Are cheap surfboards a waste of money? I bought one to find out
Updated 2026-09-19
No, a cheap surfboard is not automatically a waste of money, but it is not automatically a bargain either. The construction quality on a low-cost board can be genuinely fine. The real risk is inconsistent design, not inconsistent materials, and that risk is not the same for every buyer.
The test
To find out directly, I bought a twin fin fish for 596 AUD, about 395 USD at the time, an EPS board made overseas rather than locally. I researched it beforehand, emailed the manufacturer with questions, and ran it through the same checklist I use before any purchase: which board in the quiver would it replace, and what could I sell it for later.
That board is now logged as sold after several sessions, going for 300 AUD once it moved on. Its top speed measured 22.8 km/h (14 mph), and it earned its keep in exactly the conditions it was designed for: small, average surf, as a flat-rockered, easy-paddling board.
What the cheap board got right
The construction itself was solid. It had proper glass work, a reinforced patch near the tail where a rider's back foot lands, and a stringer visible through the deck the same way a locally made board shows one. Riding it half a dozen times produced no more wear than a locally made board would show after the same use. Running a straight edge along the bottom revealed a genuinely considered contour, not a generic flat pop-out, with vee running through into a double concave and back out to vee at the tail, a shape that reminded me directly of a much more expensive board with a near-identical bottom.
Fin choice made the biggest single difference on that board. Moving through several fin sets, from a lighter, drivey keel through to a heavier fiberglass fin and finally to a whippier fiberglass set with a narrower tip, turned it from an adequate ride into a genuinely good one.
What buying cheap actually risks
The risk with a cheap board is not that it is badly built, it is that you do not know what you are getting until you ride it. A locally made board from a known shaper generally has a track record and a bottom contour you can ask about directly. A mass-produced board from an overseas factory may or may not have had real design work put into the shape, and the only way to know for certain is to ride it or to do the kind of research and direct questioning I did before buying.
There is also a resale reality worth being honest about. A cheap board bought new will generally sell for less on the secondhand market than a well-known, locally made brand of similar age and condition, simply because buyers pay for reputation as well as ride quality. The board tested here, bought for 596 AUD, was logged with an estimated replacement cost of 795 AUD if bought new again later, and sold on for 300 AUD after several sessions. That is a real loss in dollar terms, but it is a smaller loss in percentage terms than a lot of buyers assume a budget board will take, and it still bought several genuinely good sessions before moving on.
Who should still avoid the cheapest option
If you already know exactly what shape, volume and fin setup you need, and you are buying to fill a very specific gap, a locally made board or a known brand remains the safer bet, because you are paying for a track record that reduces the chance of an expensive mistake. If you are experimenting, testing a new style, or working with a tight budget, a cheap board can be a genuinely reasonable way to find out what you like before committing more money to a custom order or a premium brand. The full test ride is covered in Are Cheap Surfboards A Waste of Money, and the rest of the choosing a board questions cover the decisions that come after this one.
Questions people ask
Are cheap surfboards made from worse materials?
Not necessarily. The board tested here used reasonable quality glue and glass work, comparable in cosmetic finish to boards costing three times as much.
Will a cheap board hold up as long as an expensive one?
In this test, several sessions across a range of conditions produced no more wear than a locally made board would show. Longer-term durability across dozens of sessions was not tested here.
Does a cheap board sell for less later?
Generally yes. Brand recognition affects resale value more than construction quality does, so a cheap board bought new often loses more of its value than a known local brand would.
Should a beginner buy a cheap board?
A cheap board can be a sensible way to start, provided it is a genuine construction, not a toy-grade board. Match volume to your weight as you would for any other purchase; see surfboard volume explained.
How do I check a cheap board before buying it if I cannot ride it first?
Do what I did: research the specific model online, check the bottom contour photos closely rather than trusting the marketing copy, and email the seller or manufacturer directly with questions about construction and shape if anything is unclear. That research does not remove all risk, but it substantially narrows it on a purchase you cannot test ride first.
Is a cheap board ever a false economy?
Yes, specifically when the shape does not suit you and you end up buying a second board anyway. See which surfboard should I get for the checklist that helps avoid that outcome, and custom or stock surfboard for the next decision once you know what you want.