How to choose your bodyboard?

Even if it’s simpler to use our “board finder” above, we offer you this detailed information so that you have all the elements to choose the best bodyboard to suit your needs and wants.

This decision depends on many parameters like size, weight, abilities, your style of riding (prone, drop-knee or stand-up) and the water temperature of your local break. These parameters play a crucial role when choosing your bodyboard and affect variables such as the size of your bodyboard, its materials, its shapes and eventually its price.

Which size of bodyboard?

Two main variables are important when deciding which size to choose for your bodyboard. You can check our bodyboard size chart at the end of this part or use the “board finder” above to see which size would suit you better. Find out what size of bodyboard is ideal for your kids or any other adults.

Size / Weight

Why?

The size of your bodyboard plays a direct role on its volume. When increasing the size of your board, its width and thickness increase accordingly. Therefore, it defines its buoyancy. If you don’t float enough, it means that your bodyboard is too small and it will be very difficult to catch waves. But if your board is too big, it may be easy to catch wave, but it’s going to be very hard to control it on the face of the wave, especially in powerful waves.

Your abilities

An advanced rider will most likely surf smaller boards than a beginner of the same size and weight.

Why?

The advanced bodyboarder already knows how to catch wave and ride is bodyboard. He will be looking for control and speed in order to make aerial manoeuvers or rider barrels. In order to be in control he can’t afford to have board that would be too big for him. On the other hand, the beginner will look for more buoyancy in order to have more paddle power and start catching wave easily.

Which materials?

It’s pretty hard for newcomers to know which materials to choose. Prices and performances may vary a lot, so you’d better be aware of them. PP, NRG+, PE, EPS, HDPE Slick, Surlyn Dupont Slick, stringers, Radial Flex, we’ll explain everything.

The core

The core of your board is a plank that can be made of different types of foam. At Pride Bodyboards®, we only use the best one, adapted to every level of riding. We’ll start with entry-level core and finish with the most high-end ones.

S-React Core

The S-React is moulded expanded polystyrene core. We own our moulds which enable us to offer higher densities of polystyrenes, and therefore, more resistance, but also efficient shapes for a really affordable price. For instance, we’ve developed contour decks on most entry-level boards, that help beginners to place their hands and elbow instinctively. The densities we provide in these bodyboards allow us to guarantee that our EPS boards are the most resistant of all EPS boards. We highly recommend it for all beginners if you don’t know yet if you want to practice bodyboarding as a summer hobby or as a year-long passion.

PE Core – Polyethylene

At Pride Bodyboards® we’ve always used PE core for mid-range boards. It’s a great core that will allow any bodyboarder to get better before buying his first pro bodyboard.

At the end of 2019, we’ve launched our first range of recycled PE boards. This new HRC (High Recycled Content) PE Core contains a minimum of 65% recycled polyethylene. Like its non- recycled brother, he keeps good flex properties and is adapted to cold and temperate water and intermediate level bodyboarders.

Pride Bodyboards® is the first, and so far, the only company to offer bodyboard built from recycled materials. #HereComesTheFuture

NRG+ Core – An hybrid polypropylene core

NRG+ Core is a 100% hydrophobic hybrid core, combining two densities of expanded polypro foam:

• A first layer of common polypro (1,9PCF)
• A lower density layer (1,4PCF called NRG)

This combination offers greater flex properties compared to classic PP boards but remains stiffer and more resistant PE boards. We consider this core as the top of the range for cold waters.

PP core – polypropylene

The main core in high-end bodyboards. It’s used by every professional bodyboarder. It is also 100% hydrophobic (which means your board is less likely to absorb water once damaged) and stiffer than NRG+ and best suited for temperate to warm waters. Faster and stiffer, it can be hard to control for beginners.

The slick

The slick is the part of your bodyboard that is in contact with water on the face of the wave. Stiffer and denser than the rest of the board, it influences the performances of your bodyboard to a great extent.

HDPE – High Density Polyethylene

As for PE core, it’s a good quality slick, used on most board from entry level boards to mid- range. It will suit most bodyboarders.

Surlyn Slick (HDPP – High Density Polypropylene)

As for PP cores, it’s the slick materials used by professional bodyboarders. It’s stiffer than HDPE and increases the lifespan of the board if you surf in warm water or boost big moves. Only available on professional bodyboards.

Stringers and other stiffeners

The stringer is a cylinder that allows to stiffen the bodyboard and increase its lifespan. Thanks to the stringer, it should be very hard to break or fold a bodyboard in halves.

Mesh

This layer of mesh is placed between the core and the slick, which makes the board slightly stiffer and longer lasting. It gives the board a better memory and a honeycomb aspect to the slick.

Tension Tech

Tension Tech consists in two layers of mesh, one placed between the core and the deck, and the other between the core and the slick. The Tension created by these two layers gives a great memory and stiffness to the board.

The shape of a bodyboard

Most of the time, entry-level boards have a versatile shape that suits most people. But when you start improving your skills and defining your style of riding (prone, drop-knee or stand- up) the shape of the board becomes a crucial part of the choice and it becomes very precise.

Channels

The deeper are the channels, the more control you will have on the face of the wave. They help distribute water flow under the board. But they won’t be of any help for spins. Most pro-boards are equipped with parallel channels. On the contrary a flat slick will make rotations easier but control more difficult. A question of balance!

Rails

Rails are one of the most important feature on your bodyboard but quite easy to choose. They will define how your board performs on the face of the wave. They are expressed as a fraction like 60/40, 55/45 and 50/50. It’s the rail/chine ratio. The first number is the lower part of the rail and second is the chine. The bigger the lower part, the more control you will have. We’ve decided to do 55/45 rails on most board as they’re according to all our pro riders, the most versatile and efficient rails for all conditions.

Nose bulbs

These small reinforcements on both side of the nose give you a better grip. We adivse to put a bit of wax on these to make the better of it.

Epaisseur

The thickness of your board plays a big role on buoyancy and stiffness. If you are a heavyweight rider, we recommend getting a thicker board like the Spartan. It’s been created for heavier riders. 2mm thicker than another 44” or 45” board, we’ve also added two stringers and mesh so that it’s the strongest board of the range.

Contour Deck

The deck of your board may be flat, or thinner at some strategic points, for instance on the nose or close to the rail. Most of the time, it’s a matter of comfort. These thinner part allow you to have a better grip on the board, or place your elbows instinctively.

Single to Double Concave

Our most advanced bottom contour to date. It distributes water flow the best way we can imagine.

Bodyboard tails

The tail of your board is the bottom part of the board. We mostly use two different types of tails on our boards: the crescent tail and the bat tail.