A Buyers Guide
The Little Pink Shop
Wetsuit "Buyers" Guide |
Updated for 2005!
Our Current Surfboard Stock List
Surfing is quite simply planing on water...
Think of a water-skier. Until the boat moves off he is submerged. As the boat accelerates the water-skier rises to the top and planes. The faster you go, the less planing area you actually need. A novice catching a broken wave is only travelling at about 6mph, so when you are learning to surf you need plenty of planing area. If your not planing then you are sinking so the second requirement is good floatation (volume).
As you get better (and ride better waves) you can reduce the planing area accordingly if you wish but you might want to hang on to the original bigger floatier board as it's always handy for small or weak conditions. (and friends!)
When you buy... Choosing the right size and volume of board is more important than either the make or construction (or colour). As a general rule-of-thumb we usually recommend choosing a board which is 1 to 2 foot taller than the rider with a very full plan shape i.e. egg shaped as opposed to pointy. This type of board is known in the U.K. as a Mini-Mal and they generally range in size from 7 ish to 8 ish foot.
Kids being on the whole being younger, fitter and more agile than adults, can usually get away with a smaller size to weight ratio. Generally then, a board between 6 to 18 inches taller will be OK and they can also pare down the plan-shape and thickness a little too.
You could also go for a Full-sized Longboard at 9 ft plus, the bigger you go, the easier it will plane and the quicker you will be standing up. The trade off though is that it will be hard to hang on it in bigger surf, hard to get out through the surf, hard to turn and even hard to get up and down the beach! On the other hand you like the look of the Longboard style of surfing and be a fan of the Beach Boys in which case, go for it!
It is now possible to hire many different types and sizes of board so try a few different ones prior to purchase. See our hire boards here.
You can phone us for practical advice on boards and suits on 01271/890453 or 01271/815707 or e-mail us here.
Before we start... If you are a beginner or infrequent surfer we suggest you're probably better off sticking to NSP/Southpoint and Bic. If you are a beginner/improver/intermediate then maybe a Custom Epoxy such as Take-Off or Circle One would be best. If your better than that then you probably know what you want already, but we've covered ever type for those researching second-hand boards off of E-Bay etc.
If you are tempted to buy from E-Bay be careful, there are bargains to be had but they are few and far between. When I got the time I'll list just a few of the horror stories... Few tips though, learnt thru bitter experience...
1/ The pictures, no matter how good, cannot be relied upon to show up defects or other shortcomings and seldom give any indication of volume/floatation.
2/ Avoid boards without fins, they may be totally unobtainable despite what the vendor says.
3/ Don't forget the postage costs, they will be substantial regardless of what the vendor says.
4/ If a private sale is packed and posted by a private individual expect the board to arrived underpacked and damaged.
View Surfboards currently for Sale
Surfboard Construction
There was a time when there were only a couple of ways to make a surfboard but there has been an explosion of new products over the last few years -although not exhaustive, this page lists the most common boards you are likely to encounter....
SOFTBOARDS
These are boards used in the main by surf schools (and some hire outlets), the most commonly seen brand is "SWELLS". They are often referred to as "Foamies". There are different sizes available, the best size for adult beginners probably being the 8 foot model although you can get 7' and 9' as well. They are usually blue and yellow with a black single fin. The soft foam construction prevents damage to the user, even the fin is "soft" to a degree. They are very thick for maximum float. They are very good boards for learning how to get to your feet but lack the refinement to behave like a real surfboard. These are not usually found for sale in surf shops as they cost around £235 ex-factory inc VAT and delivery, they are grown out of very quickly and therefore they are not something you would normally buy. They stand hard use reasonably well. They can be re-skinned (for a price). We hire several sizes of Swells.
SOFTBOARDS TO BUY-
There have been quite a few attempts recently by other manufactures to break into the Swells dominated softboard market. There are now a few "affordable" softboards on the market but these have polystyrene cores and without a hard outer "shell" are vunerable to unrepairable damage and are best avoided. For 2005 we are stocking a new affordable range of Softboards that do not have polystyrene cores. These come in various sizes and this will include kids sizes. Click Here for info.
