Common Beginner Surfboard Mistakes & How to Fix Them

So, you finally decided to start surfing. Maybe you’re in San Diego, maybe you rented a board down at Pacific Beach or OB, maybe you saw someone glide down a clean little waist-high roller and thought, yeah, I want that feeling too. Good call. Surfing is addicting, frustrating, humbling… all of it. But here’s the thing nobody tells you when you pick up your first board: the learning curve is full of silly, avoidable mistakes. And honestly, most of us make them. I made almost all of them.

Let’s talk through some of the most common beginner surfboard mistakes I see around here in San Diego—and what you can actually do about them. Think of this as me buying you a coffee after a surf and spilling the stuff I wish someone had told me earlier.

Mistake #1: Starting Too Small, Too Soon

It’s tempting, right? You see those short little performance boards all the locals rip on and think, that’s surfing. But as a beginner? Wrong tool. A lot of people pick up boards that are way too short, way too thin, and way too twitchy. You’ll paddle like crazy, miss most waves, and when you finally stand up, it’ll feel like balancing on a bar of soap.

Fix: Go big. Longboard big. Foamie big. A beginner surfboard in San Diego usually means something soft-top, around 8–9 feet, wide and forgiving. You’ll catch more waves, which means more practice, which means faster progress. Doesn’t look “cool”? Who cares. Progress is cool.

Mistake #2: Wax Crimes

I swear, I’ve seen beginner boards in San Diego either caked with an inch of wax (like frosting on a cake) or completely bare and slippery. Both are… not great. Too much wax and your feet stick awkwardly, too little and you’ll slide off the second you pop up.

Fix: Apply a light base coat and then a top layer in little cross-hatched bumps. Don’t overthink it. And keep a wax comb handy, especially when the sun softens things up. (Oh, and use the right temperature wax—San Diego water is usually in that cool-to-warm range, so don’t grab the tropical stuff unless you’re planning a Hawaii trip.)

Mistake #3: Ignoring Volume

A lot of beginners think surfboard length is the only thing that matters. But volume—how much float a board has—is just as important. Too little volume and you’ll sink, paddle slower, and get frustrated.

Fix: Check the leaderboards (pun intended) on volume calculators online, or talk to a local shaper. Seriously, surfboard building in San Diego is a whole scene. The shapers here geek out about volume, rails, rocker, all of it, and they’ll happily set you straight. Even if you’re shopping custom surfboards online, most good websites will ask your weight, height, and skill level to match you up with something that floats properly.

Mistake #4: Nose Diving (The Classic “Pearl”)

If you’ve ever seen someone pop up and instantly plant the nose of their board into the water like a shovel, you know the pearl. Happens all the time.

Fix: Two things—position and timing. Slide yourself a little further back on the board so the nose lifts. And when paddling into waves, look up and arch your back slightly to keep weight off the nose. Timing helps too—don’t paddle for the wave too late. Start early, get momentum, and then commit.

Mistake #5: Carrying Your Board Like It’s a Toy

This one is more of a vibe thing, but I see beginners dragging their boards nose-first on the ground, bumping into cars, even clobbering other surfers in the parking lot. It’s not just awkward, it trashes your board.

Fix: Tuck it under your arm with the fins facing forward, or get a board bag if you’re walking longer distances. Treat your board with respect—it’ll treat you better in the water.

Mistake #6: Forgetting About Waves

Honestly, the board is only half the equation. You can have the perfect beginner surfboard in San Diego, but if you paddle straight into double-overhead sets at Black’s, you’re in for a beating.

Fix: Start mellow. San Diego has a ton of beginner-friendly breaks—Tourmaline, La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach. Gentle rollers, sandy bottoms, and friendly crowds. Learn the basics there before stepping up.

A Quick Story (Because Stories Stick)

I remember when I bought my first “real” board—some 6’2” pointy shortboard off Craigslist because I thought it looked pro. Took it out at PB on a waist-high day. I maybe caught one wave in two hours, and I pearled so hard I got sand in my ears. The next week, I borrowed my buddy’s 8’ foamie. Totally different experience. I actually rode waves. Stood up. Had fun. That’s when it clicked: it’s not about the board looking cool, it’s about you getting time on your feet.

The Bigger Picture

You’ll make mistakes. Everyone does. Some of them are part of the process—you kind of have to pearl a few times before you get it. But fixing these small things early (right board size, proper wax, decent wave choice) will save you months of frustration.

And hey, if you get obsessed—and you probably will—you might even start geeking out about custom surfboards online or wander into one of the shaping bays here in San Diego to watch the masters work. Surfboard building in San Diego is an art form, and once you see how much love goes into each board, you’ll treat yours differently too.

At the end of the day, just remember: the best beginner surfboard in San Diego is the one that gets you smiling in the water. Don’t stress the details too much. Avoid the common pitfalls, learn from your wipeouts, and keep paddling back out. The rest… well, that’s surfing.