The Best Surfboards For Winter 19/20

We are often reminded that money can’t buy happiness, that the quest to accumulate material possessions is a road to empty sorrow.

That consumerism is not only the wrong path for the blue & green spinning ellipsoid we call home, but for our souls too.

But. There are always exceptions that prove the rule, and the coveting of, search for and ultimately the purchase of a new surfboard would rank very highly among them.

You can have a pretty good feckin go at buying happiness, for around 600 pounds.

For a new board, it may be argued, rather than coming to the detriment of your soul like most of the crap you accumulate and clutter your life with, is actually an extension of that soul.

A physical manifestation, foam and fibreglass, of the core values you’re putting at the very centre of your being.

Important, yet humble values, significant, and yet pointless – being in the ocean, riding waves, expanding your aquatic consciousness.

Whether your surfing is goal driven or more broadly steeped in escapism, whether you come to ride breaking waves as a form of physical activity or as a meditation, or perhaps simultaneously all of the above, there is a new surfboard out there for you.

Road cyclists have an expression about their n+1, where the minimum number of bikes owned is three, but correct number is n +1, where n = the number currently owned.

Sure, sure, know what you’re thinking; isn’t road cycling just late capitalist fetish wear meets mid life crisis? Maybe, but the maths stand up. The numbers relate equally well to your quiver.

Now the ‘sell an old one to get a new one?’ conundrum comes down to personal economics rather than dogma, but if we’re dealing in high performance shortboards here, it’s fair to say they don’t always age that well. They generally aren’t forever boards, so moving one on to make funds available to the acquisitions department seems reasonable, seems prudent.

Or, just horde those little beauties forever and ever.

Whether you’re after something similar to what you already ride, or whether you want to make a radical departure from yourself, whether you want to ride bigger waves, smaller waves, catch more waves or do more turns, your intentions are noble.

There are so many reasons to be board shopping, particularly as we approach winter and peak season for Atlantic swell energy, they are all good reasons.

“Whether your surfing is goal driven or more broadly steeped in escapism, whether you come to ride breaking waves as a form of physical activity or as a meditation, there is a new surfboard out there for you”

 

Pyzel Ghost

The Ghost is a Daily Driver/high performance board that works great for all levels of surfer and could be considered a one-board quiver for any surf trip with decent to good waves on the menu… read more

Tiki Torq Tec PGR

A board designed to handle average, everyday surf. It’s fast with easy paddling and pick up, with elements of the Comp model for performance and the Summer 5 for speed and stoke. In short the model was intended to be a Performance Groveller – able to skate over the flats but capable in critical sections… read more

Softech Mason Twin

“This board is opening up new boundaries and opportunities with my surfing. Like before, it was fun surfing close to rocks, now it’s way more fun, I can pretty much glide right over them!” – Mason Ho… read more

Wild Atlantic Modern Quad Fish

If you like to ride boards with plenty of speed and like the feel of a fish in general then this board will give you more options in waves that are more diverse as opposed to traditional lock in feels of retro fishes that are more suited to cleaner smaller waves. This board has a lower entry rocker with a single concave entry for speed and paddle power and a wider nose template to give it more float… read more 

 

KORE Classic Fish

The Classic Fish is an all round easy riding shorter board. It is a wide stable platform designed to paddle and catch waves easily, but also turn and manoeuvre thanks to the winged swallow tail… read more

 

Gul Cross Five Pin Longboard

A great beginner board, or for somebody more advanced with their surfing. Each PU board is hand selected and shaped with a 4mm ply stringer. Dual lay-up deck with reinforced V tail bottom. Single into double bottom concave, into double, finished with a full rail pintail. High grade eco-friendly polyester resin. 4 plus one fin setup… read more

 

Tiki Seahawk

It has a slightly wider nose than the traditional shortboard, with a winged swallow tail. The wing is there to enable the tail to remain wide until just behind the back foot to create the widest planing area under your feet but keep a narrow responsive tail… read more