13 of The Biggest Bodyboard Brands

If you're just getting into bodyboarding, you're likely confused about all the brands out there. You may be thinking, "Which boards are good? Which boards are not so good? Which bodyboards are best for me?"

In this article, we're going to dive into some of the top bodyboarding manufacturers today, and which brands best suit you based on skill level. So let's jump right in!

Before starting out, you're going to want to take a look at your size and your ride style. There are lots of different core types and features that can greatly influence a board's ability to perform well and each configuration has its own strengths and weaknesses. To find the best board type for you, you can check out our guide to bodyboards here. Additionally, for board sizing, you can check out our size guide, or automatically calculate the right size with our board size calculator.

The Best Bodyboard Brands

Nowadays, there's a bunch of bodyboard brands out there. But there are a few that stick out.

Morey

You can't talk about bodyboarding without mentioning Tom Morey. Tom Morey invented what he called the "boogie board" back in the 1970s, named after his love of music. To this day, the Morey name still is respected throughout the bodyboarding community. Nowadays, Morey is owned by Wham-O, but they're still a producer of some of the best bodyboards for beginners and offer a solid selection of boards for more advanced riders as well. One of Morey's most recognized boards, the Morey Mach 7, a board that continues to hold true to its roots since the 1980s.

Catch Surf

Fairly recently, in 2007, Tom Morey decided to join up with Catch Surf, a company out of San Clemente, California. Tom had some new technology for what he called "soft boards", combining features of soft surfboards with the performance of hard surfboards. Together with Tom Morey, Catch Surf has been innovating quite a bit in both the bodyboarding and soft-top surfboard space.

BZ

We can't mention Tom Morey, however, without mentioning BZ. BZ was started by an original Morey employee, Bobby Szabad. Bobby was not only a backyard employee of Morey's, but one of Morey's first team riders as well. He set out on his own to create a high-performance bodyboard brand, and BZ was born. To date, BZ is known for a bunch of advanced bodyboard models, most notably, the Fundamental. BZ is also now owned by Wham-O, allowing its advanced boards to be available to the masses.

Custom X

But BZ wasn't the only board brand to come out of the original Morey team. Debbie Colwell was another original Morey employee, starting in 1976. She went on to create Custom X in 1987. Custom X has become a major name in pro bodyboarding, offering some of the highest-quality boards available today.

Science

You can't speak about pro bodyboard brands without mentioning Science Bodyboards. Invented by nine-time world champion bodyboarder Mike Stewart, Science boards have been held in high regards by pro bodyboarders and new riders alike. Stewart uses what he calls "real time innovation" to drive his board innovation, by offering boards that work for him in the water. This has resulted in some of the best-performing bodyboards available today.

Pride Bodyboards

Pride Bodyboards, known as one of the few popular European brands in the US, was started back in the '90s by founder Imanol Arrizabalaga. With the goal of creating handcrafted boards packed with features, Pride has become one of the largest manufacturers of handmade bodyboards.

Hubboards

Started in 2013 and based out of Vista, California, Hubboards has been seriously innovating in the bodyboarding industry for a few years. Started by team riders Jeff and Dave Hubbard, they set out to create some of the most refined and technologically-advanced boards available. Most notably with recent additions of ISS Stringers (you can learn about the ISS stringer system here), Hubboards offers some of the highest quality boards available, and are respected by even the most experienced bodyboarders.

Hardy Shapes

A popular Australian bodyboard brand, Hardy Shapes was invented by Ryan Hardy and Todd Quigley. The two work together, utilizing their 20+ years of experience to develop some of the most advanced boards available. With the knowledge of professional bodyboarder Ryan Hardy and the shaping expertise of Todd Quigley, they've combined custom shaping with some of the best materials available to offer some serious performance.

No. 6

Based out of Irvine, California, No. 6 was started in 2002 to help support their local surf shops and fill them with what they needed: bodyboards! No. 6 has made a lot of innovations in the fields of proprietary board materials, notably in core materials and stringer technology.

Manta

Started in 1985, Manta is an Australian board brand whose original goal was to create boards that supported any wave type, size or shape. Today, Manta continues to offer a range of bodyboards, for nearly all experience types and wave types. They continue to innovate in bodyboarding and additionally have expanded into wetsuits, fins, leashes, and board bags.

NMD

NMD started in New Zealand in 1999, shipping custom-made mail order boards. They quickly expanded, and set their goals on designing the highest performance boards in the industry. NMD continues to work with some of the most talented bodyboarders out there to analyze feedback and refine their boards. This has allowed them to continue innovating, designing and building some of the highest-performing boards available today.

Empire

Based out of San Clemente, California, Empire was started in 2005. Empire offers one of the largest ranges of bodyboards, making boards for anyone from the newer rider all the way up to the pro bodyboarder.

VS Bodyboards

In 2006, VS Bodyboards, also known as The Versus Project, set out to combine the best shapers in the industry with the knowledge of the most skilled bodyboarders. The result has been some of the most technically-advanced, high-performance boards on the market.

Know of a top bodyboarding brand we missed? Hit us up and we'll add it to the list!