Top 10 Groveler Surfboards

Top 10 Grovelers

Whether it’s groveler season or not (well it’s always groveler season for some!) the groveler category is always a monster seller. There is a huge amount of choice out there, almost every surfboard company on earth has a quiver of small/weak waves boards to choose from so we’ve sorted the wheat from the chafe and come up with our Top 10 grovelers to make choosing one a little easier.

We’ve put together a guide to highlight the differences between the boards, who they work best for and in what conditions.

No matter how good you are at surfing a 25 litre shortboard won’t go very well in small waves with no punch to them, get a bboard that works for the type of waves most of us surf 70%+ of the time.

Have a read through and hopefully this information will help you choose the right groveler for you. We help in other ways too! easy to set up 0% finance, our unique online trade in programme as well as custom options for almost all of these boards. Don’t forget our unique 30 Day Ride Out Guarantee, a world first to ensure you never get stuck with a board that doesn’t work for you.

10. Firewire Sweet Potato

When the original Sweet Potato became available over a decade ago now, there was a craze for this shorter, biscuit like, groveler and surfers all over the globe found a new favourite. It came as no surprise to us that when Firewire announced the re-release of the Sweet Potato in the amazing Helium construction, the demand for this board returned. The board has been refined, the huge tail has been pulled in and the rail line updated, its an absolute beauty!

The definition of a groveler is a board to take advantage of the weaker, smaller surf, without sacrificing the ability to perform. That is what the Firewire Sweet Potato will deliver for you.

Available in two excellent construction, Helium and Volcanic this board can be looked at like a mini longboard. It catches everything pretty much but you have to surf it short to get the most out of it, if that sounds like your thing it’s a great choice. The epoxy construction used by Firewire gives great speed and performance, just what you need in a high volume board like this.

9. Son of Cobra Classic Twin

At first glance I hear you cry ‘it’s a Fish’ well yes it is but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t grovel. Paul Lefevre’s incredible design skills mean this boards is loaded with glide which is just what you need in a groveler. Glide carries the speed through weaker sections and allows easier turns. The board develops the speed you’d expect from a twinny and all in all it’s a great small wave option.

It’s a beautiful thing to look at too!

Having a board that is shorter, but with well-proportioned width and thickness,  can ensure you make the most of smaller waves and still have a board that allows you to throw the tail around and turn with ease. Vertical turns would be a stretch but slide lip climbs and skater like turns are heaps of fun on the Classic Twin.

8. Pyzel White Tiger

Inspired and born out of JJF's desire for a super fun, small wave board for the days when he isn't surfing world class waves. After sitting in JJF's garage his brother Ivan took the board and loved it, after this John went on a huge boat trip and took 5 experimental designs with him. His favourite by far was the White Tiger. This led to him and his long-time shaper Jon Pyzel working on the model and the White Tiger came about.

Taking a spin around the Pyzel White Tiger, the outline is a clean and stocky shape. With a wide point that sits right under your chest and a foam distribution keeping volume forward and central, the paddle speed and ability to catch even the smallest waves is a huge strength of the White Tiger. With this, the foam runs out towards the rails, giving a fuller rail but they are also tapered which blends an easy paddling machine with a sensitivity so you can pump and turn the board with consummate ease. Flipping the White Tiger over, starting at the back end, in the tail you find an obvious double concave to vee that runs off the tail. This kicks in on the back third of the board. The top two thirds have a slightly more subtle single to double concave running up the surfboard. This single to double creates speed and lift which feels instant. This is a must have when making a market leading small wave board. The double concave with vee out the tail allows for fast turns, rail to rail surfing and continuous drive too.

Ideal for waves from knee high to head high, the White Tiger is a small wave superstar. It can be sized correctly so that surfers from a super high level, like JJF himself, to surfers looking for their first short board. Another huge strength is the five-fin set up allows for a multitude of feelings when surfing this Pyzel surfboard. As a quad you get even more drive and speed. This is the set up we love! You can use this as a thruster which gives the board a more trusting, predictable feel. It would be ideal with a 5-fin set up, to use a quad in knee to chest high waves and then if its punchy or bigger, use a thruster for control.

Add this to your groveler wish list.

7. Seastix Deckhand

Not everyone wants to surf a board that is a 5’ 8 in small waves so the Deckhand is a slightly different take on what a groveler can be. Some people will say this can’t be classified as a groveler, its too long and not the right shape, we say what does it matter if it maximises your fun in small waves!

This board is loaded with paddle power and is super stable but the clever rocker line and concave set up means you can get it on a rail too and get it turning. If you’re a lower level surfer or someone who doesn’t get in that often and you’re looking for an easy surfing small wave board the Deckhand really does fit the bill.

A little extra length means you can sit a little further out and so improve your chances of a higher wave count in a busy line up.

6. Pyzel Gremlin

Everyone is more than familiar with the Pyzel brand, seeing John John rip the world tour apart, whether this be on his Ghost or Phantom, but what JJF doesn’t ride in the eye of the world is the Gremlin.

Jon Pyzel has created a board that epitomises fun.

The Gremlin has been created and designed using the Pyzel Ghost as a base, but they have packed the Gremlin full of extra volume, made the board wider and shorter and flattened the rocker, by doing this they have created a Groveler that will make you very excited about the long summer surfs in waves that you would usually not get out of bed for.

Took the Gremlin on a trip to North Devon and surfed Puts in windy waist high surf on the first day and head high on the second day and I am not sure I’ve ever had as much fun on a surfboard!

