How To Choose The Best Slyde Handboard Based on Skill Set

One of the most common questions we get at Slyde Handboards is “What’s the best board for me? I’ve been looking at all of them." 

There are 2 ways that we have simplified it down….choosing a board for your ability or choosing a handboard based on wave type.  If you have been surfing already, you'll probably choose a board based on the type of wave you’re going to ride.

For everyone else you will choose a handboard based on your skillset. Essentially you’re either a complete novice, beginner, intermediate, or advanced handboarder.

Defining Your Personal Skill Set & Ability Level

• We'll define the novice as someone who hasn't spent much time in the ocean.
• The beginner as someone who has been in the water for a little bit, you are capable in water but you still learning. 
• The intermediate is someone who has been doing it for lets say 5-6yrs, starting to really feel comfortable going out in some bigger stuff. 
• While advanced would like a Kaha NaLu Hawaii  team dropping in on Pipeline. 

Be honest with yourself about where you are skill wise, the ocean can change really quickly, and you get taught a lesson really quickly.

Breaking Down Slyde Handboards Based on Ability

All these boards exist for a reason, every single one of them is designed specifically for a certain skill set, and a particular situation. That being said you can still use any of these handboards in pretty much all conditions.   

The Slyde Handboards Line Up:  From Starter to Advanced

The Grom - The Soft Top Handboard
Starter to Beginner Bodysurfer

The Grom is a great starter board, it was designed very much with the beginner in mind. It’s so great is because it’s soft, with a slick bottom, a bit of concave, but nothing to hectic.

What’s so great about this board is the size, you can really get high up on the board, and it has a lot of buoyancy, it’s amazing for that. The shape has a stubby nose with fish type tail. It’s also bump friendly, made for mistakes in the waves with out worry of injury.  The Grom is easy to use, and fun for everyone.

The Wedge Handboard: The Everyday Board
Beginner to Intermediate Bodysurfer

We consider The Wedge a beginner board, but even advanced bodysurfers love to take it out.

The reason why this board is for beginner to intermediate skill-set, is the width.
This is a lot bigger than any type of regular handplane on the market.  We often get “OMG they’re really big."

Here's why, imagine the difference between a short & a long surfboard, just like when you’re trying to learn to surf,  being on a bigger board makes it a lot easy to stand up.  

With the Wedge Handboard when you get on the wave, you have so much more surface area. The bigger surface area on these allows you to ride a wave for a good long time. While also allowing you to do turns and sprays and other tricks. 

"When i first designed this handboard it was a lot shorter, and I literally started adding cementers to it. When I was testing it in Durban summer and it was pretty flat. What was happening when I trying to catch waves it just didn’t have enough momentum. So I started to shape a bit bigger. The bigger and bigger I went the more distance I could get on the wave." Slyde Steve

The Phish Handboard: The Classic Speed Board
Intermediate to Advanced Bodysurfer

The shape of The Phish, it is one of the most beautiful shapes, it's an absolute head turner. I would almost air on the side of advanced for this one. The board is similar to the classic phish surfboard and is designed to pick a line and hold to the line.

This is a great board for a wave that’s gong to take you, great for barrels and staying in the pocket, getting pitted over and over.

"This board is amazing for speed. it’s incredible how fast this goes. I took this out to test during the Hurricane Marie swell and I pulled in on a monster 8 foot+ swell, I pulled in on a wave and I could literally feel my fins slowing me down.  I’ve been barreled on this so many times because it just has that speed." Slyde Steve

The Hawaiian Bula Handboard: The Specialist Board
Advanced Bodysurfer

The Bula board is a little bit bigger than your actual hand, and is the size most people think a handplane should look like. Thanks to Hawaiian bodysurfing legend Sean Enoka, who spent most his life coming up with this awesome shape, it specializes in shorebreak.

Notice how the concave the bottom of the handboard is, the biggest difference between this and any other board is the concave.  It literally is like having a fin on your hand. Just like a blade it sticks right into the side of the wave. 

If you feel comfortable taking off on some really steep shore break this board will keep you high on the face of the wave, and excels in steep whomp drops. 

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