Buying a used surfboard on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist: use the liters

Keiller · October 16, 2026

If you read my first post, you know I bought my first fish off Facebook Marketplace without knowing it was a fish. It was a 6'2 Rusty Dwart, and because it was a bit longer, I thought it was going to be my step-up for Ocean Beach. It turned out to be 39 liters, and it took a better, more seasoned surfer calling it a fish for me to figure out what I actually had. I tell the rest of that story in my fish volume post, so I won't repeat it here.

It worked out for me, but it easily could have gone the other way. A used board is a great way to save some money, but it's also really easy to end up with the wrong board. Here's how I'd go about it now.

Find the liters first

Length is usually the first thing in the listing, and it's the least useful number. My Dwart is 6'2, which sounds like a step-up, but it's 39 liters, which is way more foam than my 31 liter Hypto Krypto. Length alone tells you very little.

So before anything else, find the volume:

Look at the board. A lot of boards have the dimensions and liters written on the stringer or on the bottom near the tail.
Ask the seller. If it's not in the listing, just ask. If they don't know, ask for a clear photo of the stringer and the bottom.
Look up the model. If you know the brand and model, the shaper's website will usually list the volume for each size.

Compare it to your range

Once you have the liters, put your weight, how often you surf, and the waves you ride into the Setwave calculator. That gives you a range that should actually work for you.

If a board is way outside your range, it doesn't really matter how good the deal is. I can't surf as often as I'd like, so I try to make the most of it by training and making sure I'm on the right equipment. A cheap board that doesn't catch waves for you isn't really a deal.

Know the model and what it's made for

Two boards with the same liters can feel completely different, which I get into in my last post. So once the volume checks out, figure out what the board was actually designed for.

Search the model and read the shaper's description. Is it a high performance shortboard made for good surf, a fish or groveler made for small, weak waves, or a step-up made for bigger, more powerful surf? The Dwart is a good example. Going by length, it looked like a step-up, but it's really built more like a fish.

Then think about where you'll actually ride it. If you're mostly surfing closeouts and mush like Linda Mar, a pulled-in board built for perfect surf probably isn't going to help you much.

Check the board in person

Photos can hide a lot, so I'd always see the board before handing over any money. Here's what I'd look for:

Dings and cracks. Look closely at the rails, nose, and tail. Small dings are pretty normal on a used board, but you want to know if they've been fixed, and if they've been fixed well.
Delamination. This is when the fiberglass starts separating from the foam. It usually looks like a bubble or a soft, wrinkly spot, a lot of the time where your feet go.
Soft spots. Press gently around the deck and the bottom. If something feels squishy, the foam underneath might be damaged.
Pressure dents. Some dents on the deck from your feet and chest are normal. Deep dents or creases are a different story, especially around the stringer.
Yellowing. Older boards and boards left in the sun get yellow over time. That's mostly cosmetic and not always a dealbreaker. Brown or dark patches are different, since that can mean water got into the foam.
Fin boxes. Check that the boxes aren't cracked, loose, or pulling away from the board, and that fins actually fit and lock in.

Ask the seller the right questions

Before you meet up, I'd ask:

What's the volume, and what are the exact dimensions?
How old is the board, and how often was it ridden?
Has it had any repairs, and who did them?
Has it ever taken on water?
Do fins come with it?
Why are you selling it?

That last one can tell you a lot. If someone says it was too small for them, too big for them, or just not right for their waves, that's useful info for you too.

Don't let the deal pick the board

The easy mistake is buying a board because it's there and the price looks right, then figuring out what it is later. I definitely did the figuring-out-later part. Start with your range, then look at the model and what it's made for, then check the board itself. If it passes all three, go for it.

Find your range

Put in your weight, how often you surf, and the waves you ride. The Setwave calculator gives a documented volume range and shows every adjustment.

Calculate my volume