Whether you are learning to ride shorter boards by stepping down more gradually with a funboard, or just want to switch up your surfing style, funboard surfboards are a great way to have fun and experience something new for any surfer at any experience level.
Surf Researcher has taken the grunt work out of searching for the perfect funboard and compiled a list of the best funboard surfboard reviews on the market.
Check out these great buys and get surfing!
Our Favorite Picks
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#1 Best Overall: South Bay Board Co - 6’8” Casper
#2 Wave Bandit Ben Gravy Pro EZ Rider
#3 South Bay Board Co - Ruccus
#4 Wavestorm 8' Surfboard
What Is a Funboard Surfboard?
Funboards are traditionally shorter than most longboards.
The typical size that boards are considered “funsize” is 8’ or shorter. They also are wider and much more buoyant than traditional shortboards.
They are typically 20-23” wide, 2.5 to 4” thick, and 40 to 90 liters in volume.
Though the noses tend to stay rounded, many times shapers will make the tail a little more narrow for maneuverability. Overall, they are a great choice to go with when trying to choose the best surfboard for you.
Top 4 Best Funboard Surfboards
Our #1 Pick - South Bay Board Co - 6’8” Casper
The SBBC Hybrid 6’8” is the perfect step down from a longboard. It has the shape and dimensions for stability and wave catching but is slightly smaller and more responsive. A perfect addition to the quiver for practicing higher performance turns and more speed down the line.
The pulled in swallow tail is perfect for learning to turn, carve and do tricks. Much more reactive than a longboard, you’ll be turning on the dime. There is a lot of volume to this board with the rounded nose, so wave catching will still be easy. The tapered rails and tail rocker are much better suited than beginner longboards for riding parallel to the face of the wave.
The wax-free top deck is made with top quality EPS watertight foam, and the bottom deck is made with durable and strong fiber-glassed bamboo. You can guarantee resistance to damage with the I-Beam wooden stringer and maintaining of board shape.
Every SBBC 6’8” Casper funboard is sold with an FCS thruster fin setup with included hardware. You’ll also receive a leash, leash string, and fin key. This board is ideal for learning to trim and turn, as well as catching more waves out in the lineup. If you are looking to advance to the next level of surfing, you won’t find a better funboard than the 6’8” Casper board.
#2 Wave Bandit Ben Gravy Pro EZ Rider
The Wave Bandit Ben Gravy Pro EZ Rider was designed with performance in mind, while still being novice friendly and a good wave catcher. The egg shape funboard design allows for increased surface area, so paddling and catching waves is easier. But because the tail is pulled in and the rails are hard all around the deck, this board is great to maneuver and is incredibly responsive.
The core of the board is EPS watertight foam, so waterlogging won’t be a problem. The double stringer guarantees funboard shape preservation and resistance to breaking. The HDPE bottom deck is scratch resistant and displays a very fun pineapple graphic, so you’ll be styling down the line.
The Wave Bandit Ben Gravy EZ rider is an impressive 72 liters while only have dimensions of 7’, 22” wide and 3” thick. That’s an incredible amount of buoyancy for its size. You’ll have a hard time not being a wave hog on this funboard. The board also comes with three pop thru fins, very easy to install, and a leash string. You’ll be set to paddle out immediately after getting this board, but don’t get overwhelmed by all the compliments you receive on how cool this board looks!
#3 South Bay Board Co - Ruccus
South Bay Board Company makes our list again with another wax-free, high-performance funboard surfboard. This board is 7’ long, 22” wide and 2.85” thick, weighing in at 49 liters. With all that volume for a smaller board, you’ll be able to easily maneuver down the line while still being able to catch waves easily.
The top deck is a wax free, aesthetically pleasing, EPS foam. The foam is watertight and attached to an HDPE bottom deck with special netting the dispurses impact. This board will never get waterlogged, as the fin holes are also PVC lined to prevent water entry. The heat valve at the nose releases heat to prevent delamination.
Not only can the SBBC Ruccus take a beating, but it also maintains its shape with the durable and strong fiberglass rod stringer. If that wasn’t enough toughness for you, it also is made with two additional wooden stringers. You won’t have to worry about dings or scratches with the impressive 6 oz deck resin layers.
The Rucuus is sold with three pop thru fins for an easy to install thruster fin system, a 7’ leash, leash string and a guarantee that you’ll have loads of fun riding this board. Not only will you get a lot of bang for your buck gear wise, but you’ll also be getting all the waves.
