Foam surfboards gained popularity because they are fun and easy to ride. They are ideal for smaller waves. Most importantly, they are safer for beginners and kids to use than hard-top boards.
This is where Softech Surfboards put their focus on before creating the line for their high-performance series. They concentrated more on learner-friendly softboards.
Now that they have their High-Performance Series, they are still committed to offering a range of boards designed for first-time riders for that help with easy wave catching and basic surfing skills development.
Let’s take a rundown on Softech Surfboards and find out just why their name is making waves across the surfing scene.
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Softech Surfboards Review
While Softech Surfboards are said to have been founded by Australian surfer Tom Carroll, all of their boards are designed, shaped, and made in the US using only the most highly-durable materials and with proven manufacturing methods.
They come in a wide variety of styles, each built to withstand the harshest and toughest conditions of the oceans.
Original Series
Softech Softboards’ Original Learner Series is made to be buoyant, firm, and stable for the first time riders to easily catch and ride waves. This design helps them build the skills to start executing basic turns.
Roller
- Sizes: 6’0″, 6’6″, 7’0″, 7’6″, 8’0″, 8’4″
- Dimensions:
- 6’0″ x 21 1/4″ x 2 3/4″
- 6’6″ x 22 1/4″ x 3″
- 7’0″ x 22 1/4″ x 3 1/7″
- 7’6″ x 22 1/4″ x 3 1/7″
- 8’0″ x 24″ x 3 1/3″
- 8’4″ x 24″ x 3 1/2″
- Colors: Ice Yellow, Roller Blue, Smoke Green, Orange, Grey
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 VFS Fin Setup) / Softflex Fins included
- Built in carry handle
- Integrated leash plug
Designed specifically for beginners, Roller/Handshaped comes in different sizes ranging from 6’ to 8’ and packed with loads of volume. They added the rocker on the nose to keep the dreaded nose dive that a lot of first-time riders fall victim to.
Considered a funboard, it has generous outlines aside from the loaded volume. These help in making these boards stable and very easy to ride. As with most of Softech Surfboards sticks, they feature 100% waterproof EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) foam core, double core stringer for strength and rigor.
One feature that you will truly appreciate about this stick is its integrated handhold in the deck. Learners find it helpful since it makes it much easier for them to carry it around and to the water.
Sally Fitzgibbons Signature
- Sizes: 6’0″, 6’6″, 7’0″
- Dimensions:
- 6’0″ x 21 1/4″ x 2 3/4″
- 6’6″ x 22 1/5″ x 3″
- 7’0″ x 22 1/4″ x 3 1/7″
- Colors: Pink
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 Fin Setup) / Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
Sally Fitzgibbons Signature is made particularly for girls and women who want to experience and rock it out on the waters. It includes a set of compatible fins and is extremely stable and easy to paddle.
This signature model is wide, stable, and easy to maneuver and paddle on making it the perfect board for beginner girl surfers. A learner-oriented board, it comes with the width and the volume that helps for easy wave catching.
Sally Fitzgibbons Signature surfboards have the high-level standard of Softech construction that features two wood stringers and waterproof EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) core, slick deck, and soft top foam. It features the same handle in the deck like Roller which is popular for learners as they can be easily carried around.
All three sizes of this board come with plug style soft fins. They can be ridden by kids, adult learners, and even more advanced surfers. It showcases some upturn in the nose to make sure it wouldn’t sink nose-first. Plus, the lift in the tail helps in twisting and turning.
Zeppelin
- Size: 7’0″ / 8’0″
- Dimensions:
- 7’0″ x 26 x 3
- 8’0″ x 26 x 3 3/4″
- Colors: Powder Blue, Apple Green
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 ST Fin Setup) / Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
Zeppelin is designed to be extra wide with a huge amount of volume. They are incredibly stable for first-time riders and learners while they gain confidence in riding small broken waves.
Known as the “Fat Boy” by surfers in the US and Europe, Zeppelin is a shorter and fatter mal shape that is perfect for beginners who need the extra volume to get the paddling power that most of the time are showcased by wider deck.
It helps with stability when the rider is getting up on their feet. The extra width also helps to accommodate heavy and bigger riders. Very easy to ride, it is one of the most buoyant and stable boards in the market today.
Performance Series
Softech believes that every aspiring surfer grows and they want to be there every step of the way. instead of focusing only on creating surfboards for beginners, they came up with High-Performace series so that they will still have a board to offer as the surfer’s level of expertise progresses.
Softech High-Performance series is inspired by the most up-to-date fiberglass surfboard designs. It erases the fine line between crucial riding and simply having fun.
