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52.5 litres for a beginner, 26.3 for an advanced surfer: for the same weight of 75 kg, the chart published by the board maker Firewire recommends a volume that doubles from one end of the scale to the other [1]. That is the whole logic of volume, the figure that makers such as Torq print next to a board’s dimensions [2]: the newer you are to surfing, the more of it you need.
Volume: what it measures
A board’s volume, in litres, measures how well it floats. The board maker Lost has turned it into a ratio, the The ratio between a board’s volume, in litres, and the surfer’s weight, in kilos; Lost’s calculator credits it to Whitney Guild, in 2013.: the board’s volume divided by the surfer’s weight. If you know the volume of a board that felt too floaty, or not floaty enough, this ratio tells you which way to adjust [3].
The French Surfing Federation (FFSurf) sums up the criteria for choosing a board in four points: how well the board suits the surfer’s build, their level, their style, and the quality and size of the waves they surf [4]. Volume answers the first two; shape and conditions, the last two.
The calculation: your weight times a coefficient
The formula fits on one line: volume in litres = weight in kilos × coefficient. Everything hinges on the coefficient, which each maker sets in its own way. Firewire’s chart gives five, one per level: for surfers of about 70 to 100 kg, they come to roughly 0.35, 0.37, 0.44, 0.53 and 0.70, and a little more for lighter or heavier surfers [1].
| Weight | Advanced | Advanced to intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate to beginner | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 kg | 21.3 | 22.3 | 26.6 | 31.9 | 42.6 |
| 68 kg | 23.9 | 25.1 | 29.8 | 35.8 | 47.7 |
| 75 kg | 26.3 | 27.6 | 32.8 | 39.4 | 52.5 |
| 80 kg | 27.8 | 29.2 | 34.8 | 41.8 | 55.7 |
| 91 kg | 31.8 | 33.4 | 39.8 | 47.7 | 63.6 |
Source: Firewire Surfboards, volume calculator; chart values rounded to one decimal place. The weights correspond to 130, 150, 165, 175 and 200 lb. A ballpark figure, not a prescription.
Lighter surfers are not forgotten: for a 36 kg teenager, the same chart ranges from 16 litres for an advanced surfer to 32 litres for a beginner [1].
Lost gives ranges rather than fixed values, for shortboards: 0.34 to 0.36 for an advanced, very fit surfer, 0.36 to 0.38 for average to good fitness and skills, 0.38 to 0.42 for the weekend warrior, and 0.40 to 0.50 for a novice or in difficult conditions [3]. For 75 kg, that gives 27 to 28.5 litres for an average surfer, and 30 to 37.5 litres for a novice.
Starting out: foam, and plenty of litres
For a first board, the French Surfing Federation is clear: a foam beginner’s board, easier and safer. Only then should you ask a professional for advice on a higher-performance board. The federation also warns against an overly pointed nose and fins with sharp edges [4].
These beginner’s boards carry a lot of volume. Torq’s soft-deck longboard, for example, runs from 66 litres in the 8’0 to 95 litres in the 9’6 [2]. Even the shortest exceeds the volume Firewire recommends for a 91 kg beginner, 63.6 litres [1].
| Length | Width | Thickness | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8’0 (2.44 m) | 22 3/8 in (56.8 cm) | 3 1/4 in (8.3 cm) | 66 L |
| 8’6 (2.59 m) | 22 3/4 in (57.8 cm) | 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) | 71 L |
| 9’0 (2.74 m) | 23 1/8 in (58.7 cm) | 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) | 79 L |
| 9’1 (2.77 m) | 23 3/8 in (59.4 cm) | 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) | 84 L |
| 9’6 (2.90 m) | 23 7/8 in (60.6 cm) | 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm) | 95 L |
Source: Torq Surfboards, Longboard Soft Deck spec sheet. Dimensions as Torq publishes them, in feet and inches; metric conversions to the nearest millimetre.
