Move when the foamie is holding you back, not when you are bored of it. The signs: you catch most waves you paddle for, you ride along the face rather than straight, and you are starting to turn off the top. Then the next board is one step down, not a shortboard.
| Weight | Soft-top now | Longboard next | Midlength next | Fish, later |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg · 121 lb | 61 | 50 | 43 | 29 |
| 65 kg · 143 lb | 72 | 60 | 51 | 34 |
| 75 kg · 165 lb | 83 | 69 | 59 | 40 |
| 85 kg · 187 lb | 94 | 78 | 66 | 45 |
| 95 kg · 209 lb | 105 | 87 | 74 | 50 |
| 105 kg · 231 lb | 116 | 96 | 82 | 55 |
Liters from the model. The longboard and midlength columns assume you are catching green waves; the fish column assumes you are an intermediate doing basic turns.
Longboard if you like trimming and want the most waves per session, or your break is small and slow. Midlength if you want to start turning on the rail and your break has some push; a 7'2" to 8'0" egg is the most forgiving step there is. Fish only once you are surfing weekly and want a short board for small days; it is a bigger jump than it looks.
Drop volume by about 15 to 25 percent per step, not more. A 75 kg surfer on a 68-liter foamie goes to a 50 to 55-liter longboard or a 45 to 50-liter midlength, not a 32-liter shortboard. The calculator gives the range for each family from the same inputs, so you can see the steps side by side.
Browse midlengths → Browse longboards →
More guides: Beginner board size · Soft-top or hard board · How many liters is too many · Used or new.