Filipe Toledo Wildfire
- Sizes: 5’3″ / 5’11”
- Dimensions:
- 5’3 x 19 x 2 5/8 x 32L
- 5’11 x 20 5/8 x 2 3/4 x 37L
- Colors: Neon, Granite
- Fin Setup: Thruster (x3 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
One of the best performance soft boards in the market today, Softech Surfboards’ Filipe Toledo Wildfire is a soft top that can really rip. Compatible with all FCS II fin styles for additional performance, it is the most refined and performance-oriented board in the lineup.
Suited for the intermediate to advanced surfer, Filipe Toledo Wildfire can make the most out of the slightly weaker waves. Its sealed epoxy core makes it lightweight but durable. The double composite stringers it features keep the board stiff and stable.
Filipe Toledo Wildfire has a diamond tail with flat rocker profile and volume in the front end – all combined to ensure that the board will effortlessly catch weaker waves while providing a high-level of performance.
Mason Twin
- Sizes: 5’2″ / 5’6″ / 5’10”
- Dimensions:
- 5’2″ x 19 2/3″ x 2 5/8″
- 5’6″ x 21″ x 2 5/8″
- 5’10” x 21 x 2 ¾
- Colors: Gun Metal, Neo Red/White, Lime/Yellow
- Fin Setup: Twin (x2 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
“This board is opening up new boundaries and opportunities with my surfing. Like before, it was fun surfing close to rocks, now it’s way more fun, I can pretty much glide right over them!” – Mason Ho. His signature model, a fishy shape with a twin fin setup that has established popularity because of how fun it is to use.
Designed for speed and loose type of riding, you can surf with them inshore breaks or less than ideal conditions sans the fear of damaging them. The double channel in its tail gives more squirt and drive making it work in anything from knee to head high surf.
Mason Twin comes in different ranges of sizes that can hold up to riders who are experienced and are weighing up to approximately 85 kg. Your quiver killer for summer waves, it does sharp turns, slides, and is very fast for a softboard.
Eric Geiselman Flash
- Sizes: 5’0″ / 5’7″ / 6’0″ / 6’6″
- Dimensions:
- 5’0″ x 20″ x 2 3/5″
- 5’7″ x 20 1/2″ x 2 2/3″
- 6’0″ x 21 1/4″ x 2 2/3″
- 6’6″ x 21 2/3″ x 2 2/3″
- Colors: White Marble, Grey Marble, Green Marble
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
Eric Geiselman is one hidden gem in the world of surfing. The American professional surfer who at one of his rides had his surfboard snapped in half by what was thought as a great white shark is worthy to have a Softech surfboard under his signature.
Flash softboard motivates surfers who are kept in hard-top to transition. Its soft-top design has the feel of a hard-top board, especially underwater. This feel provides surfers with a more execution-centric ride. I
The different sizes it comes in are perfect for anyone who is looking for a shortboard surf performance. After all, it is a soft craft that actually does more than gain speed in mushy waves. Once the board is on fire, it goes to take it to the fly when presented with a kicker or drifting out a foam-tapped reverse.
Kyuss King Fish
- Sizes: 4’8″ / 5’8″
- Dimensions:
- 4’8″ x 21″ x 2 1/8″
- 5’8″ x 21 1/2″ x 2 2/3″
- Colors: Black White Marble
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
A generously volumed fish with hand-shaped rails, this surfboard was designed in collaboration with Kyuss King. It is fast and flat and can get you from point A to B in a snap. Kyuss King Fish heightens up the fun even on days when waves are mushy and it is hard to paddle out.
Built for speed, this board has plenty of girths and a wild-looking swallowtail. What sets it apart from the rest of the foam market is that it is made with extreme attention to detail and with the superior materials to make sure it tops in terms of performance and solidity.
The most popular in the High-Performance Series of Softech Surfboards, it works even with small waves with its flat shape. The board promises to tickle your surfing fancies in conditions that otherwise you would not enter the water.
Bomber
- Sizes: 5’10” / 6’4″ / 6’10”
- Dimensions:
- 5’10” x 20 1/2 x 3
- 6’4″ x 21 x 3
- 6’10” x 21 1/2 x 3
- Colors: Smoke, Green White
- Fin Setup: Tri (x3 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
Paddle incredibly well and glide with ease from a forward position while still slicing a nice carve off the tail, Bomber is one soft top bord that is an ultimate cruiser that flows down the line and turns on a dime.
The Bomber will surely appeal to anyone looking for something that is a little different for small or not so ideal water conditions but may not want to go on a standard longboard. They can also be for longboarder who wants to transition to the shorter board while still keeping a similar feel.
