Best Soft Top Surfboards of 2023
Daniel Lofaso
What originally emerged as a kook surfboard option from Costco has now evolved into a full-blown movement with every grom, parent, and everyday surfer having one or more soft top surfboards in their quiver. Below we will dive into what are the best soft tops from the best soft top brands so you can narrow down your selection to the best option for you.
Additionally, we’ll highlight signature soft tops from the world’s best surfing ambassadors as your kids will no doubt care more about soft tops from Jamie O’brien than they would the brands who create them.
Our pick for
Best all-around soft top
Beater Twin by Catch Surf
No soft top list is complete without a mention of a Jamie O’Brien (aka JOB) Beater or a Catch Surf surfboard for that matter. This is the first board that Catch Surf debuted and can and has been used in all kinds of conditions which is why your 12-year old is probably asking for it right now.
A versatile tool for beginner surfers, skimboarders, bodyboarders, or anyone else who just wants to “send it,” this was more or less the start of the fun movement around soft tops and the YouTube celebrity surfers who endorsed them. Often duplicated but never imitated, the Beater makes a great addition to your surfing tools of choice. Fins included.
Our pick for
Best soft top longboard
Odysea 8Ft Log JOB Pro Tri Softboard by Catch Surf
How does JOB get two mentions on this list of best softtops? Probably because he surfs maxing Pipeline on these longboards and deserves all the royalties he can get.
A perfect option for young groms learning to surf, or as we’ve seen from JOB, someone who just wants to mix up their surfing with something that is just plain fun. With fins included, this is undoubtedly the best softtop longboard option in terms of popularity and brand recognition.
Our pick for
Best soft top for girls
Sally Fitzgibbons Signature by Softech
Designed with the ladies and young girls in mind, this could possibly be the best way to turn the women in your life onto surfing. With two feminine color options – pink and mint – this dainty softop not only looks good but also performs.
Its wide nose, high volume, and forgiving shape make it an ideal choice for beginner surfers or any girl who wants to have a great time when the waves are small. If you want to embrace the constant smiling mojo of pro surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, give her signature softie a go.
Our pick for
Best cheap soft top
8'0 Scorpion Softboard by Alton
This soft top longboard from Alton is designed for one thing: fun. For the surfer who wants to toss it in the car with the family on the way to a long beach day, the Scorpion is the perfect blend of entry point purchasing price and fulfilling the purpose of what we all started surfing for anyway.
Don’t expect a lot of respect in the lineup paddling out on one of these; something you probably don’t care about anyway because you either have a kid in diapers on the nose, are already three beers deep, or both. This board has the added bonus of a fin in the purchase which is something to note if you are new to longboards and their high cost of fins.
Our pick for
Best soft top for intermediate surfers
Ben Gravy Performer by Catch Surf
If your grom has a liking to another popular YouTube sensation other than JOB, it’s likely to be Ben Gravy. Known for riding novelty waves across the globe and epitomizing the stoke of surfers everywhere, Ben Gravy’s signature soft top by Catch Surf is a great option often requested by name.
Shaped as a fish with a swallow tail and wide nose, this board is well-suited to beginners and intermediate surfers alike. It can also be a good option for more advanced surfers who want to catch a lot of waves in the smaller surf. Complete with fins and killer skull pineapple bottom art, make your groms day by giving them the board they really want this surf season.
Our pick for
Best multipurpose soft top
Blair Conklin Odysea 5'0" by Catch Surf
The Odysea signature board for Blair Conklin is also a very popular model from Catch Surf. Not one to miss out on the YouTube fun, professional skimboarder Blair Conklin’s signature soft top is a versatile board that is well-suited for small wave surfing and skimboarding alike.
With provided fins, you can have a blast in the small stuff or lose the fins and skimboard like Blair. This board comes in at 5’0” making it a good option for kids and intermediate-to-advanced surfers alike.
Best Soft Top Brands
While there is not a lot that separates one soft top from another, the nod for the best soft top brand goes to Catch Surf. Not only do they epitomize the fun element that surfing is all about, but they also pioneered the popularity of soft tops in modern day surfing as far as I know.
Further, Catch Surf soft tops have been adopted by a number of pro surfers who ride them on the regular, which is something Costco soft tops simply can’t boast.
Best Softtop Surfboard Analysis Criteria
As mentioned, the best softtops are the ones that have the most brand power, are utilized by pro surfers, and fulfill the fun factor they were designed for. They also need to be highly durable, serve multiple functions such as surfing, bodyboarding, or skimboarding, and come in at an approachable price point that allows beginners or surfers wanting another board to attain.
Surfboard shapers don’t publish sales data, and there is no central hub where surfers buy boards where you can find loads of reviews (like Amazon), so you just sort of have to know a thing or two about boards, brands, and shapers.
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