Step-up refers to a small step up in length from your everyday board. Usually anything from an inch to four inches, with similar width’s, but a little extra thickness, which’ll help you scratch into the faster-paced water, tapered rails and a thinner foiled tail, with a little bit more rocker, a more balanced foil and outline to hold a line and give you confidence.

A step-up comes into play when you no longer need to generate speed on a wave, but when you need to control your speed on a wave. For most waves, surfboards are designed for generating speed and allowing you to turn. Step-ups – and guns – are designed to manage speed and power. Which is a whole different approach to a surfboard.

A step-up should be a transition from your most frequently ridden daily board. If you ride a high-performance shortboard, then your step-up should be high-performance as well. If you ride a fish or wider/hybrid type board on a daily basis, then you want to stick to a ‘hybrid step-up’.

Step-up’s are all about confidence and every serious surfer should have a step-up in their quiver.