It is always difficult to figure out what kind of board you should buy. We always advise our guests on which board should be suitable for their level based on their desires and goals. But if you’re shopping on your own and want a more objective starting point, the Firewire / Kelly Slater Designs board volume calculator is a solid tool.
Before you use it, though, here’s some advice I give to every guest who asks me about buying a board — and to friends who are getting into surfing.
Don’t Buy Too Quickly
This is the number one mistake I see. People take a few lessons, fall in love with surfing, and immediately want their own board. The problem is that when you buy too early, you tend to buy too small. Nobody wants their first board to look like a beginner board, so they go shorter and thinner than they should.
When your board is too small for your level, you have to compensate. You start popping up faster than your technique can support. Instead of building proper fundamentals, you develop bad habits just to stay on the board. Your pop-up actually gets worse, not better. We see this at Kalon — guests arrive with their own board, and sometimes the first thing our coaches do is put them on something with more volume. Often, within a session or two, their technique improves noticeably because the board isn’t fighting them anymore.
Volume Matters More Than Shape
When people think about surfboards, they think about length. But the number that actually matters most — especially as you’re developing — is volume. Volume determines how much the board floats, how easily you can paddle, and how forgiving it is when your timing isn’t perfect.
This is where the Firewire board volume calculator is genuinely useful. From Firewire: “The volume calculator, developed in partnership with BoardFormula.com, generates your individual minimum and maximum suggested volume. The lower volume indicates the minimum flotation for your performance shortboard, while the larger number indicates the suggested volume for an everyday or groveler model. While there are other factors to consider such as wave type and water temp, we have cross-checked the volume calculator against the preferences of a wide range of surfers and found the results to be remarkably accurate. The volume calculator then pulls together all the Firewire boards that fit your range into the compare function, allowing a numerical comparison between different models.”
My advice: if the calculator gives you a range, go toward the higher end. Buy a board with a little more volume than you think you need. A board with more volume keeps surfing fun — you can paddle into waves earlier, you catch more waves per session, and you can take it out on both small days and bigger days. The whole reason you started surfing is because you enjoy it, and there is nothing more frustrating than buying a board you cannot actually surf.
There’s No “Forever Board”
Another mistake people make is wanting a board that will last a lifetime — one board that works for everything. As you surf more, you figure out that different boards are for different situations. Different days and waves call for different shapes. Different spots have different characteristics. Even how you feel on a given morning changes what you want under your feet.
I’ll use myself as an example. I’m 6’3″ and about 90 kilos (around 200 pounds), so I need volume. I’ve surfed a 6’4″ that was very thin with little volume, and I liked it a lot. But I’ve also always loved longboarding. That doesn’t mean longboarding is for beginners — it’s a style I enjoy because of the floating sensation, the speed I can generate, and the drops I can make on a longboard that other people can’t do on a shorter board.
When you start surfing, you often think a longboard or a funshape is by definition a beginner board. It’s not. It’s just a different way to ride a wave. When you buy too quickly and lock yourself into one shape, you miss out on discovering what you actually enjoy.
Should You Bring Your Own Board to Kalon?
When guests ask if they can bring their own board, we always say: of course you can, but ideally you wouldn’t. There are a few reasons.
First, boards get damaged easily on airplanes. Dings, pressure cracks, broken fins — it’s a real risk on a long trip, and it’s a frustrating way to start your week.
Second, we have over 60 boards available at the resort, including a full range of Firewire and Slater Designs models. While no single board is perfect for every person and every condition, having access to a quiver means you can try different shapes throughout the week. You learn what you actually like — how a fish feels versus a performance shortboard, what happens when you add volume, how a different tail shape changes your turns.
Third, our coaches adjust your board selection day by day. Depending on the conditions and how you’re progressing, they might move you to something slightly bigger or slightly different than what you started on. That flexibility is a big part of why guests improve so much during the week — and why the daily video analysis is so valuable. You can see the difference a board change makes in your own footage.
The Bottom Line
If you’re going to buy a board: take your time, prioritize volume over vanity, and don’t be afraid of a board that’s a little bigger than what looks cool on Instagram. The Firewire volume calculator is a good starting point, but nothing replaces time on different boards in the water.
If you’re coming to Kalon, don’t worry about equipment at all. We’ve got you covered — literally. Just get in touch, tell us about your experience level, and we’ll make sure the right boards are waiting for you. You can also check our rates and availability to find the right week for your trip.