For 2005 we also have a new American Softboard joining our hire fleet. We might even keep a few to sell.
These are the new INT Californian Performance Softboards. They have slick bottoms and 3 fins.
Phone 01271/815707 for more info.
We hire and give lessons using Swell Boards.
SOFT-TOPS ( EPOXY "HARD & SOFTS")
These boards have now been around in the U.K. for about 5 years and are the backbone of many a hire fleet. These boards are made in the biggest surfboard factory in the world... in Thailand. They are made by laminating together an epoxy resin and pvc shell which is then wrapped around a pre-formed polystyrene core. You can get them in 2 main forms... The made-for-hire-abuse Soft-Top versions, which is remarkably durable, or the all-hard pretty versions such as NSP and Southpoint, these are also very strong. We hire several sizes of Soft-Tops. |
 |
| SOFT-TOP HERE | SOFT-TOP HERE |
Both versions make great beginner/intermediate boards, they are not as buoyant as a Swell board but with their rigid bottom they just plane better. You also get properly contoured rails and the more manoeuvrable 3 fin set-up...weight isn't bad too bad either so it will surf quite like a [heavy] Custom board of the same size. You don't even need wax! We hire these boards in several sizes. We can supply new ones for sale too, sometimes direct from stock.
The Soft-Top versions actually cost more and in our experience are seldom purchased new... (a 7'6" Soft-Top mini-mal retails at around £300) The all-hard versions (NSP/Southpoint) are the ones that sell, and we do sell a lot. The clever marketing people have included a leash, fins and tailpad within the price. Since their launch in the UK in 2003 they have put thousands of people in the water (oh no!) and between them and Bic they have created a new genre... "The Recreational Surfboard".We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
NSP & SOUTHPOINT SURFBOARDS
Launched in the UK at the beginning of 2003, NSP/Southpoint now command a major sector of the "entry-level" market. There is no doubt that the product is good and the marketing slick. The Company is American with it's headquarters in Hawaii. The factory is in Thailand, it's run by Australians and the boards are available all over the world. NSP (New Surf Project) is the name used for models under 8' and Southpoint is the name used for models over 8'. Exactly why has never been explained. CONSTRUCTION These boards use the latest technology and are actually built from the inside out, rather like a custom surfboard. In this case however, the core ("blank") is "blown" to the exact correct dimensions rather than training someone for 7 years so that he can spend even more hours doing it. The shapes are cloned from "masters" which have been pre-shaped by experts of course. The core is made from polystyrene (EPS). The outer shell is constructed of layer apon layer of epoxy resin, fibreglass and PVC. The board is wrapped so that there are no seams on the rails. The final layer is an anti-scuff graphic coat. The boards come with fins (inc. a screwdriver!), a tailpad (NSP only, not Southpoint), and a leash all included in the price. Just lately they've also started adding stickers, a cleaning pad and even a keyring to the deal!
| Click on the image below to see the full 2005 range and a guide as to which one to buy. |
 |
The 2005 range from NSP/Southpoint. |
 |
 |
| NSP 7'10"Mini-mal in red for 2003 & 2004. | Same 7'10"Mini-mal board in new colour scheme for 2005. |
Although NSP/Southpoint boards are both tough and reliable the graphics coat does have a tendancy to chip if you bang them about or wear through if the board is dragged up the sand (No!! Don't do it!). This is purely cosmetic but it does expose the slighty creamy coloured layer underneath. This in no way effects the usability of the board but in extreme cases (hired boards!) they can start to look like speckled eggs. If the board is cared for and treated with some respect this will not happen.
| NSP 7'6" Mini-mal in 2005 colours |
| Not short on performance if your good enough! |
 |
| Click on the image to see the full 2005 range. |
We sell the full range of NSP and Southpoint Surfboards and often have stock when others don't!
