How We Rate Our Used Surfboards
There's nothing like waxing up a brand new board for the first time, except maybe the first surf in a fresh wetsuit. But new boards are expensive these days, so looking to the used rack is a great option for every surfer. If the used board market is scarce where you live, if you're curious about a different shape, or if you need a cheap emergency replacement for an upcoming trip or swell, our used board collection may have the gem you're searching for.
We get a lot of used boards, and most of them have tons of sessions left in them. Traditionally, surfers have had the chance to examine a used board before purchasing; almost an impossibility if you're buying a used board online. We grade all our used boards so you can get a sense of what you're buying, even though you can't handle the board yourself.
Remember, the grading scale is for used boards, so an A is not going to equal a pristine board; it's an A for a used board. Most boards graded C or below are available at our brick & mortar location only, not online.
A Grade - Great Condition/Minimal Signs of Use: A-level used boards will look like they've only seen several sessions. You may see some heel dents at the front and rear foot positions, and maybe a knee dent or two, but expect a mostly flat deck. Structural damage is limited to a few cracks or scratches in non-critical areas; nothing that will require immediate attention or that looks like it will get worse without repairing. Boards with cracks or signs of stress at the fin boxes, nose, or stringer will not get an A grade. Clear boards will show no signs of yellowing.
B Grade - Good Condition: Boards at the B level show obvious signs of use, but will look great with a fresh coat of wax. More heel and knee dents than a grade A, but are not structural problems. There may be one or two noticeable dings that have been repaired. B-grade boards look like they have been treated well and ridden lightly or minimally.
C Grade - Well-Loved: Most of the used boards still worth buying are at this level. A C-grade board will have obvious signs of wear, which may include many or deeper foot/knee dents, signs of yellowing, some cracks around the fin boxes or stringer, "spider dings," which are small shatters in the fiberglass, and several repaired dings. Remember, it's new to you!
D Grade - Ridden Hard/Ridden Long: Expect lots of pressure dents, even broad footwells on the deck, and signs of a life well-lived all over the board. Yellowing, multiple fixed dings, spider dings, cracks around the fin boxes and stringer, may all be present. Grade D is before a board has been over-ridden but has lost that fresh, exciting feeling. Boards at this level are only for sale in-person at our brick & mortar location.
F Grade - One Step Away From the Grave: A good candidate for a first board, a backup board, furniture, or if there's still a few days of swell left and there's nothing on the new rack that strikes your fancy. Expect some or all of; a raised stringer from so much foot and knee denting, bottom pressure dings, cracks in the glass and around fin boxes, multiple repaired dings, scratches and spider dings, and perhaps some major repairs. Boards at this level are only for sale in-person at our brick & mortar location.