Real Boards...

The good news though is that this type of board is "over-engineered" for the kind of use most holiday-makers will give it so once you buy a decent board you should have it for many years. It's also worth mentioning that a good board does actually go better than a cheaper touristy one. Proper bodyboarders do it with swimfins on their feet which both aid paddling out through the surf and catching unbroken waves. Getting the swimfins right is a subject all on it's own but always involves a certain amount of pain and discomfort until you become accustomed to wearing them.

The average Bodyboard size is 42" with 44" and 45" available for bigger/heavier riders. Ladies boards are often 40" to 42". You will quite likely be told by "experts" that the correct size board is the one that comes level with your belly button. Now this may be true for the hardcore crew but certainly most of the people we sell to are still launching off the bottom without the aid of swimfins. In this case we always tell people to ignore this advice.... if it's an inch or two above your naval it will actually  help you to get more waves. You need to bear in mind that these things were originally designed to catch unbroken waves and if your in the whitewater then you will need all the help you can get! Most of our "own logo" boards are actually 43" just because the factory that makes them doesn't charge any more for 43" than it does for 42" so you may as well have the extra free inch!

If your serious about Bodyboarding you will find that there is a whole world of Magazines and  DVD's etc. dedicated to it. It is a form of surfing that is easy to master, at least in the early stages and the equipment needed is cheaper and easier to transport. Quite a few of our customers say that they have no illusions about ever managing to stand up on a surfboard so bodyboarding gets them in the water and having fun, which after all, is what it's all about!