Which softboard should you buy? Four compared, fins to price
Updated 2026-09-19
The single feature that matters most on a softboard is whether the fins can be changed. A fixed, bolted-in fin limits a softboard to one setup for its whole life; a proper fin box lets the same board grow with you from a beginner setup through to twins or a thruster. Everything else, price, thickness, construction, follows from there.
Mad Dog Rincon 7'0: cheap, capable only up to a point
Bought for around 160 AUD against a listed price of 220 AUD, this is genuinely inexpensive. It has a wide nose, a slim tail, sits about 3 1/2 inches thick, and carries three reinforced wooden stringers, which have kept it from snapping despite plenty of use and being borrowed out. The problem is the fins: a single, stiff, bolted-in unit with no way to swap it out beyond full replacement. It is fun in small, messy waves for an absolute beginner, but past that stage the fixed fin and the mismatch between a wide nose and narrow tail become limiting fast.
Quiksilver Bat Board 6'6: a genuine step up for an intermediate
At 6'6 by 22 by 3 1/8 and 53 litres, this board is listed around 550 AUD; I bought mine at 50 percent off during a shop closing sale, for about 220 AUD. It carries a jewel stringer, slimmer rails than the Mad Dog, and screw-in fins that accept an FCS I fin set, so it can run a two-plus-one or a thruster setup. I do not swap the fins on this one since I mainly use it in close-out shorebreak, but the option is there. It travels easily in a car, a surf bag or on an e-bike, and I am not worried about damage. As a beginner board it is undersized; my own first purchase at this length was too small for a friend learning to surf, since a genuine beginner board needs to be at least 7'6, ideally eight to eight and a half feet.
Mick Fanning Super Soft 7'6: built for a true beginner
At 7'6 by 22 5/8 by roughly 3 1/2 inches thick and 57.5 litres, this board is about 550 AUD and includes a grab handle for easier carrying. The fins are soft, removable and FCS II compatible; I fitted twin power fins for a test and it worked well, with the fin spacing measuring correctly for a genuine twin setup. The bottom carries a slight vee and a subtle double concave, more contour than most beginner softboards offer. It paddled easily even in sub-par conditions and is genuinely light for its size. This is the one I would recommend to a friend just starting out.
Mick Fanning Beastie Epoxy Lam 7'6: for an intermediate who wants to keep the board
Same listed dimensions as the Super Soft at 7'6 by 22 5/8 by 2 7/8, but built about a kilogram heavier and with genuine Futures fin slots rather than bolts, taking the same Futures F8 safety fins or any other Futures setup, including a G10 fiberglass fin. It costs around 730 AUD depending on size, more than the Super Soft, and the construction runs an IXPE deck skin, two layers of 4oz E-glass, a PE bonding sandwich layer, a bamboo stringer, a 100 percent recyclable EPS core, and an HDPE sanded bottom skin. The extra weight and thinner rails give it real momentum once moving, which helps it power through flat sections, and it paddled well through waist to chest high, sub-par waves and duck-dived without trouble at my weight. It is the model I would choose over the Super Soft once someone is past a genuine beginner stage and does not want to feel limited by their board's fin options.
What separates a beginner softboard from an everyday one
A true beginner needs length and forgiveness first: at least 7'6, and closer to eight or eight and a half feet is better, with soft removable fins so a fall does not hurt. An intermediate or advanced surfer gets more out of a board with genuine fin boxes, thinner, more defined rails, and some bottom contour, even in a soft construction. Going shorter only makes sense once your surfing has outgrown the bigger sizes; a bigger person should stay on the larger end of any given model's size range.
Questions people ask
What length softboard should a true beginner buy?
At least 7'6, and ideally eight to eight and a half feet. A shorter board, even one aimed at intermediates, is genuinely harder to learn on.
Does the fin system matter on a softboard?
It matters more than almost anything else. A bolted, fixed fin cannot be changed, which limits the board permanently, while a proper fin box, FCS or Futures, lets the same board grow with your surfing.
Are more expensive softboards actually better built?
In this comparison, yes. The higher-priced Mick Fanning boards had genuine bottom contour, better rail shaping and true fin box systems, while the cheapest board had none of those.
Can an intermediate surfer still enjoy a softboard?
Yes, provided it has a proper fin system and some bottom shape. The Mick Fanning Beastie Epoxy Lam, with Futures boxes and thinner rails, held up well through waist to chest high, imperfect conditions.
Should I buy a shorter softboard if I am an advanced surfer?
Only once you are genuinely progressing past what a bigger board offers. For everyone else, and especially beginners, sizing up is the safer, more forgiving choice.
For the wider decision on softboards as a category, see softboards, and for how volume relates to ability, surfboard volume explained or the volume tool. Related gear questions are covered in gear and setting up a new surfboard. The Mick Fanning Beastie Epoxy Lam and other current boards sit on my current quiver; boards like the Mick Fanning Super Soft and the Mad Dog Rincon that have since moved on are logged on boards I have sold.