How to pick a size › Windsurf
Windsurf
Board Size
A size chart · 245 windsurf boards in the atlas
A 75 kg rider wants 155–195 L to learn, 115–145 L once riding, 90–115 L once confident and 65–90 L as an expert. Litres are your weight in kilos plus a margin, which shrinks and then turns negative as you progress.
These are rules of thumb, the ones shops and sizing guides quote, not any brand’s chart. Where a brand publishes its own rider weights they are below, and they should win.
Windsurf Size Chart
Volume in litres by rider weight and level · rule of thumb, not a brand’s chart
| Weight | First sessions | Getting there | Confident | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 130–170 | 90–120 | 65–90 | 40–65 |
| 55 kg | 135–175 | 95–125 | 70–95 | 45–70 |
| 60 kg | 140–180 | 100–130 | 75–100 | 50–75 |
| 65 kg | 145–185 | 105–135 | 80–105 | 55–80 |
| 70 kg | 150–190 | 110–140 | 85–110 | 60–85 |
| 75 kg | 155–195 | 115–145 | 90–115 | 65–90 |
| 80 kg | 160–200 | 120–150 | 95–120 | 70–95 |
| 85 kg | 165–205 | 125–155 | 100–125 | 75–100 |
| 90 kg | 170–210 | 130–160 | 105–130 | 80–105 |
| 95 kg | 175–215 | 135–165 | 110–135 | 85–110 |
| 100 kg | 180–220 | 140–170 | 115–140 | 90–115 |
| 105 kg | 185–225 | 145–175 | 120–145 | 95–120 |
| 110 kg | 190–230 | 150–180 | 125–150 | 100–125 |
The rule at each level
- First sessions: your weight in kg + 80 to 120 L.
- Getting there: your weight in kg + 40 to 70 L.
- Confident: your weight in kg + 15 to 40 L.
- Expert: your weight in kg, from 10 L under to 15 L over.
Your level
- First sessions: still learning to get up and stay up.
- Getting there: riding, working on turns and transitions.
- Confident: linking runs in most conditions.
- Expert: the smallest board that still gets you going.
Your weight
With your wetsuit on, if you ride in one. Lighter than 50 kg or heavier than 110 kg? The finder works the range out from 35 to 140 kg.
What Fits at 75 kg
First sessions
Getting there
Confident
Across the 857 sizes listed for windsurf boards in the atlas, the middle 80 % run from 78 to 189 L, and half are under 110 L.
The newest at 115–145 L, for a 75 kg rider getting there
- Duotone Ultra FreeWave 2.0 D/LAB Customized 2027 119 L
- Duotone Ultra FreeWave 2.0 SLS 2027 119 L
- Starboard Carve Windsurf Board 2027 130 L
- Starboard Futura Windsurf Board 2027 130 L
- JP Australia Freestyle Wave Pro 2026 124 L
- JP Australia Funster Sport 2026 145 L
- Naish Bullet Freerace 2026 135 L
- Naish Mutant Carbon Sandwich 2026 125 L
What the Brands Say
51 windsurf sizes from Duotone and Starboard come with the brand’s own rider-weight range. At the middle of each range, the chart above puts 1 at First sessions, 26 at Getting there, 19 at Expert and 5 outside every level. A brand knows its own rails and thickness: when its range and the rule disagree, go with the brand.
And 27 more sizes: each board’s page lists its own ranges.
Beyond the Litres
Beginner longboards are long (260–350 cm) with a daggerboard to stop sideways drift in light wind. Freeride boards (230–250 cm, 100–170 L) are built to plane early, slalom boards trade length for wide tails and speed, and wave boards are the smallest, with narrow tails and a rounder rocker for turning on a wave face. Since about 2009 wave boards have carried twin, thruster or quad fins instead of a single fin. Surf magazine's rule of thumb for a first board is volume in litres = body weight + 80–110 for a longboard or + 50–80 for a freeride board, while a wave board's volume roughly matches the rider's weight. Foil boards such as the Olympic iQFOiL are short and very wide (95 cm) because the foil, not the hull, does the work once flying.
At the same volume, a wider board is steadier and easier to start on, a narrower one quicker rail to rail; a long board for its width glides and lifts earlier, a short one turns tighter. The finder’s cards say which is which among the boards at your size.
Questions
What size windsurf board for a beginner?
Your weight in kg + 80 to 120 L: 140–180 L at 60 kg, 155–195 L at 75 kg and 170–210 L at 90 kg. The ranges shrink level by level, so most riders move down a size as they progress.
What size windsurf board for a 60 kg rider?
140–180 L to learn, 100–130 L once riding, 75–100 L once confident and 50–75 L as an expert.
What size windsurf board for a 90 kg rider?
170–210 L to learn, 130–160 L once riding, 105–130 L once confident and 80–105 L as an expert.
Should I go by the brand’s size chart?
When it has one, yes: it knows its own rails and thickness. 51 windsurf sizes in the atlas come with one, listed above.
Is volume the only number that matters?
No: width and length change how a board rides at the same volume (above), and thickness and rails change how it floats. Start from the volume, then pick the shape.
Size charts for other sports