The 10 Best All-Rounder Surfboards for all Levels [Updated]
January 20, 2023
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Surfers never forget their first surfboard. It goes without saying that the surfboard is the most important piece of our surfing equipment – what else are you going to surf on, duh? But you can’t just ride any old surfboard, and that’s where the tricky part comes in.
When we go surfboard shopping, we can easily feel overwhelmed by oodles of models and brands available. If you’re a beginner, a longboard might be a good choice. If you’re a seasoned surfer looking to ride the world’s most legendary waves, you’ll need something badass, like a shortboard or a hybrid.
Here’s our roundup of the best surfboards for all skill levels. These versatile, fun and easy to handle all-rounder surfboards are an excellent choice for all levels of surfers to shred the gnar in all types of waves and conditions.
Don’t feel like buying a surfboard just yet? Don’t worry. You can ride the world’s best waves with none of the hassle by going on a surf camp!
10. Catch Surf – Beater
Image source: Catch Surf
Catch Surf is one of the top selling brands in the industry, producing soft surfboards that are excellent for beginner surfers as well as advanced riders looking to have fun in the waves. These guys took the surfing scene by storm by introducing an innovative line of high-performance shortboards with a radical look.
Photo credit: blog.surfandadventure.com
Catch Surf’s Beater surfboard/bodyboard hybrid boards are the ultimate shredding monsters, and they sure can take a beating! Made from foam and dual maple plywood, these durable boards perform great in small ripples, blending high performance with small-wave fun. You can surf them with or without fins, and you can even bodyboard or skimboard on them. Furthermore, the rad graphics on the bottom will have you riding in style.
Price: Starting at $164.99 for the Original 48 – Finless up to $274.99 for the Original 54 – Wakesurfer
9. Chemistry Surfboards – R2
Image source: Chemistry Surfboards
If you’re looking for an old-school, custom-built, high-performance surfboard to add to your quiver, Chemistry Surfboards has just the thing for you! Their hand-shaped boards are designed to maximize performance in all sorts of conditions and are suitable for all skill levels.
Image source: Chemistry Surfboards
Based in Oceanside, California, Jason Bennett and Michael Baron are the shapers behind Chemistry Surfboards. They focus on custom shaping and progressive designs, while their impressive team of riders, which includes Barron Mamiya, Brian Perez, Caroline Marks, Logan Landry, Jude Clark and Pat Schmidt, ride and tests every single model.
Image source: Chemistry Surfboards
The R2 Surfboard by Chemistry is a reliable all-rounder board that any surfer’s quiver should include. It is also one of the most versatile boards in its range. This high-performance surfboard comes with a slightly fuller nose that helps with your paddling, and a single concave throughout the board. It works in all conditions, from 2ft (0.6 m) beach breaks to pumping 8ft (2.5 m) reef breaks, gaining speed in small surf and keeping you steady bigger swell.
Price: Starting at $600.00
8. Pyzel – Bastard
Image source: Pyzel Surfboards
Specializing in high-performance shortboards, talented shaper Jon Pyzel’s surfboards are ridden by John John Florence himself, which does say a lot! Built on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and ridden all over the world, Pyzel Surfboards is all about master craftsmanship and attention to detail. Oh, they make custom boards too!
Photo credit: zaksurfboards.com
Great for powerful wave surfing as well as weaker swell, the Pyzel Bastard is an excellent option for everyday surf on all types of waves. Pyzel’s most popular shortboard, the Bastard is John John Florence’s go-to surfboard. Thanks to its single concave throughout, this board gains speed even in flat, weaker sections.
Price: Starting at $695.00
7. Firewire – Greedy Beaver
Image source: Firewire Surfboards
If you’re a technology buff, then you’ll love Firewire Surfboards. These guys use advanced technology and eco-friendly epoxy materials to create some of the most durable surfboards in the water.
Working with legendary shapers like Dan Mann, Rob Machando, Jon Pyzel, Daniel Thomson and Mark Martinson, Firewire is the future of surfboards!
Photo credit: lineupwebstore.com
The Firewire Greedy Beaver may look like a longboard on the outside, but it is actually a shortboard at heart. This crossover surfboard offers all the benefits of a longboard, but its rounded pintail offers the excellent maneuverability and agility of a shortboard. Its thinned out dropped rails allow you to start your turns more easily and the single to double concave throughout helps maintain speed through flatter sections.
Price: Starting at $764.99
6. T. Patterson – JB-1
Photo credit: T. Patterson Surfboards
T. Patterson Surfboards was founded in 1980 by Timmy Patterson, who comes from a family of board shapers. In fact, Timmy is the second generation of surfboard builders in his family – his father and his uncles have been involved in the industry since it took off in the 1950s.
Timmy Patterson specializes in high-performance surfboards that combine both functional and innovative shapes for all kinds of conditions.
His surfboards have dominated line-ups and contests for over 35 years. He works with the world’s best surfers to create the best possible surfboard that will work on ant wave type and in any condition imaginable.
Photo credit: T. Patterson Surfboards
T. Patterson’s JB-1 is not your typical longboard. It is a high-performance surfboard that incorporates shortboard features probably better than any other longboard out there. Thanks to its shortboard-like rails, you can shred big waves and nose dance on small ones.
