The Catch Surf Beater, otherwise known as the ‘all-purpose customizable shred stick’ is a foam surfboard that is very much hyped on the surf scene. However, does it actually live up to all the hype?
Coming is a very stylish lighting blue design with the famous Beater tiger on the front, you could sure be fooled into thinking that this is the best surfboard for your needs.
It is very long and comes with fins, making it a more-than-adequate first board for your needs. It is made from foam, which also makes it lightweight.
This board has gained a reputation as being one of the best boards to start out on.
There will be plenty of people out there who are ready to extoll the virtues of this amazing surfboard. It can also be adapted as you get better with your board, giving you the ability to be able to crest the waves and try a wide variety of trick moves.
But how good is the Catch Surf Beater? How often will you have to clean it in order for it to have everything that you need for a healthy swimming style? What features does it have that make it a great surfboard?
What materials is it made from to give you a dynamic and challenging surfing experience? How much will it set you back? What are its drawbacks?
Well, if you want the full scoop on the Catch Surf Beater, then we would suggest that you keep on reading.
This article covers most aspects of this unique surfboard, giving you everything that you need to know, from the features to the materials to how it moves in the water.
What We Saw When We Unboxed It
The first thing we noticed when taking this out of the box was the amazing color and design of the board. This board is a bit shorter than your regular surfboard, although it is very lightweight and super easy to carry. It also comes with a dual fin setup, although you can remove these fins when you get more experienced with your board.
The second thing that really caught our eye is the amazing color scheme. This board has a plain blue color on the front which really catches your eye, with a striped design on the underside.
If you flip your board, you can be sure that you won’t be embarrassed. If you do not like this color scheme, there are plenty of others that you can choose from.
In terms of colors, this board has the most amazing range that you can experience. From a pretty exotic bird pattern in pale blue to a super cool mystical eye biker-style board, you can find something for every type of personality with the Catch Surf Beater range.
This is also a foam surfboard, so it will have that additional flex that might make riding through the harder waves a little bit more tricky for first-time riders. However, it is very smooth and soft to the touch, which will reduce the injuries that you’ll suffer.
This is very important when you are taking your first board out on the waves. The Catch Surf Beater has curved edges, which will really help reduce the number of abrasions and chafing that you might get when mounting your board.
How Does The Catch Surf Beater Ride?
This board is probably one of the most versatile riders that we’ve tried out, although it does come up with some difficulty riding choppier waves.
This is because this board really lacks the volume and weight of some heavier boards. If you are thinking of upping your surfing game, then this board might actually hold you back.
We would recommend this board for intermediate or beginner-level surfers. This is because the board is designed to be a lot softer than some of the other regulation-standard boards that you might find on the market.
We would certainly recommend this board for teenagers or kids that might only be trying to master standing on the board.
On the still water, this board handles like a dream. It comes with a leash that we would recommend that you keep around your wrist, in case you get capsized by the board during your first few attempts at standing.
However, this board can be a difficult one to balance on. Even standing on the board for a few minutes, we found that it would slip out from underneath us quite easily.
This board does not feel that hefty underfoot and might not give new surfers that confidence that they need to master the early stages of the board.
If you want to turn the board, then you might find it easier because of the lighter weight.
However, it will come into some difficulty when trying to power through the steeper inclines. If you are hitting more vertical waves, then you might find yourself having to bury the nose into the wave, which might make the whole thing go off-balance.
You might also find it harder to cut through the tougher chop as this board does really have much weight behind it. You should really try and take this board out on glassy, still waters. We would certainly not recommend this one for heavier surfers either.
If you are trying to ride this board without fins then you might run into further difficulties as it is almost impossible to turn. When we took the fins off and rode this surfboard hands-free, then the board and we disappeared under the waves! This is because there is no rocker on the Catch Surf Beater, making it hard to keep it stable.
If you are a pro, then you might be able to control this one with relative ease. We have seen Youtube videos of the pro swimmers using this board to execute amazing 360 moves. However, if you are a newbie then you might find yourself giving up with the board before you ever reach that stage.
You can definitely skim this board very easily, getting up to decent speeds on the still waters. If you do want to skim with this board, we would recommend that you remove the fins, as these will give you some resistance when you are in the water.
Overall, we would say that this is a board for youngsters with very little experience on the water or adults that want a very stylish-looking practice board.
Our Final Say
If you are a confident professional surfer, then you might not find any difficulty in riding this board. The lightness of the material and the ability to turn might certainly be coveted by a professional.
However, if you are a lower intermediate surfer, then you’ll definitely be in trouble handling this board, although if you are only paddling or skimming, then you might have some fun with this board.
