Bodyboarding

There was a time that bodyboarding played second fiddle to surfing, but this is the case no longer. Sure surfers and bodyboarders might not see eye to eye all the time, but there is much more mutual respect these days. This is largely due to the increased standard of bodyboarding in recent years and the ability of good boarders to pull tricks that surfers could only dream of. Much of the progression in the sport lends itself to the advancement in bodyboard design, not to mention the accessories that come with the sport, such as bodyboard fins and bodyboard leashes.

If you’re starting out in the sport, you probably don’t want something too advanced. As with surfing, the better you get the more you can sacrifice buoyancy for board agility, but it’s best to start off with something floaty and sturdy. A good bodyboard leash will last you for a long time, so it’s best to invest in a good one from the start. Whether or not you choose to wear bodyboard flippers is entirely up to you, but they will save you a whole lot of effort getting back out into the surf, and are pretty vital when trying to catch the bigger waves as you need to get good speed up.

If you’re a hardcore bodyboarder you might even be braving the winter water, and if that’s the case you’re going to need to go get yourself a decent wetsuit and maybe even a rash vest.