The 8' Verve, aka the soft-top torpedo, is meant to get a beginner up onto their feet and going down the line in their first couple of sessions out on the water. Its wider and thicker profile helps you paddle the board with ease and gets you locked into a wave as early as possible. This is why surf coaches and camps love to use our boards for teaching; the boards make their jobs easier. The premium beginner boards are absolute tanks for surfboards. 90% of soft-top surfboard brands make pretty much the same type of board with no real guts inside the board to help them prepare for the heavy action they are going to take from beginners learning how to surf (aka shallow water, wave slamming board into sand). 3 stingers, 2 6oz fiberglass layers, top and bottom deck covered by bamboo layers to help prevent heat damage and add even more strength to the boards. The custom shapes, materials, and aesthetic designs consistently deliver unrivaled performance & value over any other soft-top surfboards in the world. We make, and will continue to make, better soft-top boards than any one of our "competitors" with significantly better prices, delivered directly to your door in 2-4 days.