We may be a bit biased, but we think soft boards are the perfect surfboard for just about any situation. At our North Shore Surf School, Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience, we teach our students to surf on the same premium foam surfboards that Jamie paddles out to pumping Pipeline with. If a single board can handle one-foot Turtle Bay and six-foot Pipeline, it must be special. Jamie has been riding for Catch Surf for years. During his time with the soft board giant, Jamie’s helped design more than a handful of signature models, each of which should have a place in a complete quiver. If you’ve never dipped your toes into the amusing world of soft boards, dive in below to find out which Catch Surf Softboard model is right for you in The JOB Surf Experience Soft Board Guide: What Foam Surfboard is Right for You.
Soft Boards for New Surfers
Foam surfboard soft boards are the ideal surf craft for new surfers. They’re far more buoyant than traditional longboards, which gives them increased stability. We recommend the Log X Jamie O’Brien Pro , Log Basic X Jamie O’Brien Pro, or the Tina Cohen Wave Bandit Easy Rider for new surfers. Both models have loads of volume that will give new surfers the float and stability they need to master the basics of wave riding. Additionally, each board has superior paddle power compared to traditional longboards and will catch almost any wave, from ankle-high and up. We recommend new surfers start out on the 9-foot log and work their way down to small models.
The Ultimate Small Wave Short Board Foam Surfboard
The JOB Odysea Five Fin Pro is the ultimate small wave shortboard. If you want to pack performance into your small wave surf sessions, opt for Catch Surf’s five-fin shortboard. This foam surfboard can be ridden as a quad or thruster and has all the performance you’d expect of a shortboard with the added float, stability, and paddle power of a foam surfboard.
For Charging Shore Break
If you’re keen to charge a few shore break barrels, you better pack a soft top, or you’ll risk breaking a board. Our favorite shore break soft board is the JOB X 54 Special. The 54 Special boasts a deep entry concave and vee out the tail, giving the board unique performance characteristics with excellent speed down the line and a highly responsive feel. Take steep drops, pull into barrels, and crank out turns on this high-performance foam surfboard model.
For Cruisy Point Breaks
Got a dreamy, slow breaking point in mind? Then we have the perfect Catch Surf model for you— The JOB X Odysea Pro Quad. This board takes soft top performance to new heights. The quad fin setup gives the model plenty of drive and speed down the line, which is perfect for long point break style waves.
For carefree fun
Surfing and wave riding isn’t just about performance. It’s about having fun. Sometimes the most fun way to ride a wave is on your stomach on top of an old-school bodyboard. The Classic Bodyboard X Jamie O’Brien Model is just that, a classic bodyboard. This Catch Surf Bodyboard is a top-of-the-line bodyboard with a budget-friendly price. The hyper-durable construction and sleek bottom deck skin will keep you riding all season long.
For body surfing
Have fun in the ocean without a board on the Womper X Jamie O’Brien Pro. This hand plane is made from the same durable construction as Catch Surf’s top-of-the-line foam surfboard models, just in a smaller package. Get in touch with the ocean and score the barrel vision you’ve always dreamed of with this signature hand plane.
To try the latest Catch Surf models and to learn to surf on the North Shore of Oahu, book a lesson at our Oahu surf school. To stay close to all the action on the North Shore, book your stay at the Turtle Bay Resort.