softop board review

[moose1975]

I am very new to surfing and am looking for a used longboard. I found a 9 ft used one for sale near me, called a Softop SurfTech. Does any one have any thoughts on this board? Pros/cons? Is it suitable for a beginner? The three times I have surfer in the past I have rented, and the rentals were long (8-10f) foam-like boards. From the photos it seems like this one is rubbery foam on top and fiberglass on the bottom. I really welcome any advice

[RJD]

Dont go anywhere near it.

Foamies are ok for your first 2 weeks of playin in whitewater but dont give you much more help than that.

There far to floaty & clubersome & bend when you catch proper waves. Fine for a surf school to get people on their feet is all.

At a push buy a bic or NSP popout (second hand) to learn on then move to a proper glassed custom board.

[moose1975]

I wish I could figure out how to insert a photo. It seems like there is just an inch of rubber-foam on top and the rest looks like fiberglass. Nothing like the rental ones. Still think I should steer clear?

[RJD]

yes.

Stear...clear.

BTW right click the picture, select properties, copy the link/url/address, or just post the link to the item here.

[moose1975]

thanks..I really appreciate the feedback.

[jethrodog]

A Softtop Surftech is NOT a foamie. It is an epoxy surfboard that is covered on the top with a softer rubber-like surface. You don't need to wax it, which a lot of beginners don't know how to do, and it is softer when you wipe out and get hit by it, which lots of beginners do. But it is an epoxy surfboard, just like other epoxy boards, not a foamie. They are heavy, but they surf quite decent. I have one for my wife, she surfs it every time we are in Costa Rica. She uses both my 8.5 epoxy and her 9.5 Softtop. She finds the softtop easier to surf. They are very easy to catch waves on and super stable. Hard to do cut backs and sweeper turns, but lets face it, you aren't going to be doing any of those for a little while when you are starting out. And they are nearly indestructible. Plus, they hold their value really well, especially in the USA. Really hard to find a used one in California, and you pay top dollar if you find one in good condition. Even after you get better it is nice to have a big log to go out and catch some slop waves with.
Check out the website www.surftech.com get some education about the board straight from the source.
If it is in good condition and a good price, I would buy it. I don't think you will be sorry.

[isaluteyou]

wow didnt know they made board like that

A hybrid foamie

[boco rio]

Why buy something that will limit your ability to learn. My first board was a G&S 7'2" egg that I surfed for several years. Get a good board and you won't be sorry.

[rich r]

If you can't figure out how to wax a board....

(yes, I'm being a snobby elitist)

[moose1975]

Maybe I will give it some thought after all. I hope that when I get more serious about surfing I will maybe upgrade and yes, learn how to wax a board A surf shop here suggested a NSP 7.6 board...will that be too short for a dead beginner? (Im 5ft 3" adn 125 lbs~not sure if height adn weight make a difference or not).

[moose1975]

another question, do you need to wax NSP boards?

[surfsc77]

id say for your size, a 7.6 would be fine for a beginner. nsp's float real well so there shouldnt be any problem. i learned on a much smaller used nsp, it was a great value and i sold it for almost exactly the same price i paid for it. Great resale value. after ( or if ) you get tired of the nsp you can sell it for a real board. i kept my nsp for 2 years, learned to stand up and turn on waves on it, then sold it. yeah you have to wax them, and a base coat would be good since there epoxys. waxing surfboards requires almost no knowledge, dont be intimidated lol. if you can wash a window or a plate, you probably have enough motor skills to wax a board. just get out in the water and enjoy it!

[RJD]

Everyone knows NSP's need to be waxed in a counter clockwise direction.

[northswell]

Depends which hemishere you in, if your in the south its clockwise.

[RJD]

I am in the south. Its just our clocks go the other way around.

[Kook777]

I *wish* I could find a used Surftech Softop for sale. These boards are awesome. I caught an overhead wave in Costa Rica on one.

As noted, Surftech Softops are not just foamies. (Although Surftech does make cheaper foam boards, like the blacktip.) They're more like a regular epoxy, closed-cell board that has an extra layer of foam/padding on it for safety. This makes them excellent choices for beginners who don't want to get knocked unconscious by their boards while learning. And also makes them very durable. And I found them far more functional than the various other foam/beginner boards I've tried.

I don't believe an ST Softop will limit one's ability to learn. I think it will actually make learning much easier. Boards like the Softop are much more bouyant and stable than regular boards, so they're much easier to catch waves with and stand up on. So you can develop your basic skills over your first year or so much more easily.

I also very much like the fact that I don't have to wax the thing every time I use it. That stuff takes time, and gets messy. And has limited effectiveness. I'm actually surprised that most boards don't have a permanent tacky (but non-sticky) surface attached to the top by this point, with better traction.

Especially if you're a larger person, you want to learn on a longboard. (Easier to catch waves, easier to stand up on.) And for safety, you'll want to learn on a foamie or Softtop. After awhile, you'll probably want to move on to a funboard/hybrid or shortboard, especially if you're young. But this would be true whether or not you had a Softop longboard or a standard longboard. And since you always want a longboard in your quiver (to catch smaller waves, loan out etc.) a longboard Softop can be kept/used indefinitely. Or, you could sell it after a year or two, and get much of your money back, after learning the sport with a very user-friendly board.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting a Softop soon, and having a stable, safe, and durable board to learn on over the next couple years. (These boards are also far less prone to dings, etc., and can therefore be thrown around a bit more when travelling.)

[jaffa1949]

Go for it.......... find your dream board and enjoy thoroughly

[edgewise]

I *wish* I could find a used Surftech Softop for sale. These boards are awesome. I caught an overhead wave in Costa Rica on on...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting a Softop soon, and having a stable, safe, and durable board to learn on over the next couple years. (These boards are also far less prone to dings, etc., and can therefore be thrown around a bit more when travelling.)

I was fortunate enough to have a friend loan me theirs to learn on. I loved it so much I ended up buying one for myself (The 8'4" one). You're right, they're impossible to find used. It was expensive, but they do sell them through Amazon, and I had $300 in gift cards saved up, so that took some of the sting out.

As a side question, does anyone know why the 8'4" version has the concavity in the nose of the board, while the other sizes don't? What's it for?
https://www.surftech.com/surf/learn2sur ... series-new (click on the various sizes and you'll be able to see that the 8'4" is the only one that has it.)

[BoMan]

Surf Science gives good information about bottom contours.

http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-anatomy/bottom-contour/bottom-contour

[dtc]

I dont know why only the 8'4 has it, but when weight is put onto a nose concave (ie you are forward trimming or nose riding), it brings the lips of the concave into contact with the water and that results in turbulence. This creates uplift. The benefit is that you can flatten the rocker without the nose ending up under water (because the concave creates uplift). And, if you are nose riding, then you can nose ride (or get more forward) and it also helps you to control the board from further forward. This also gives a slightly greater margin of error with weighting - if you go too far forward, the nose wont go under the water and you still can turn the board.

The downside is that the turbulence results in less smooth hydrodynamics ie the board goes a bit slower.

source: check out one of my boards (7'4, not a nose rider for me since I'm too heavy, but does all of the above).

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