Article by: Michael E. Laielli, Owner and operator of Primal Surf In Brigantine, NJ. Surf and Water Sports Trainer for 20+ years. 
In my 20 years of teaching surfing, I have never imagined that soft surfboards would be so good as they are today. In the beginning, they were heavy and shaped poorly, with flimsy fins, but the students only needed to catch the wave, stand up, and go straight to get hooked. From that point, it was straight to a fiberglass board so they could progress. Well things have changed tremendously! The soft surfboard has evolved to a high performing board that even the highly skilled surfer wants to have in their quiver. The choices range from the higher volume beginner logs that are great to learn on and help you progress on to a shorter board if you want to do high performance maneuvers, or you can get a short board that mimics a high performance short board, and all with colors and designs that will blow your mind! But why a soft surfboard? Soft surfboards are safer, more durable, and you don't have to worry about every little "ding" that fiberglass surfboards get. That equates to tons of fun for the surfer and beginner. 

At Primal Surf in Brigantine, NJ, we're committed to having the areas largest selection of soft surfboards of the best quality. Cheap soft surfboards found in box stores will delaminate and are made of cheap EPS foam core that sucks in water making them an unrepairable, disposable board in a short time, and that is also bad for the environment. The boards we stock are also used in our surf school because thy hold up over time, and perform best. 

The brands that we've chosen to use in our surf school and sell in Primal Surf are: Catch Surf, Odysea, Wave Bandit [Ben Gravy}, Softech, and Stormblade soft surfboards. I like these brands because they are well built, and they are shaped to suit all kinds of riders and performance levels. 

At Primal Surf Shop, we help our customers choose the proper size and shape to fit their needs, and we also have a large rental fleet of the same boards that you can try before you buy, and we'll even apply a portion of your rental fee towards the purchase of the board. We always recommend a lesson or two to get the basics down before making a purchase if you've never tried surfing, so you will be properly fitted to the correct board while learning all the safety skills as well. 

For more information on surfing lessons and surf gear; 
visit our website at www.psurf.com or call us at 609-264-1999

Happy healthy surfing,
​Mike

About the Author:
Mike Laielli, Owner of Primal Surf in Brigantine NJ since 2003, has been surfing and involved with various water-sports for over 50 years. 

WHAT TO CONSIDER
First of all is your height, and weight. The larger the rider, the larger the paddleboard you will need. Then your experience level, and frequency of use will also play a big part in what size or type of paddleboard is best. There are a few other things you need to consider,  such as where you will use the board, and what conditions you will paddleboard in. If you live on the bay, ocean. or lake and only want to paddle it there, then you will want something specific for the waters you will be paddling. Generally, the flatter the water the flatter the board you can use. Flatter boards cruise faster, but allround paddleboards are better for ocean paddling and work quite well on flat water too. 

CONSTRUCTION
Not all boards are created equal, and generally speaking "you get what you pay for". Cheaper boards are made with cheaper products, and are not going to hold up under most paddling conditions. What makes a board have a high strength to weight ratio is the method of construction such as vacuum bagging of high pressure molding where the board is compressed in the assembly process. 

A cheap paddleboard will also not be worth much on resale or trade in value, due to the fact that it was probably made in China where they cut corners in product and process to bring the price down. 

If you are unsure of paying the price for a better quality paddleboard, it's usually due to not knowing if you will stick with the sport. In that case, you should take a lesson and learn more about paddleboarding. A reputable paddleboard retailer should be able to teach you, and fit you with the right gear to suit your needs. You will also learn about the various locations to paddle, what conditions to avoid, and many other tips and safety factors that will keep you enjoying paddleboarding for years to come.

WHERE TO BUY A PADDLEBOARD
Being in the business since the start of the sport, we've seen it all! Many people buy "too good to be true" deals on the internet, or a big box store, leaving them dealing with shipping damages, cheap product, and no one to support them when they have issues with the product. If you buy from a reputable "bricks and mortar" paddle sport shop, they will be there to support you with information and experience of local conditions, year round, you will be happy you made the right choice. 

Mike Laielli,
Owner/Primal Surf
Brigantine NJ

The best USA built surfboards are at Primal Surf in Brigantine, NJ. .Stop in to our shop or visit our website to see the best selection of longboard surfboards built in the USA.. Boards by: Donald Takayama, Ricky Carroll, Justin Quintal, Black Rose, CoreVac, Cannibal, Savage Surfboards, Kenny Brielle, Shawn O'Donnell. We can also custom order a board for you, in the dimensions and colors to suit your needs. Our surfboard builders are top board builders and masters of their craft. We travel to our builders on the east coast to see their methods of construction, and they personally deliver them to our shop to avoid shipping damages. You can email us at www.psurf.com or call us at Primal Surf in Brigantine, at 609-264-1999 to get more information on surfboards.