You've spent months catching white water on your foamie. You can pop up consistently, you're angling down the line, and you've graduated to green waves. Now you're eyeing the surfers carving up and down the face while you're still wrestling a 7'6" log through mediocre turns. You're ready for an intermediate board, but which one?
This is the trickiest phase of your surfing progression, and where most surfers make expensive mistakes. Go too short too fast and you'll spend frustrating sessions barely catching waves. Stay too conservative and you'll limit your progression. This guide covers what to look for in your first intermediate board, the best options from Australian shapers, and how to match your board to Australian conditions.
When You're Actually Ready for an Intermediate Board
Don't rush this transition. You're ready when you can consistently:
- Pop up and ride unbroken green waves down the line
- Angle your takeoff left or right intentionally
- Make basic bottom turns and generate some speed
- Read the lineup and position yourself to catch waves
- Surf at least 2-3 times per week (consistency matters more than total experience)
If you're still learning to pop up or mostly catching white water, stick with your beginner board for now. There's no shame in it, building solid fundamentals on a forgiving board makes your progression much faster once you do step down.
The typical timeline from complete beginner to intermediate board is 6-12 months of regular surfing. That said, a 25-year-old who surfs four times a week will progress faster than a 45-year-old who surfs monthly. Be honest about where you are.
Understanding Board Volume: The Single Most Important Number
Volume (measured in litres) determines how much float a board has. Too little volume and you can't catch waves. Too much and the board feels sluggish and won't turn properly.
As a rough starting point for intermediate surfers:
- Your weight in kg + 15-20L for fish/hybrid shapes
- Your weight in kg + 10-15L for groveller shortboards
- Your weight in kg + 5-10L for performance shortboards (only if you're fit and surfing regularly)
For example, if you weigh 75kg and you're buying your first fish, aim for 90-95L. If you weigh 65kg and want a groveller, look at 75-80L.
These are guidelines, not rules. Factors that increase volume needs: older age, surfing less than three times per week, weaker paddling fitness, smaller or weaker waves in your area. Factors that decrease volume needs: under 30 years old, surfing daily, strong swimming background, powerful waves.
Intermediate Board Categories Explained
Hybrids and Eggs (The Safest First Step Down)
These are the goldilocks boards for intermediates, enough volume to catch waves easily, but with enough performance features to start learning proper turns. Typically 6'6" to 7'2", rounded noses, wider tails, and flatter rockers.
A hybrid lets you keep your wave count high while developing your turning technique. You'll still catch almost as many waves as your longboard, but with far more manoeuvrability. This is the board that builds confidence.
Best for: First step down from a longboard, inconsistent surf, older learners, anyone who values wave count over radical manoeuvres.
Fish Boards (More Volume, More Fun)
Fish boards are short (5'6" to 6'4"), wide, and thick with a swallow tail. They paddle like longer boards but turn much tighter. Originally designed for small, weak waves, which describes most Australian beach breaks most of the time.
Modern fish designs work surprisingly well in decent surf too. The extra volume means you can surf them in everything from ankle-snappers to overhead without feeling out of your depth. Many intermediate surfers find fish boards more fun than traditional shortboards because they're less punishing when you mess up.
Best for: Small to medium waves (up to 1.5m), surfers who want a short board feel without sacrificing paddle power, playful surfing over high performance.
Grovellers (High Performance in Average Surf)
These are short, wide, thick boards designed to generate speed in weak conditions. Think 5'6" to 6'0", very wide (20"+ at the midpoint), flat rocker, and lots of volume pushed forward. They're performance shortboards optimised for the small, mushy waves we get most of the year.
Grovellers are less forgiving than hybrids or fish, but they reward good technique with proper rail-to-rail surfing. If you want to start surfing like the guys you see on Instagram, this is the category, just don't go too short too soon.
Best for: Small to medium waves, surfers with solid fundamentals ready to progress quickly, beach breaks with weaker, mushier sections.
Matching Your Board to Australian Conditions
Australia has wildly different surf conditions depending on where you are. Your board choice should reflect what you're actually surfing, not what you wish you were surfing.
NSW Beach Breaks (Bondi, Manly, Cronulla, Newcastle)
Most days you're surfing 0.5m to 1.5m beach breaks with inconsistent sandbars and close-outs. A fish or hybrid makes the most sense here, you need paddle power to catch the scrappy waves, and the extra volume keeps your wave count high even when conditions are average.
Gold Coast Points (Snapper, Burleigh, Kirra)
Point breaks reward proper positioning and technique over pure paddle power. If you're regularly surfing Burleigh or Snapper, you can step down in volume faster than beach break surfers because the waves are more predictable and easier to catch.
Victoria / South Australia (Bells, Middleton, Waitpinga)
Colder water, thicker wetsuits, and more powerful waves. You want a board with enough volume to paddle in a 4/3 wetsuit, but with performance features to handle the extra push these waves have. Hybrids and higher-volume grovellers work best.
