The difference is that calculating the exact volume of a surfboard is much more complicated than knowing the volume of a box. A surfboard has a different width and thickness from nose to tail. It has curves, concaves, convexes, etc. See more…. In the past, you had Vardag sink the surfboard in a bath to see how much water the surfboard had displaced.
Surfboard volumes are still measured in cubic litres. If you look closely on your surfboard, you might see a number volym of a surfboard your surfboard, usually close to the stringer. Understanding volume is the best way for you to evaluate how big your surfboards really are.
A surfboard might look big, have a lot of width, thickness and length, but still not have much volume. In fact, two boards can have the exact same dimensions but have different volumes see example below. As you can see on this example above, these two surfboards have the same length, the same width and the same thickness, but have very different volumes.
As you look towards the nose and the tail, surfboards have different widths and thicknesses. Because it determines how buoyant the board is. How much you float on your surfboard changes everything: how fast you paddle, how the board turns, how many waves you catch, how the board keeps its speed in weaker waves, etc.
Floating more means you will paddle faster, catch waves faster with less effort, and surf faster down the line. Once you have enough experience to start doing turns and manoeuvers, you realize that bigger boards are harder to move around.
Advanced surfers will find it harder to go from edge to edge on a board that floats too much for their skill level. It makes it difficult to dig a rail in the water when carving. Less foam means slower paddling and surfing. This makes it harder to catch waves.
To ride small surfboards, you need the experience to catch waves later, at a steeper stage. Because volume directly affects your floatation, you need the right volume to provide proper buoyancy in the water. Factors like the skill level and typical conditions surfed in need to be considered.
Without generalizing, it is safe to say that there are a lot more beginner-intermediate surfers that ride boards that do not have enough volume for their experience level, than surfers that ride boards with too much volume. For the first few years of your surfing progression, extra volume practically only has benefits: you catch more waves, paddle faster, surf faster, enjoy more stability and make it through sections to surf waves for longer amounts of time.
Learning on a bigger board forces you to have proper technique when you want to turn your surfboard. Because it is bigger, you really need to think about how you use your upper body and how you transfer your weight around.