#4 Wavestorm 8' Surfboard
The classic soft top surfboard brand, you can guarantee quality and fun with Wavestorm. Their 8’ funboard is one of our Wavestorm favorites and makes our list as one of the best funboard surfboards on the market to buy. Quality tested and wave catching guaranteed.
The top deck is constructed with a soft WBS-IXL crosslinked watertight material. The bottom deck, durable and resistant to scratches, is made from ultra-tough high-density polyethylene. The board has a new and exciting brushed paint graphic, so you’ll be catching the eye of style enthusiasts up and down the beach.
The Wavestorm Classic 8’ funboard soft top is only 11.5 pounds but boasts an incredible 86 liters. That’s a lot of volume for such a maneuverable and high-performance board. Not only will you be catching all the waves, but you’ll also be turning on the dime and carving in style. Also included with your Wavestorm 8’ purchase is a leash, leash string, and three green pop-thru fins.
Pro’s & Con’s
Funboards have more volume, which means they catch waves easier. Though they are shaped to be a little more high performance, buoyant boards are harder to duck dive. If you take funboards out on larger or tougher waves, they can be a little harder to paddle out into the line up due to the difficulty of duck diving them.
It’s easier to pop up on funboards as they have a larger deck area. With larger surface area comes more board to maneuver. Though funboards turn easier than a traditional longboard, they don’t turn nearly as well as a traditional surfboard or fishboard. That’s okay though because if you are riding a fun board to learn how to ride shorter boards, you want something that responds a little slower anyway.
Funboard Surfboard Size Chart
Weight | Beginner | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|
100-140lbs | 7’2”-7’4” | 7’0”-7'4” |
140-160lbs | 7’4”-7’8” | 7’2”-7’6” |
160-180lbs | 7’6”-7’10” | 7’4”-7’8” |
180-200lbs | 7’10”-7’2” | 7’8”-8’2” |
200lbs+ | 8’+ | 8’+ |
FAQ
Best Funboard surfboard brands?
Wavestorm, South Bay Board Company, and Wave Bandit are the top three best funboard surfboard brands around. They have the most innovative board shapes and templates, and the best performance vs. wave catching ratio on the market.
You get a lot for your money with these brands, as they usually send accessories with each board purchase. Did we mention these boards also look great? The top deck and bottom deck graphics look great and are very cool, adding style to your session.
Funboard vs longboard?
What longboards and funboard surfboards have in common is that they have a lot of surface area. For this reason, they catch waves easier and move slower down the line for a mellow ride. Funboards, however, are shorter and more high performance than longboards. High performance implies quicker reaction time by the board with foot placement and easier turning with less effort.
Funboards are a great step up if you are looking to learn how to ride shorter boards. Longboards can be ridden well into advanced stages of surfing though. Many longboard enthusiasts learn to do longboard tricks like cross stepping and hanging their toes over the nose. Fun Boards and longboards can be ridden at any stage of surfing ability, they just offer different surfing styles and offer different elements of riding waves.
Funboard vs fish?
Fish boards tend to be shorter and thinner than funboards. They can be really fun, but tough for beginner shortboards. This is because they are much less buoyant and harder to paddle and catch waves. Fish surfboards are very fun for surfers who have developed a little more paddling muscles and control overturning and carving shorter boards.
Though the tail of a fish has a lot of surface area, it is still a very high-performance tail, and beginner shortboards tend to lose their balance on such a responsive board with very hard rails at the tail. The nose is pointed as well, further reducing the surface area of the board and reducing the ability to gain enough momentum to catch as many waves.
How to surf a funboard
Transitioning from a longboard to a funboard does present some challenges, so here are some tips to get started.
1) Funboards won't get into waves as easy as longboards, so you’ll have to sit a little further towards shore in the line-up. Because you won’t be able to gain as much momentum into waves, you’ll be paddling in and popping up a little later after the wave has broken than on a longboard.
2) Practice carving. Instead of going straight along the face of the wave, try turning up to the top of the wave, and back down to the bottom. Repeatedly transitioning from top to bottom of the wave is called carving, and is a lot of fun.
3) Practice popping up on land as much as you can. Popping up on a funboard is much quicker on a funboard than on a longboard, so you’ll have to improve your pop up power and speed.
Our #1 Pick - SBBC CASPER 6’8”
Our Rating
