How to choose your bodyboard

The simplest way is still to use our board finder above, but here is the detail, so you have everything in hand to choose the bodyboard that fits your needs.

Choosing a bodyboard depends on several parameters: your height, your weight, your bodyboarding level, your riding style (prone, drop-knee or stand-up) and the temperature of the water you ride in. These parameters matter when picking your board and affect variables such as board size, materials, shape and price.

Your level

An experienced rider will tend to ride a smaller board than a beginner of the same build.

Why?

The experienced bodyboarder catches waves more easily and is after control and speed, to land aerial manoeuvres or work the face of the wave. The beginner, on the other hand, is after buoyancy, to catch waves more easily.

S-React core

The S-React core is a moulded expanded polystyrene core. What are the benefits of moulding? First, it guarantees unique, high-performing shapes, including contours on entry-level boards. Moulding also lets us increase the density of the core and make the board more durable. We recommend this core for bodyboarding beginners, if you are not yet sure whether bodyboarding will be a summer pastime or a real sport for you. In short, these are affordable bodyboards with excellent value for money.

PE core, or polyethylene core

At Pride Bodyboards® we have always used polyethylene for our mid-range boards. It is a quality core that lets any beginner or intermediate bodyboarder learn the ropes, progress and reach a good level.

At the end of 2019 we launched our range of recycled PE boards. This new HRC PE contains at least 65% recycled PE. Like its non-recycled counterpart, it keeps good flex properties and suits cold water as well as intermediate bodyboarders.

Pride is the first, and so far the only, brand in the bodyboard industry to offer bodyboards made from recycled materials. #HereComesTheFuture

NRG+ core - a hybrid polypropylene core

The NRG+ core is a hybrid, fully hydrophobic core combining two different densities of expanded polypropylene:

• A high-density layer (1.9 PCF, known as PP)
• A medium-density layer (1.4 PCF, known as NRG)

This blend gives a board that is relatively more flexible than standard PP, yet stiffer than PE. You get a high-end, fast board that still gives you control while you are progressing. This core suits every water temperature, but we recommend experienced riders use it mainly in cold to temperate water.

PP core, or polypropylene core

The king of bodyboard core materials. It is the core every professional uses. It is 100% hydrophobic (your board is less likely to take on water once damaged) and stiffer than NRG+. That does not make it right for every level: its stiffness makes it hard to control for a beginner or intermediate rider. But if you can control it, it is the fastest core there is. Essential in warm water for any experienced bodyboarder.

The slick, or sliding surface of the bodyboard

The slick is the surface of your board in contact with the water. Stiffer and denser than the rest of the board, it is the key element that lets you glide.

HDPE - High Density Polyethylene

This is high-density PE. Like PE for cores, it is a good-quality slick, found on most bodyboards from entry level to high end. It is more than enough for most bodyboarders, even experienced ones.

Surlyn Slick (HDPP - High Density Polypropylene)

This one is high-density PP (polypropylene). As with cores, it is the king of slick materials. Stiffer than HDPE, it extends the life of your board when you ride in very warm water or land aerial manoeuvres. Found only on professional-type boards (Pro Models or Family Tree).

Stringers and other stiffeners

The stringer stiffens the bodyboard and so makes it last longer. It stops your board from bending or snapping. There are several constructions.

Mesh

This is a layer placed between the core and the slick, which stiffens the board and increases its drive as well as its lifespan. It also gives a distinctive look to the slick of your board.

Tension Tech

Two mesh layers are placed inside the bodyboard: one between the slick and the core, the other between the deck and the core. The tension created by these two mesh layers gives the board good drive, on the bottom turn in particular.

The shape of your bodyboard

Most of the time, entry-level and mid-range boards have classic shapes, which suit the largest number of riders. As you improve, the shape of your board matters more and more, and you will discover which specifics you like best. The shape of the board depends on all the parameters we go through in this section.

Channels

The lower part of the slick, near the tail of your board, is hollowed out on the sides. These are the channels. Thanks to them, water flow is better distributed across the board. The deeper the channels, the more grip you get on the face of the wave, but the harder rotations become. Conversely, a flat slick makes rotations easier, but grip harder.

Rails

The rails of a bodyboard are the part that provides grip and lets you drive along the wall of the wave. They generally range from 60/40 and 55/45 to 50/50.

These numbers represent the proportion between the upper and the lower part of the rail. For 55/45 rails, which we mainly use at Pride Bodyboards®, the 55 is the lower part of the rail, which makes up 55% of it, and the 45 the upper part.

The bigger the lower part, the more control you get, in big waves especially. 55/45 rails are the most popular rails on the market because they are extremely versatile whatever the conditions.

Nose bulbs

These are small reinforcements at the ends of the nose that give you a better grip on the board. They are often waxed for extra hold.

Thickness

Thickness affects both the buoyancy and the strength of your bodyboard. If you are on the heavier side, we recommend thicker boards such as the Spartan. It was designed for bigger builds. It is 2 mm thicker than a Timeless board of the same size, and on top of that includes a Mesh layer and two carbon stringers.

Contour Deck

The deck of your board can be either flat or thinned down in strategic places, on the nose or along the rail for instance. It is mostly a question of comfort. Thin rails or a thin nose give you a better grip, for example.

Single to Double Concave

Together with the Radial Flex, this is the cutting-edge technology at Pride Bodyboards. It completes the channels and perfects the distribution of water flow under your board to give you as much speed as possible, on relatively flat sections in particular. Learn more here: SDC

The tail of your board

This is the lower part of your board: the part your thighs rest on when you ride a wave. At Pride Bodyboards we mainly use two of them: the crescent tail and the bat tail.