How to choose your surf setup
This is the full surf range in one place: surfboards for every level, bodyboards, the fins and leashes that go under your board, wetsuits for the cooler months, and the wax, bags and racks that keep it all in one piece. Whether you are chasing your first waves or hunting a specific step-up shape, you will find gear from brands like Channel Islands, Gerry Lopez, Modern, NSP and Creative Army, all held in stock, shipped nationwide and available to collect from our Pt Chevalier store in Auckland.
How to choose the right surfboard
Your board is the biggest decision, and three things drive it: how long you have been surfing, your weight and fitness, and the kind of waves you surf most. More volume and length make a board easier to paddle and more stable, which helps when you are learning or riding smaller, weaker surf. Less volume and a narrower outline make a board looser and more responsive, which suits steeper, cleaner waves and surfers who can already read them. Most people own a few boards over the years, so it is less about one perfect board and more about matching the board to where you are right now.
First paragraph.
- Softboards are the easiest place to start. All that foam floats well, forgives mistakes and catches waves easily, which is why nearly every surfer learns on one.
- Minimals are the natural next step once you are getting to your feet. Still wide and stable, but shorter and more responsive than a soft top, so you keep catching plenty of waves while your skills build.
- Midlengths are the do-most option. Enough length to paddle and glide, enough curve to turn off the tail, which makes them a great single board for surfers who want wave count without a full longboard.
- Shortboards are the performance end. Shorter, thinner and quick to turn, they reward paddle fitness and wave knowledge and come alive in punchy, well-shaped surf.
- Longboards are built for glide, trim and noseriding. They keep you surfing on the small, slow days when shorter boards struggle, and the classic feel never really goes away.
Browse the full surfboards range, or go straight to the type that fits.
Fins and leashes
Fins change how a board holds and turns, and there are two main systems that are not interchangeable, so always check your board before buying. FCS uses a two-tab base, and the current FCS II fins click in by hand without tools. Futures uses a single long tab that locks in with a small screw. A thruster (three fins) is the stable all-rounder, a quad adds down-the-line speed, and a twin is loose and fast on a fish. Longboards and midlengths run one large centre fin, sometimes with two smaller side fins. Fins are sized to your weight, so check the guide on each product. See the full surfboard fins range.
First paragraph.
With leashes the rule is simple: match the leash to your board length and round up if you are in between, so a 6'0 board takes a 6ft leash and a longboard runs 8ft to 10ft. Thin competition cords cut drag on small, clean days, while thicker regular leashes take more punishment when the surf picks up. Shortboarders wear the cuff on the ankle, longboarders often on the calf so they can walk the board.
Wetsuits for the water here
Water temperature swings a fair bit through the year, so your suit matters as much as your board. Through the warmest weeks a springsuit or boardshorts is plenty. As it cools off most surfers move into a full steamer, and through the coldest part of winter a thicker suit with booties keeps sessions comfortable. Pick your thickness for the coldest water you will actually surf in, not the warmest, and you will get far more use out of it. See all wetsuits or the winter wetsuits.
Accessories and bodyboards
A few extras keep you surfing and protect what you have bought. Traction pads and wax give you grip, a boardbag guards the deck against dings and sun on the way to the beach, ding repair sorts the knocks that happen to every board, and roof racks and tie downs get boards to the coast safely. We also stock bodyboards and bodyboard accessories for the groms and anyone who would rather ride prone. Browse all surfing accessories.
New to surfing? Start with this
- A soft top or a stable minimal around 7ft to 8ft
- A leash the same length as the board
- A wetsuit matched to the season
- A bar of wax or a traction pad for grip
- A boardbag if you want the board to last
- Sunscreen and water, every time
Everything in stock ships nationwide, with click and collect from our store at 5 Raymond Street, Pt Chevalier. Not sure what suits your level or your local break? Call our gear experts on 09 815 0683 before you buy, or come in and talk it through.