Length, width, thickness: volume isn’t the whole story
The detail that changes everything: length alone is no way to judge a board. At Torq, two 6’0 (1.83 m) models have different volumes: 38.8 litres for the PG-R shortboard, 41.7 litres for the Summer Fish, which is 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wider and 1/8 inch (3 mm) thicker, a difference of 2.9 litres [5] [6]. Conversely, two boards with the same volume can have very different lengths.
| Model | Length | Width | Thickness | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG-R (shortboard) | 5’6 (1.68 m) | 20 1/2 in (52.1 cm) | 2 3/8 in (6.0 cm) | 30.6 L |
| Summer Fish | 5’6 (1.68 m) | 20 3/4 in (52.7 cm) | 2 3/8 in (6.0 cm) | 31 L |
| PG-R (shortboard) | 6’0 (1.83 m) | 21 1/2 in (54.6 cm) | 2 5/8 in (6.7 cm) | 38.8 L |
| Summer Fish | 6’0 (1.83 m) | 22 1/4 in (56.5 cm) | 2 3/4 in (7.0 cm) | 41.7 L |
Sources: Torq Surfboards, PG-R and Summer Fish spec sheets. Dimensions as published, in feet and inches, with metric conversions.
Don’t try to work out the volume from the dimensions, though: a board is not a box. Across every size listed for the three Torq models cited here, the published volume comes to between 53 and 59% of length × width × thickness, by our calculations [2] [5] [6]. The tapering nose, tail and rails take away the rest.
So take volume as your first guide, then factor in your style and the waves, the federation’s other two criteria [4].
Adjusting for the water, the waves and your wetsuit
The same surfer doesn’t need the same volume everywhere. Lost recommends the bottom of its range in warm water and good waves, and the top in poor conditions, in a crowded line-up or in a thick wetsuit [3]. As for the wetsuit, the French Surfing Federation advises wearing one even in fine weather: it protects you from the cold and gives you better buoyancy [4]. If you surf in winter, see our guide to wetsuit thickness by water temperature.
A two-minute sum (the volume calculator does it for you), a board with enough float, and the next wave could be the one you finally stand up on: all that’s left is to wax the deck and paddle out to the peak.
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Worth watching
Surf Simply’s animated surf-science series explains what volume measures, why a board is not a simple box, how litres affect paddling and wave-catching, and the volume-to-weight ratio.
The video is hosted by YouTube (Google): nothing loads until you play it, and Google may then set cookies.
FAQs
What surfboard volume do I need as a beginner?
Plenty. In the chart published by the board maker Firewire, a beginner aims for about 0.70 litres per kilo, or 52.5 litres for 75 kg. The French Surfing Federation advises starting on a foam beginner’s board, which is easier and safer, then asking a professional for advice before moving on to a higher-performance board.
How do I work out my surfboard volume?
Multiply your weight, in kilos, by a coefficient that depends on your level: at Firewire, from 0.35 for an advanced surfer to 0.70 for a beginner; at Lost, from 0.34 to 0.50 for shortboards, depending on level, fitness and conditions. The result is a ballpark figure, to adjust for the waves.
What board volume do I need if I weigh 70 kg?
According to Firewire’s calculator, for 70.5 kg: about 49 litres for a beginner, 37 litres between beginner and intermediate, 31 litres for an intermediate and 25 litres for an advanced surfer. Using Lost’s ranges, an average surfer weighing 70 kg should look at 25 to 27 litres in a shortboard.
Does a board’s volume depend on its length?
Only partly. Width and thickness count just as much: at Torq, at 6’0 (1.83 m), a PG-R shortboard holds 38.8 litres and a Summer Fish, which is wider and thicker, 41.7 litres. That is why it is better to compare litres than lengths.
Sources
- Firewire Surfboards, Surfboard Volume Calculator, chart of volumes by skill level, accessed 22 October 2026. firewiresurfboards.com https://www.firewiresurfboards.com/pages/prestige-surfboard-volume-calculator ↩
- Torq Surfboards, Longboard Soft Deck, model spec sheet, accessed 22 October 2026. torq-surfboards.com https://www.torq-surfboards.com/longboard-soft-deck.html ↩
- Lost Surfboards by Mayhem, Volume Calculator, Whitney Guild’s Guild factor (2013), accessed 22 October 2026. lostsurfboards.net https://lostsurfboards.net/volume-calculator/ ↩
- Fédération française de surf (French Surfing Federation), Bien choisir sa planche de surf, accessed 22 October 2026. surfingfrance.com https://www.surfingfrance.com/federation/comment-choisir-sa-planche.html ↩
- Torq Surfboards, PG-R, model spec sheet, accessed 22 October 2026. torq-surfboards.com https://www.torq-surfboards.com/shortboard/pg-r.html ↩
- Torq Surfboards, Summer Fish, model spec sheet, accessed 22 October 2026. torq-surfboards.com https://www.torq-surfboards.com/fish/summer-fish.html ↩
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