Price: Starting at $970.00
5. Rusty Surfboards – Utility
Image source: Rusty Surfboards
Based in San Diego, California, Rusty Surfboards is a well-rounded brand that specializes in a full range of surfboards, from longboards to shortboards and everything in between.
Rusty has been on the surfing scene for quite some time and has sponsored many of the world’s top surfers. In fact, the R-dot signature on their boards is one of the most recognizable surfing insignias on the planet today.
Image source: Rusty Surfboards
Whoever said longboards are for beginners only? As the name suggests, the Utility is a longboard designed for all-around performance. The Utility is Rusty’s most popular surfboard and with good reason – it combines the traditional qualities of a classic board with some modern flair. The Rusty Utility is a great choice for old-schoolers, from beginners to advanced surfers.
Price: Starting at $945.00
4. Channel Islands – Sampler
Image source: Channel Islands Surfboards
Channel Islands Surfboards have been writing history ever since 1969, and are currently the surf industry’s most recognizable board brand.
Al Merrick’s surfboards are all about performance, innovation, and originality, but what truly makes them unique is the fact that pro surfers like Kelly Slater and Dane Reynolds have a great influence on the way these boards are shaped.
Image source: Channel Islands Surfboards
If you’d like to put on your best performance in waves that are less than perfect, then the Channel Islands Sampler is for you! A Dane Reynolds signature model, this versatile surfboard is said to be a great fit for roughly 90% of surfers and has you covered on the majority of waves.
With a flat entry, center rocker and an ampler curve out the tail, the Sampler is a blazing pocket rocket shortboard that you can easily turn on a steeper face, suitable for all levels of surfers.
Price: Starting at $690.00
3. …Lost Surfboards – Puddle Jumper
Image source: Lost Surfboards
Based in San Clemente, California, …Lost Surfboards began with Matt Biolos in the late 1980s. It took a while for the brand to catch on, and when it did, it became a trendsetter. …Lost manufactured thousands of custom boards for groms and pro athletes, and has now become America’s biggest surfboard factory.
But they do not compromise quality over quantity. Matt Biolos and the dedicated team of shapers at …Lost Surfboards spend a lot of time working with their athletes and riding the boards themselves.
Image source: Lost Surfboards
Lost Puddle Jumper is the perfect choice for those smaller summer waves. Created by legendary shaper Matt Biolos himself, it comes with a reversed bottom and rocker curves, as well as a concave bottom that transitions into a V at the tail. Plus, its wide outline makes paddling to catch waves seem like an easy task, and the Hexzylon Fiber Foam Skin makes it highly durable and even ding resistant.
Price: Starting at $889.00
2. JS Industries – Hyfi Monsta Box
Image source: JS Industries
One of the most respected names in the world of performance surfboards, JS Industries manufactures high-performance surfboards for all wave types and all levels of surfers.
Based in Australia, Jason Stevenson is the founder, owner, and shaper of JS Industries. His iconic tractor logo can be seen on many of the world’s best pro surfer’s boards.
Image source: JS Industries
In JS Industries’ own words, their Hyfi Monsta Box surfboard is ‘Faster. Stronger. Lighter.’ This hybrid board is a combination of two global favorites, the Monsta 6 and Blak Box 2. The Monsta 6 is a highly popular high-performance shortboard that is the go-to option among many pro surfers when the swell is pumping. The Blak Box is a versatile small wave machine.
Image source: JS Industries
Put the two together and you have an easy to paddle surfboard that can be surfed in just about any condition. The long single to double concave generates speed even on weak, mushy surf while maintaining its performance on 6-foot tubes. If you’re looking to take only one board along on your next surfing trip, then the Hyfi Monsta Box is a perfect choice!
Price: Starting at $789.00
1. HaydenShapes – Hypto-Krypto
Image source: HaydenShapes Surfboards
Modern performance surfboard brand based in Sydney, Australia, HaydenShapes was founded by Hayden Cox back in 1997 when he was only 15 years old. Today, HaydenShapes Surfboards produces innovative performance surfboards that are fun and easy to ride.
Easy to identify by the monochromatic black and white aesthetics, all HaydenShapes boards use FutureFlex parabolic carbon fiber rails, an innovative technology patented by Hayden Cox.
Image source: HaydenShapes Surfboards
The Hypto-Krypto is one of the most popular surfboards in the entire world and the global best-selling surfboard design. Craig Anderson’s signature model is a fast and versatile all-rounder that can easily adapt to various conditions, from tiny waves to overhead barrels.
The Hypto-Krypto is a great choice for the weekend warrior as well as for the seasoned surf traveler. With enough volume to send you challenging any type of waves, the speed, and maneuverability of a shortboard, a wide nose, and rounded pintail, it is excellent for all levels of surfers on punchy beach breaks and mellow point breaks.
Price: Starting at $995.00
Final words
If you mean business, then your quiver should include a standard board, a surfboard for smaller days, a board for big days and a backup version of your standard board. Your standard board can be whichever type of board you like riding the most and should cover at least 70% of your surfing sessions. That being said, it is still possible to go on a surfing trip with a one-board quiver!
Are you excited about taking your new surfboard for a test drive? Go on a budget surf camp in a thrilling destination!