Which softboard is best? Four compared from the log
Updated 2026-09-19
The single feature that matters most on a softboard is whether the fins can be removed and swapped. A cheap softie with glued-in, fixed fins will always feel limited. A softie with a proper fin box, FCS or Futures, can grow with you from a first wave to years of casual use.
The budget option
A 7'0 budget softie, listed at 220 AUD and picked up for 160 AUD, sits at the cheap end of the category. It is thick, around three and a half inches, with a wide nose and a narrow tail, and it copped a fair bit of use before starting to show ripples and distortion in the deck. The fins on this one are a single fixed piece, bolted in with no way to change them. That is its real limitation: fine for an absolute beginner in junky, low-quality waves, but something you outgrow quickly the moment you want to try a different fin feel. It sold on eventually for 110 AUD after several sessions.
A mid-range step up
A 6'6 board with a racier bottom shape and a slimmer profile than the budget option, about 53 liters, cost around 550 AUD new but was picked up at 50 percent off during a shop closing sale, for around 220 AUD. Its fins are held in with screws rather than glue, meaning a swap to a proper FCS-style fin set is possible, though in practice it mostly gets ridden with the fins that came with it for close-in, shorebreak-style sessions where board control near other people matters more than fin performance. This board is still in the current rack.
A dedicated beginner model
A 7'6 model built specifically as a first-timer's board, about 57.5 liters, includes a grab handle for easier carrying and comes with genuinely soft, forgiving removable fins on an FCS II style setup. It cost around 550 AUD. The construction includes a composite stringer and a mild vee and double concave in the bottom, more contour than a typical beginner softie carries, which makes it more capable than it needs to be for a first-timer, useful if the rider progresses quickly.
A more advanced softie
A second board in the same range, also 7'6 but thinner and about a kilogram heavier due to denser construction, costs around 730 AUD and swaps to a Futures-compatible fin box rather than FCS II. It is built with several layers of fiberglass and a bio-based epoxy lamination over an EPS core, closer in feel to a fiberglass board than a typical softie. It suits an intermediate rider who wants a low-stress board that will not be outgrown as quickly as a pure beginner model.
Softboards travel better than fiberglass, and still need wax
One underrated advantage of a softie is how little thinking it demands in transit. The mid-range 6'6 board in the rack goes in a car, a surf bag or gets strapped to an e-bike without a second thought about dings or theft risk. A friend who rides a similar-style softie takes it as checked luggage on overseas trips without ever worrying about airport handling damage, something that would be a real concern with a fiberglass board.
One detail that surprises people new to softies: they still need wax. The deck surface on most models is not grippy enough on its own for confident footwork, so waxing up before a session remains part of the routine even though the board looks like it should not need it.
Sizing rules that actually held up
For a genuine beginner, do not go smaller than about 7'6, and 8 feet or a little over suits most adults learning from scratch better than a shorter board does. A common mistake is buying a softie sized for an intermediate rider and handing it to a true beginner, who then struggles with a board too small to paddle and catch waves easily. For an advanced surfer wanting a softie purely for fun in close-out shorebreak conditions, sizing can go shorter, even under 6 feet for a lighter, more experienced rider.
Questions people ask
What is the most important feature to look for in a softboard?
A proper, swappable fin box, either FCS or Futures. A softie with glued-in, fixed fins is limiting from the start and cannot grow with your surfing.
Are cheap softboards worth buying?
Yes, for an absolute beginner testing whether surfing is for them, a cheap softie is a reasonable, low-risk purchase, provided you accept its limitations, especially fixed fins.
What size softboard should a beginner buy?
At least 7'6, and often 8 feet or a little more for most adults. A board sized for an intermediate surfer is usually too small for someone just starting out.
Can an intermediate or advanced surfer still enjoy a softboard?
Yes, particularly a more advanced model with a Futures or FCS II fin box and a bit more shape in the bottom contour, ridden in close-out or shorebreak conditions where a fiberglass board would be a liability.
How does a softboard compare to a fiberglass board on cost?
Considerably cheaper new, and a softie in good condition still holds reasonable resale value. See are cheap surfboards a waste of money and EPS or PU surfboard for related buying questions, and the full review at Which Softboard is Best. The current quiver still includes one of the softies discussed here. The rest of the choosing a board questions cover what comes after a softboard.