Phone 01271/890453 or 01271/815707
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
| Bic 2005 range of ACS (Polyethlyne) Surfboards | ||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Click on the image to see the full Bic 2005 range and a guide as to which one to buy. | ||||
 |
 |
| Bic 7'3" ACS Mini-mal. | Bic 7'9" ACS Mini-mal Classic. |
CTS CONSTRUCTION
| Bic 2005 range of CTS (Epoxy) Surfboards | |||
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Click on the image to see the full Bic 2005 range and a guide as to which one to buy. | |||
 |
 |
| Bic 7'6" CTS Performer Mini-mal | Bic CTS 9' Longboard |
We sell the full range of Bic Surfboards and often have stock when others don't!
Phone 01271/890453 or 01271/815707
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
CUSTOM EPOXY
Chronologically, these boards should come after "Custom" really but this is where they belong in terms of your evolution from beginner to experienced surfer. These boards are totally hand built as usual for a custom, but with a ESP (polystyrene) core and an epoxy/glassfibre/pvc sandwich outer "shell". (Read on if you don't know what a Custom Surfboard is). In other words a sort of hand made NSP/Bic-CTS if you will, but lighter and more progressive but not as strong. They are generally a lot stronger than "conventional" custom boards though. They are one of the latest developments in surfboard construction and make great, cheap intermediate/improvers boards, a logical progression on from NSP/BIC. These new products are being developed in the Far East by English Surf Companies.CIRCLE ONE
Circle One were the first to bring these boards to the market in the UK but not without teething problems. They are gearing up to launch their "second generation" improved boards for 2005. Various sizes and shapes will be available loosely following the NSP/Bic sizeing formula. More news on these boards when we have it.
Circle One Custom Epoxy Surfboards 2003/4 |
 |
| Circle One Custom Epoxy Surfboards 2004/5 | |
 |
 |
| Shortboard Quiver | Circle One Custom Epoxy 7'10" Mini-mal. |
Circle One Custom Epoxy Surfboards 2005 |
 |
We sell the full range of Circle One Surfboards and often have stock when others don't!
Phone 01271/890453 or 01271/815707
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
| Now in stock... Cortez Custom Epoxy Surfboards (FCS) | |
 |
 |
| Cortez 6'4" Shortboard £229 | Cortez 7'6" Mini-mal £249 |
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
TAKE-OFF SURBOARDS
| New for 2005... Take-Off Custom Epoxy Surfboards | |
 |
 |
| Take-Off 6'8" "Big-boy" Shortboard | This Take-Off 8'2" Prototype will in fact be 8' in production form. |
| New for 2005... Take-Off Custom Epoxy Surfboards | |
 |
 |
| Take-Off 7' Mini-mal-Shortboard Hybrid. | The Take-Off 8' in production form. |
| New for 2005... Take-Off Custom Epoxy Surfboards | |
 |
 |
| Take-Off 7'6" Mini-mal. | The Take-Off 7'4" Mini-mal. |
We sell the full range of Take-Off Surfboards and often have stock when others don't!
Phone 01271/890453 or 01271/815707We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
CUSTOM EPOXY
CJK SURFBOARDS
| New for 2005... CSK Lightweight Custom Epoxy Surfboards | |
 |
 |
| CSK 6'8" Mini-mal. | CSK 9'2" Mal. |
Another new range of Custom Epoxy Surfboards being launched in 2005. From the same stable as Take-Off, constructed along the lines of the very expensive "Surf-Tec" "Tuf-lite" boards but at a much more affordable price. Very scarce in the UK, we have all 3 currently available sizes in stock.
The weight (lack of it!) is amazing, This is the 9'6" and Gary kept it at arms length for ages whilst I faffed about with the camera!