A solid fun board, it is something you can hop onto if you are looking for something in the hybrid mid-length/high-performance area. You can catch more than a few waves after paddling with ease and be able to mix it up in a variety of waves from tiny and sloppy waves to line up decent walls.
Rocket Fish
- Sizes: 4’8″
- Dimensions: 4’8″ x 20 2/7″ x 2 1/5″
- Colors: White Marble
- Fin Setup: Twin (x2 FCS II Fin Setup) / FCS II Softflex Fins included
- Leash plug installed
Flat, fast, short, full-bodied – Rocket fish has boxy rails and loads of volume that will help you glide over the fatter sections. Ideal for surfers who want a fun ride, Rocket Fish is somewhat Softech’s flagship surfboard.
Perfect for any rider who prioritizes speed over anything, it is short but loaded to the brim with tons of volume for added buoyancy. Designed to be fast and get you through dead sections in the waves, it is the perfect ride for kids with a bit of experience or lightweight surfers.
Rocket Fish is one of the best grovelers that is easy to paddle. It turns ordinary sessions into a bit of fun while keeping you motivated when you otherwise think you can’t.
Top Pick
Softech Surfboards indeed focused on learner-friendly surfboards but, with their High-Performance series, they showed off that they’re not just for kids. Now, they have a variety of boards that are fun to ride.
No longer is it focused on beginners but performance surfers. These boards are extremely buoyant. They are ideal for everyone from kids trying to learn to experienced surfing teachers.
With that said, what topped our list is their flagship surfboard – Rocket Fish. Its small size surprises you with a pretty solid turning response. You won’t expect how fast it can be in accelerating. Plus, upgrading the FCS II Soft Fins to hard fiberglass fins will sure get you the rip you want!
Tom Carroll – The First Surfing Millionaire
Born on November 26, 1961, Tom Carroll – the founder of Softech Surfboards is an Australian former professional surfer who hailed from Sydney. Under his belt are Australian Junior Title in 1978, Pro Juniors in 1977 and 1980, ASP World Tour in 1983 and 1984, and 1987 Pipe Masters.
He made it to the finals of the 1979 Pipe Masters as a rookie. In this world tour, he placed 24th. Year after year, he tried and tried his best and continued to ascend from 24th to 17th, then to 10th, and 3rd, until taking home the world title in 1983 where he won 6 out of 13 events.
It was in 1988 when he made history in the surfing scene not by surfing but by becoming the first surfer to lock a million-dollar contract with Quiksilver. Before finally retiring in 1993, he finished third in 1988 and 1991.
Overall, he took home 26 career world tour victories, 3 Pipe Masters wins, and two world titles. Prior to his retirement, he was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 1990. He bagged Australia’s Surfing Life Peer Poll and in 1991 and 8 years after was instated into the Huntington Beach Surfing Hall of Fame. He ranks number 7 on Surfer Magazine’s list of “Greatest Surfers of All Time.”
At present, he and fellow Australian big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones travel the world to search for large swells for the Discovery Channel TV series Storm Surfers.
Softech Surfboards
There isn’t much noted about how the company started and when it was founded. How Tom Carroll founded it is a story we have to find out too. Him being part of the team and with their lineup of surfboards having a stick that is under his name is so far what we can tell.
The company has a range of surfboards that cater to every surfing ability level – from beginner to professional riding.
Softech started by focusing on safe surfboards for kids, beginners, and those who are starting to learn. But, later on, widened their concentration on making a board for everyone.
They wanted to prove they can do it by putting a surf team that included surfing giants like Mason Ho and Eric Geiselman. No, they are not your ordinary softboard. They are shorter softboards and are capped with shiny, glossy, and smooth coating to incite the look of a traditional surfboard.
Their Original Series is leaning toward those who are learning to surf, while their High-Performance Series is for the more advanced rider. In this write-up, we will look at both series to get a better understanding of their fanbase and why you should add them to your quiver, too.
Conclusion
One of the earliest companies to establish themselves in the modern softboard market, Softech Surfboards has surely gone a long way. Theirs are surfboards that are totally fun for surfers in the learning phase of their surfing up to the time they hit their biggest waves.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Should I wax my Softech Surfboard?
Q: How to insert and remove FCS II Fins?
Q: How to transition to fiberglass board from a soft-top board?
Q: Any pros and cons of soft-top boards?
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Torsten Bjord is a talented and adventurous waterman from Western Australia, passionate about surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, hydrofoiling, skimboarding, snowboarding and skateboarding. Torsten has spent countless hours mastering his skills and his dream is to one day represent Australia as an Olympic athlete.
