For some reason, surfboards are most often labelled by their length. On our social media posts, we are guilty of it too, often casually referring to a board as a 7’6 mini-mal, or 6’8 mid length. It’s also more common now to label a board with length and volume, for example 7’2 and 51 Litres. 

Sometimes ignoring shape all together, people rely heavily on these two digits to decide if the board is right for them.

It’s also important to understand how thick a board is, where this thickness is distributed, and the width of a board and where that widest point is.

As is usual with the free flowing nature of surfing, mid length surfboards have evolved and aren’t as easily categorised as they used to be. Egg surfboards, funboards and hybrid surfboards could be referred to as mid lengths - there’s even been the introduction of ‘performance mid lengths’ and a ‘mini mid length’ category.

Mini-mal, minimal or mini Malibu surfboards have been around since the 60s. Ask anyone what you should learn or improve your surfing on and they will say without thinking, get a mal. 

But what really are they and who are they for?

A common question we get asked here at Hand Laid Eggs: Does my new board need a tail pad? 

So whether you've just ordered a performance mid length, minimal, or fish surfboard - here's everything you need to know about surfboard traction pads, and whether one belongs on your deck.

Is my surfboard broken? Not sure if that crack, ding, or soft spot means your board is damaged? In this blog our shaper Max shows you if your surfboard is broken, the most common surfboard damage, and when you need a surfboard ding repair.

Coming together to make a sea glass encased surfboard, Teylu Collective and Hand Laid Eggs have combined their passions and created what is understood to be a world’s first in the surf and art community.

How to surf France on a budget. In this guide, Max, our board shaper at Hand Laid Eggs, shows you how to score waves on the continent, without it costing half a dozen.

Let our surf coach and board shaper/designer, Max, talk you through the process..