Summer bellyboarding for surfers – why would you?

Surfing quality can often be tricky to score in the UK. Any surfer will be well aware of this. Even the most consistent. swell saturated break has off days. And in this neck of the woods that can be more often than not. Unfortunately, the UK’s summer – whilst being warmer – can be just as frustrating for surfing as winter. We may get served up waves but can be the frothy and soupy or just go flat.

So how to get a fun fix and some saltwater time under your belt?

Bellyboarding for the win.

More and more fringe surfing activities like bellyboarding, mat surfing, tray surfing and body surfing are pricking wave riders’ interests. Take our good friends at Real Surfing Magazine as a case in point. Steveo (the owner/editor) is as frothed on surfing as ever. But even he recognises the UK’s wave conditions can often be lacking. So in an effort to maximise his fun in the surf Steve has more recently been riding the aforementioned craft. And having mucho fun in doing so!

Cruddy waves, slow surf, summer slop, call it whatever you will… It’s no match for a bellyboard. Waves don’t need to be well formed or critical for your trusty ‘plank of wood’ to work at its optimum. And for kids and nervous wave sliders bellyboards are great. You don’t need to be out of standing depth. Instead, jumping into the white water and being shoved towards shore is a real hoot.

The other benefit of quality made, wooden bellyboards is they’re much kinder to the environment. Unlike many throw away polystyrene surf riding craft, that end up in landfill, bellyboards are there for the long haul. And being lovingly crafted can be works of art in their own right. Slide ’em sideways on waves then hang on your wall post-session.

Dick Pearce & Friends Surfrider vintage sun bellyboard

£69.00

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We love bellyboarding at NCW and have a range of Dick Pearce styles for both adults and kids. IF you’re looking for another fun wave of making use of summer waves then a bellyboard would be well worth considering.

If you have any questions about bellyboards and bellyboarding kit feel free to get in touch with us here at The Rubber Shack.

And don’t forget to check out the following articles in this series below –