TRADITIONAL CUSTOM SURFBOARDS (Polyester)
These are the traditional fibreglass boards that we know and love... Hand made from polyurathane foam and fibreglass cloth (hence also known as Glass boards) A true custom is made to order for an individual, a "stock custom" is the same construction but already made. They are generally lightweight which offers the best in performance terms plus they are also beautiful to behold. Unfortunately this also means they tend to be fragile and susceptable to damage. (ding) |
 |
| Having a board custom made for you allows you to have exactly what you want...including the artwork. | |
The core is "blown" first from high-density polyurethane foam ("the blank"). This is then "shaped" & "glassed". The greater the reputation and experience of the shaper & factory/brand that produce the board affects the ultimate selling price. Decals & artwork are normally glassed in under the surface. All customs are comparatively fragile, the lighter it is- the weaker it will be but the better it will perform. Using a good shaper that knows you, how you surf, where you surf etc. would be the ideal way of getting a board that is right for you...but also the most expensive. If you have a custom board made for you you will also be able to specify the exact construction including finish and fins.
 |
 |
| Often the shapers name, the board dimensions & sometimes a stock number will be written in pencil on the blank, next to the stringer, the wooden strip that runs nose to tail for longitudinal strength. This one is number 7 of a batch of Hot Buttered Surfboards (Australia) made especially for us.. CEBY is the first and last letters of "Croyde Bay". | |
 |
| Stock-Custom...Custom boards already in the rack. |
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
Avoid a board that has been snapped then repaired, even if done "properly" the balance is changed. Likewise be very suspicious of any lateral stripes & check for damage to the stringer. Stickers sometimes cover "dings". All dings should be at least watertight even if they look unsightly. Delamination is rare but can happen especially on "backyard" i.e. home-made boards.
Dents ("pressure dings") are common especially on the deck and can be a yardstick to the overall board strength and the amount of use the board may have had. It is perfectly normal to have pressure dings on the deck and these will be covered up when the board is waxed.
Lastly check that the fins are soundly attached. The glassed in variety have a tendency to crack at the base. The only solution is to remove a loose fin & re-glass it on again properly, this can be done in a tidy manner but if you pay someone to do it for you it will easily cost upwards of £20 per fin.
Most of the top Custom Surfboard brand names, for example, Robert August, Donald Takiyama, Dewy Weber and many others are now starting to embrace the new epoxy technology and offering their boards in a choice of either traditional construction (polyurethane foam/polyester resin) or the stronger epoxy/polystyrene sandwich construction.
To acheive this, epoxy boards are either "built in house" (expensive!) or signature model clones made in the Far East and marketed mostly by "Surf-tec".
SURF-TEC
TUFF-LITE
SUPER-LITE
EPOXY SURFBOARDS
If you've followed this surfboard guide so far then well done but watch out because here comes yet another confusing twist. Surf-tec are the same people who manufacture the Soft-Tops featured right up near the beginning of this page. They also however, produce a whole host of Top Brand signature model epoxy/polystyrene boards made from "Tuf-lite"technology. They are also using the name "Surf-lite". All three versions of these boards are made in the Far East by the same factory that makes NSP/Southpoint... and essentially then, to quote Basil Fawlty "it's duck done in three extreemly different ways". The Soft-Top is the "hire" version, the NSP/Southpoint is the "Buy" version and the Surf-Tec is the "Whole Package" version.
Interestly enough, a by-product of the Soft-top/NSP/Southpoint/Surf-tec/Tuf-lite/Surf-lite connection is that they all share the same cores. Thus when the hire-brigade rent a Soft-Top and quibble over the price (and then attempt to trash it) they are getting the latest technology in a board designed by surfings finest shapers. "Pearls before swine" comes to mind.
With a Surf-Tec Board, you get a Top Brand signature model, made from the lightest and best quality materials, the original board being designed by the world's top shapers. As an American surfboard manufacturor /shaper, if you havn't got a board being cloned in the Far East with your name on it, you havn't yet "made it"!
Tuf-lite and Surf-lite by the way, are names coined by the factory for this particular type of construction and it is possible to buy Tuf-lite/Surf-lite constructed boards without the Surf-Tec connection. Such boards, being free of brand and shaper royalties are a bit cheaper. That said, we are at the "luxury/specialist" end of the market hear so all these boards are pretty pricy.
