Complete Buyer's Guide to Buying a Soft Top Surfboard

Soft Top surfboards are great for beginners looking to get started surfing.  They are lightweight, stable, and are more affordable than a normal fiberglass surfboard.  For kids, soft top surfboards are great as they remove some of the injury risk associated with surfing.  Many are also much more lightweight for easy carrying and transportation to and from the beach.

The Surf Station carries at least 8 brands of Soft Top Surfboards. Each manufacturer has it's own unique quality and may offer something the other brand of soft surfboard does not have.

If you are looking for super great quality and don't mind paying a little more. May we suggest the Platino or Agency Brand. These are super durable and we have had no problems with delamination. Platino may be better here in the mid and larger sizes, and Agancy makes a super unique soft surfboard down to 5'0" with a 5 fin Future Fin option!

Softtech has very good quality and a removable fin system. They are owned by FCS so it is a trusted name and of course comes with options of FCS fins, which most of the other brands do not offer.

Our own Surf Station brand soft board(s) also offer FCS, cost slightly more, but they are are one of the only brands that come with a true hard epoxy bottom. This makes the board faster as it is more of a blended hard and soft board.

The Catch Surf Brand of soft surfboards are in a league of their own. They have been dominating the category of soft surfboards worldwide and here at The Surf Station even though they cost more. They are extremely good quality and are team rider driven with new designs from some of the best surfers in the world including Jamie O'Brian and Kalani Robb.

The best price on a soft tops are between the California Board Company (CBC) and Scott Burke line of soft tops. We have had some problems with delamination and peeling but the quality has improved in recent years and their price is significantly less than all the other brands we carry.

Construction Quality Of Soft Top Surfboards

One of the main things to look for in the construction of your soft top surfboard is whether it is glued together or heat sealed. If at all possibly stay away from glued! Glued is a way cheaper way to put together a bodyboard or soft surfboard.  If the glue is cheap or not perfectly glued, it peels apart and your board will come apart. In time, the salt water will peel apart most glued boards. The manufactures know this but do it anyway to save money.

The better way is to heat seal or epoxy the parts of the surfboard or bodyboard together so the board pieces become one. Heat sealing your soft surfboard costs a little more, but it so well worth it as your surfboard or bodyboard will last longer.