Basic budget to start surfing

Is surfing an expensive sport? How much does it cost to surf? What do I need? Where do I buy it? These are classic questions that are asked when surf is starting to get into your veins. So here we´ll break down all these questions so that you know how much it costs to do this sport.

Is surf an expensive sport?

Surf compared to ski, golf or windsurf, isn´t expensive. The difference with ski is that you don´t need to pay to access the beaches. Unless you go to Maldives, where there are private waves in some resorts. Nevertheless, if you get wave fever, get your budget ready for surftrips. You will easily go around the world a couple of times a year to find waves.

What do I need?

The basic pack to initiate includes surfboard, surf fins, leash, tail pad, wax and travel cover. Additionally we can also add neoprene wetsuit, poncho for easy changing, key lock to keep your car keys while you´re in the water, a wetsuit dryer and of course always sun cream.

Really, the list of accessories can be infinite. We´ve tried to list out the most common.

How much does it cost to start surfing?

To start to surf you need 5 basic items: surfboard, surf fins, leash, tail pad and wetsuit. A beginners surfboard will cost approximately 350 euros. A leash is 25 euros and a tail pad is around 35 euros. For that you have to add another essential item. The surf fins, which also has a wide range of prices. A set of good surf fins will be 80 euros, but to start you can try a set of plastic fins for around 15 euros.

The cost of a wetsuit depends on the season. Since it´s not the same to buy a winter wetsuit or short sleeve wetsuit for summer. For this purpose we´ll calculate around 100 euros.

There are also a few other important surf accessories, not essential but recommended. Like the case of a travel cover. Either a sock of padded, we recommend that you get one for your surfboard. A travel cover will let you transport your board in a safe way and will avoid it getting scratched. A sock cover will cost around 29 euros and a padded cover will cost at the cheapest 45 euros. It´s an investment that will be worth it.

Recommended reading: Guide to buy a travel cover

In total we´re talking around 550 euros approximately. Your 350 euros surfboard (with plastic surf fins) + tail pad 35 euros + leash 25 euros + extra set of plastic fins 15 euros + wetsuit 100 euros = 525 euros. Of course, there are always special offers for initiation packs with which to save up to 100 euros. But in general the budget would be an initial investment of 500 euros.

How much do beginner surfboard cost?

The range of prices for an initiation surfboard is very wide. We can find funboards starting at 250 euros all the way to 1000 euros that can be a board shaped by Ryan Lovelace. If you still don´t know whether surf is for you we recommend you don’t pay more than 350€ for a board. If you are only going to use it in the summer, we recommend that you check the new generation of softboard that are getting popular in our beaches that also have very attractive prices.

Another option is to get a second-hand surfboard. This way you can get the rest of accessories with all that you save up, if the board is n a good state.

Recommended reading: How to buy a second-hand surfboard?

How much does a wetsuit cost?

Buying a wetsuit isn´t easy. The fact that each brand has different ways of sizing makes things very difficult and will be almost obligatory to try one first. To help you with this, here in Single Quiver we´ve created a Wetsuit Recommender.

In general we can say that you will get a decent wetsuit for 120 euros. If you decide to go through the second-hand market, you´ll need to be checking a few things. Firstly: the lifespan of a wetsuit is short. If a person sells you a wetsuit through EBay, there is a reason. Unless it´s something to do with them buying the wrong size, we recommend that if you buy a used wetsuit you should disinfect it first. Almost everyone has peed in their wetsuit at least once when surfing.

We think that it´s worth it to put on a wetsuit for the first time and use it new. There are good offers in internet. A good starting point is our wetsuit outlet where you can get yourself a cheap O´Neill.

How much do surf fins cost?

As we said at the start, surf fins are an essential accessory to surf, and not exactly cheap. If you just started we recommend you don´t pay too much in a set of fins. At first you won´t notice much difference between the plastic fins, fiber fins or carbon fins. Our recommendation is: get a set of cheap fins, 15 euros max.

With time and as you progress, we recommend you go up a level to the carbon fins. There you will feel the difference of speed and grip.

Where can I get an initiation pack?

In Single Quiver you´ll find all the surf accessories and technical material so that you can enjoy your surfing to the max. We recommend you check out our surf outlet, where you´ll find the best deals for surfboards, wetsuits and fins in the market. Also, we have initiation packs for surf where we include all the necessary material to get in the water; surfboard + plastic fins + leash + padded cover for only 417 euros. A deal where you save up to 100 euros in accessories. Initiation pack in Single Quiver