We stock a small range of Custom Surfboards, sometimes including secondhand, phone for more info.
We are also one of the only shops in the UK renting out a full range of custom boards from 6'4" shortboard thru to 9'6" Mal. Click here for details.
pictures of Surf-Tech's etc here soon!
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
SALOMAN S-CORE
This is more cutting-edge technology which involves a moulded blank with hollow compartments. This is top-end expensive stuff, you can get more info from their website at www.salomonscore.com.
Thats covered most of whats out there at the moment, that just leaves the "OLD STUFF"
POP-OUTS
Difficult one this because the term pop-out is used by some to describe any board that is not hand shaped. By unfortunate association with the crappy old moulded boards of yester-year, the word Pop-Out has become derogatory and it's use, in surfing terms, akin to a racist slur. Even a custom board starts it's life in a mold ("blowing the blank") yet if a mold is used in any other board, at any time in the manufacturing process, some wiseass says "Pop-Out". Given the level of technology and sophistication that is at last being applied to surfboards in the last couple of years, calling some of them "Pop-Outs" is like saying that the Space Shuttle is just "an aeroplane". So this is what a Pop-Out really is (or was)...These boards were made in moulds and each one pops out the same as the last, hence the name. Both halves of the mould are laid up with fiberglass chop strand mat (immensely heavy and still used for kit cars, yacht hulls etc) and white resin, chemically expanding foam forms the core. A fillet of white resin is then used to cover the seam along the sides ("rails").
Sometimes this fillet is sanded flush to make the board resemble a custom to the untrained eye. Graphics, either paint or vinyl are applied to the outside of the board. Their main drawback is that they are much heavier than the Eiffel Tower. This extra weight reduces performance, which is no bad thing if your learning but it also means that the board packs a hefty wallop if it hits you!
This type of board has been the only entry-level option and mainstay of British hire shops for 30 years and a first buy for very many people. Many makes & shapes exist. A lot were made in the Freebird Factory locally and much "badge engineering" has taken place.
If you have buy into this old technology (and most likely hold back your progress in doing so) then this is what to look for... When viewing a prospective purchase check for delamination (separation of the skin from the core). This is a common fault; the deck is usually the first place to go. If the rest of the board is sound and the delaminated area has not reached epic proportions and the board is still watertight and the board is cheap then it can still be a viable option. You can always re-sell it to another novice after you have learnt to ride it and recoup most, sometimes all, of your money. If however water can get inside the board then it should be rejected. Check the fins and finboxes are sound and that there are no sharp edges on the "rails".
POP-OUTS have a coolness factor of zero. They are old technology and outdated. We no longer hire them out due to their weight...we are trying to make the sea a safer place!
Photo to follow
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
 |
 |
| 7'3" Wave-Tec Mini-mal | |
 |
| 9' Wave-Tec Longboard |
EPOXY HARD
Forerunner to the NSP. In this case to halves were stapled together over a polystyrene core, then sealed in Epoxy. Similar to the Hard & Soft but hard on both sides and with a gloss finish. The boards weigh in at just a tad heavier than a custom of the same size. Another advantage of the epoxy construction is that it is about five times stronger than a custom board and it can be repaired with products stocked by Halfords for car repairs! In use they go pretty well but have a tendancy to finally split open at the nose. Once broken in this way they are pretty much impossible to repair.
|
As above but both sides hard with coloured gloss finish |
EPOXY WOOD VENEER
Similar to above but with a wood veneer finish these boards looked like a million dollars which is not far short of what they originally cost! The epoxy "woody" mini-mal retailed at over £500 and 9 foot plus boards were over £700 just a few years ago. With improved technology these boards rapidly evolved into the Tuff-lite/Surf-tech/Surf-lite we have today. Although still expensive, prices have dropped back a little and new players are trying to carve the market up, (unsuccessfully so far).
|
Similar to above but with wood veneer glossed finish |
We don't just sell NSP and Bic... for a full stock list of all brands click here.
