Mostcraft Product Reviews and Buyers guides - 2016
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
The 5 Best Bodyboards for Big Guys (Revised)
By Ryan Miller
The best bodyboards for big guys are designed exclusively for big, tall, or heavy riders. If you’re a big guy, you need a board this is wide and tall enough, while also being highly durable to achieve peak performance.
While bodyboards were once limited to average 42 inch long boards, today’s bodyboards range in size, shape, and overall appearance.
Size is one of the most important aspects of purchasing a bodyboard. When the board is held out in front of you, the bodyboard should reach from your knees to your chin. Heavier riders require extra width for better buoyancy in the water. You’ll also want to choose a board according to your abilities. If you’re a new rider, get a beginner’s board. With the right bodyboard, even big guys can ride the waves like their smaller surfer counterparts. As bodyboards range in size, style, and price, we’ve made the decision-making process a little easier on you. Here’s a look at some top-rated options for the best bodyboard for big guys.
What To Look For In The Best Bodyboard for Big Guys:
Core Material: There are two main types of core material: Dow polyethylene foam (PE) and polypropylene foam (PP). Dow is a great option as it offers excellent flex and all-around great performance. (Wave Skater Pro bodyboards utilize their own, completely different proprietary foam.)
Stringer: The stringer of a bodyboard is the composite material tube that runs down the center of the board. This “spine” adds strength to the core and increases projection.
Tail: There are four main types of tails, each based on the ‘bat’ and ‘crescent’ shape. As a general rule of thumb, the wider the tail the faster and more stable the bodyboard is.
Board Width: For bigger guys, you’ll want to ensure that the width of your board is adequate for your body. The wider a board is, the greater buoyancy it has. However, wider boards are typically more difficult to turn than narrower boards.
Wave Skater Pro bodyboards: Most bodyboards have weight capacities. For guys who need a bigger board, the Wave Skater Pro Ghost Shark Bodyboard is an excellent option. The 48 ¾” Ghost Shark board is a suitable option for riders between 200 and 300+ lbs. This particular brand of bodyboards ensures long-term durability thanks to their closed-cell, compression molded, ultra-durable, solid one-piece foam and their dual composite internally molded stringers.
What also makes this bodyboard unique is its fully textured “Shark Skin” surface, which provides the user with ultra-urability while in the water. The textured surface also keeps surf wax away from your body and firmly on the board. Also, the textured surface on the board's hull generates tremendous lift by trapping thouands of tiny air bubbles beneath its surface, sort of like the same principal as dimples on a golfball.
The board also features fiberglass composite dual molded stringers which give the board added structural integrity and additional flex. You’ll also find other perks such as a scooped-out stomach cavity, elongated hand rails, elongated arm wells and a dual tapered pontoon hull, all patented features. It comes in the following colors: solid lime, solid, blue, solid orange, blue/lime, yellow/orange, blue/red, and for 2017, aqua/blue, aqua/yellow, and yellow/red. They also make three other versions for smaller riders.
What Users Are Saying:
- Great quality
- The most durable bodyboard on the market
- Well worth the price
- Still looks brand new after years of use
- Perfect for bigger guys
- High-performance board