Margaret River / WA
If you're intermediate and surfing Margaret River regularly, you're progressing fast. The waves here demand better technique and more committed surfing. A groveller or performance hybrid will serve you better than a pure fish.
Fin Setups for Intermediate Surfers
Fin choice affects how your board turns, holds, and releases. Here's what works best as you're learning:
Thruster (three fins): The default setup. Stable, predictable, and forgiving. Best for learning proper rail-to-rail surfing. Most grovellers and hybrids come as thrusters.
Twin fin: Looser, skatier, more pivoty. Less stable than thrusters, which means you'll slide out more often as you're learning. Best for fish boards and playful surfing. Once you get the hang of twins, they're incredibly fun.
Quad (four fins): Fast down the line, more drive than twins, less drag than thrusters. Quads work brilliantly in small, weak surf because they generate speed without needing to pump as hard. Many fish and grovellers offer quad options.
Five-fin convertible: Gives you thruster, quad, and twin options in one board. Useful when you're still figuring out your preferences, though it adds cost. If you're buying a fish, get a five-fin setup so you can experiment with twins vs. quads vs. thrusters.
As an intermediate, start with a thruster. It's the most forgiving setup and builds good habits. Once you're comfortable, experiment with twins or quads for variety.
Buying New vs. Second-Hand
New boards from Australian shapers run $750-1300 AUD depending on construction and shaper reputation. That's a significant investment, especially if you're not certain about sizing.
Second-hand boards offer massive value, expect to pay 40-60% of retail for a lightly used board in good condition. Check Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and local surf shop trade-in boards.
When to buy new:
- You're certain about your dimensions after demoing or renting similar boards
- You want specific construction (epoxy, carbon, etc.)
- You're working with a shaper to dial in a custom
- You plan to keep the board for 2+ years
When to buy second-hand:
- You're not 100% sure about volume or shape category
- You're trying a new style (e.g., first fish) and want to test before committing
- You're on a tight budget
- You're likely to progress quickly and sell within a year
If buying used, check for delamination (the fibreglass separating from the foam it sounds hollow when you tap it), major dings near the stringer or rails, and soft spots underfoot. Surface dings and pressure dents are cosmetic and don't affect performance.
Common Mistakes Intermediate Surfers Make
Going Too Short Too Fast
The classic mistake. You see someone your size riding a 5'10" and assume you can too. But that surfer likely has years more experience, surfs daily, and has the paddle fitness and technique to make a low-volume board work.
Start longer and higher volume than you think you need. You can always size down in six months. Going too short too soon kills your progression because you stop catching waves, which means you stop getting reps, which means you don't improve.
Ignoring Volume Entirely
Length is almost meaningless without volume context. A 6'2" fish with 38L surfs completely differently than a 6'2" performance shortboard with 28L. Always ask about volume and match it to your weight and ability.
Buying for the Waves You Want, Not the Waves You Get
You want to surf powerful 2m barrels, so you buy a narrow, low-volume shortboard designed for precisely those conditions. But you actually surf 1m beach breaks three times a week, and now your board is useless 90% of the time.
Buy for the conditions you surf most often. You'll have more fun, catch more waves, and progress faster.
Skipping the Demo/Rental Phase
Many Australian surf shops and shapers offer demo programs where you can test a board for a day or weekend before buying. This is the best way to figure out what works for you. A board that sounds perfect on paper might feel terrible under your feet, and vice versa.
If you're spending $800-1200 on a board, it's worth spending $50-80 to demo a few options first.
How to Know When You've Outgrown Your Intermediate Board
You'll know it's time to step down again when:
- You're consistently surfing the best waves in your local lineup
- You can execute proper top-to-bottom turns with rail changes
- You feel limited by your board's responsiveness rather than your technique
- You're surfing overhead waves comfortably
- You're no longer satisfied just making it down the line you want to carve sections
For most surfers, this happens 12-24 months after getting their first intermediate board, assuming regular surf sessions. Some will progress faster, others slower. There's no rush, an intermediate board that still works for your surfing is better than a too-small shortboard that sits in your garage.
The Bottom Line
Your intermediate board is the most important equipment decision in your surfing progression. Get it right and you'll build skills quickly while having fun. Get it wrong and you'll spend frustrating months struggling to catch waves and wondering why you're not improving.
Start with more volume than you think you need. Focus on paddle power and wave count over radical performance. Buy for the waves you actually surf, not the waves you imagine surfing. And don't rush the transition, building solid fundamentals on a forgiving board will serve you far better than struggling on something too advanced.
When in doubt, talk to shapers, demo boards, and buy second-hand until you're confident about your dimensions. The right board is out there, and finding it is half the fun.