The board is designed to gain speed easily and have great paddle power and that is exactly what you get, but while giving these features, it still lets you turn it hard and throw the board up towards the lip of the wave.

Whenever encountering any flat or slower sections of the wave the board would just breeze over these with consummate ease.

Super stoked on how versatile this board was, paddling into a strong head high wave the board got into the wave incredibly, and then the board allowed me to surf the wave with ultimate fun, going rail to rail and snapping the tail out the top of the wave like a high performance shortboard.

The best thing about the Gremlin, is that when you make mistakes, like digging rails or not being in the correct part of the wave, the board will more than often get you out of trouble.

Pyzel have added to the Ghost family of boards with a perfect groveler that you’ll be keeping in your summer quiver for a long time to come.

5. Lost RNF ‘96

OMG as the kids say! This is a truly special board, maybe the most adaptable short board out there, maybe of all time. It does so many different things for so many different people its incredible.

Does it go in small waves, the answer is yes but it’ll also work in bigger punchier waves which is a bonus, its got a massive wave range for what is a curvy swallow tail shorty.

A little like the Son of Cobra Classic Twin which also appears in this list it has a really easy feeling of glide which is essential in small waves but get on the tail and it turns like a performance shortboard even in weak waves. For a decent surfer still wanting to throw moves this is an excellent grovel option.

4. Lost x Lib Tech Freak Flag Bean Bag

Can a surfboard look more suited for small wave surfing? The Lost Bean Bag is incredible to surf in waves from knee high to chest high.

An outline that can be described as “disk like” , when you surf the Lost Bean Bag you feel like you have all the great attributes of a longboard, with tremendous paddle power and wave catching ability, but the shorter length gives a reduced swing weight, allowing you to pivot and turn the board.

Very little rocker and a low entry rocker means you pick up speed very easily and you can style your way down the face of the smallest of waves.

This is a user friendly groveler that would suit surfers from an intermediate standard, up to experts!

This absolute dream of a board comes in the standard PU construction and the amazing Libtech tech too!

Endorsed by the ambassador of fun himself, Mr Mason Ho, this collaboration between Lost and Lib Tech is the small wave fun board that you need in your quiver!

With the Freak Flag Bean Bag, the basics of the board has been taken for the original Lost Bean Bag, but they have tweaked certain boards, to, in my opinion, improve the boards performance. The outline and rocker have been kept the same and the biggest change made is the step in wing on the tail, and the more pulled in round tail.

Get one to light up the smaller weaker waves you may encounter!

3. Harley Ingleby Thunderbolt Moe Mini

Thunderbolt built surfboards are a step ahead of anyone else in the epoxy game, lightweight, super tough and most importantly surf so well. There is a new genre of boards which is championed by HI and Thunderbolt, the Mini Mid Length…all the benefits of a mid length but with extra performance. The Mini Moe is born from the Moe mid length which is awesome, this shorter size range brings a new dimension to the model.

Epic paddling and wave catching combined with the ability to get the board on a rail even in longboard conditions. The TB construction gives you the added zip you expect from the best epoxy construction which enables a higher level of performance.

2. CORD Humbucker

CORD surfboards have been around since the very earliest days of surfboard building and you can see and almost feel the heritage and knowledge that goes into the shape of these boards. The Humbucker literally does it all and has it all. So much detail in the design and usability to match, its one of our all time favourite boards.

Paddle power even in weak waves…tick

Glide and ability to carry speed…tick

Fun when on a rail…tick

Makes you look a better surfer than you actually are…tick

The Humbucker will look after you in 70-80% of the waves you’re likely to come across in the UK and beyond.

1. Lost Puddle Jumper

The Lost Puddle Jumper is one of our best-selling boards for a reason and is the benchmark for all grovellers!

Based on the basic outline of the Bottom Feeder, but with reversed bottom and rocker curves the board’s wide template makes wave catching simple and maintain down the line glide and stability.

Shaping the board as a groveler and giving it a short wide design ensures that you get maximum stability when riding the Puddle Jumper, and this also is a key contributor in how the board can accelerate like not many others.

"This is the best small wave board I have ever ridden. I have never made a claim like that about any board before,” said Matt Biolos.

The Puddle Jumper is available in a variety of constructions – Lost PU, Lost Carbon Wrap and Lib Tech x Lost constructions.

The Lost carbon wrap is designed to increase drive and allow positive tail flex providing a lively, next level performance-based board that will propel your surfing into the next level, adding speed without stiffening up the performance.

The Lib Tech construction has improved of the last couple of years, no question but the speed, and flex of the Carbon Wrap is better for the seasoned surfer.

The Lost x Libtech Puddle Jumpers are high performance surfboards with all the positive attributes of a traditional PU board but with none of the inherent fragility that comes with this construction.

The Libtech construction is great if you plan on travelling with this board!

 

Nearly all the team here at Boardshop have ridden the Puddle Jumper at least once, and we all share a common opinion that when we are looking for a groveler to surf, the Puddle Jumper is always a serious contender.

So that hopefully has given you a strong insight into the grovelers and why we have rated these in the Top 10.

All of the team here have at least one of these in our quivers, Roger has all of these along with 25 others!

These boards are changing the groveler game and are making people open their eyes to looking away from their trusted board and changing over and re-inventing the possibilities they have when jumping into the waist high mush or shoulder high clean lines.

Don’t forget why you buy your boards at Boardshop, we surf these boards, we don’t stock the boards we don’t feel work (there are a few believe us!) we offer the boards we would buy and surf.

Our online custom board builder, 0% finance option, unique 30 day Ride Out Guarantee, and Trade In service mean you don’t need to go anywhere else.