More and more models have surfaced since the first wooden surf board made of koa wood by the Hawaiians. They have diverse shapes, colors, made of a mixture of materials with additional pieces like fins or leashes attached, depending on the situations.

There is one thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning or surfing and that is the shaping of the board. Even the modern board is hand shaped by professionals after they have been molded into a rough shape. They basically make them out of polyurethane foam and cover it with fiberglass and resin. Recently, boards made of balsa and polystyrene cores have increasingly become more popular. The majority of them have between 2 and 5 kg in weight. In recent years one or more fins have been added to enhance directionality and stability.

Generally, modern surfboard can be either longboards – of eight or more feet - or shortboards – of 5 to 7 feet. Longboard are thicker and wider, with a more rounded nose while short board are shorter, thinner with a more pointed nose, usually easier to maneuver. Shortboard are also known as "Thrusters" and tend to have 3 fins – although a surfer can choose to attach as many fin as he wants to his board. Other types of surfboard are Gun, Fish, Egg, hydrofoils or fun-boards.

The Gun surfboard is especially designed for paddling easier in the big waves and has from 7 to 12 feet in length. It is thin with a single fin, making it look like a shortboard in shape but with a longboard’s size. The Fish surfboard is very short and has less than 6 feet in length, with twin fin set up. It has developed in other models like Skip Frye, Steve Brom and Rich Pavel, which are best used for small waves. The Egg surfboard is a hybrid of 6 to 8 feet in length has tail shape and a rounded nose for smaller waves, as well. This isn’t the best choices for doing tricks or displaying major performance but it surely is a lot of fun. That is why it’s highly recommended to beginners.

Longboard are single finned and can reach 12 feet. Some of them are called noseriders because they allow the surfer to walk to the tip and do what is called "nose ride". The most popular longboard is called Malibu (or Mal) and there are also Mini Mals. The most impressive longboard are the Olos, which can reach 14 feet and are made of wood, weighing 32 kg.

Funboards are very flexible to stabilize and have more floatation than a shortboard. They are midsized, suitable for beginner or amateurs. For beginners a Malibu board is the best option - if you choose to go to a surfing school you will most likely star with this one, also called a Foamie surfboard. A Pop-out board is a good alternative to a cheaper surfboard that floats very well.