mind. A longboard may be one of the surfboards you graduate to, when you have the basics down and want to keep improving your surfing skill set.
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