The Toolshed · Boards guide
Shortboard
The sports car. Fast, precise, unforgiving.
A performance shortboard rewards good waves and good surfing. Under either it feels magic. Under the wrong day, or the wrong body, it feels like a plank. Earn it before you buy one.
Best for
- Clean chest to overhead surf
- Advanced surfers
- Tight critical sections
Strengths
- Snappy turns
- Fits any wave shape
- The tool of pro surfing
Watch out for
- Punishes low paddle fitness
- Feels dead in small mushy days
- Steep learning curve
Typical size
5'8" to 6'2"
24 to 34 litres for advanced surfers
"Earned, not bought."