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I’ll be straight with you. I bodysurf without a hand plane most of the time. Hands only, the way it was meant to be done.
But I’ve tried enough body surfing hand planes over the years to know which ones are worth your money, and there are a handful that genuinely do what they claim. If you’re going to use one, use a good one.
Here’s my honest rundown of the best ones available right now, and an equally honest answer to the question that should come first: do you actually need one?
What Is a Body Surfing Hand Plane?
A hand plane (you’ll also see it written handplane, or called a hand board or a body surfing board) is a small board, roughly the size of your palm, that you strap to your lead hand when bodysurfing. It generates lift as you ride, bringing more of your body to the surface and cutting drag. The result is more speed, more control, and longer rides.
Think of it as the minimal equipment option. A small concession to physics that makes a real difference, especially in weaker surf or for beginners still building their wave-catching ability.
The body surfing hand plane isn’t new, either. Surfers have been shaping them out of scrap timber since at least the mid-twentieth century, and the design has been traced back to Hawaii long before anyone was selling them. What’s changed is the materials, not the idea.
Do You Need a Hand Plane to Body Surf?
No. And I want to spend a bit of time on this before we get to the shopping, because it’s the question people should be asking and it’s the one every gear review skips.
Bodysurfing is the only wave riding sport where the equipment is genuinely optional. Every good bodysurfer you’ll ever watch can catch waves with nothing at all. A hand plane is a tool, not a requirement, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something.
What it actually changes
A hand plane gives you planing surface where you previously had a flat hand. That extra lift does three things. It gets your chest and shoulders higher out of the water, which reduces drag and makes you faster. It lets you catch waves marginally earlier, because you need less wave energy to get going. And it gives you something to steer with, so you can hold a line across the face instead of getting dumped straight down.
In small, gutless surf that difference is enormous. On a two foot summer day where you’d otherwise be swimming hard and missing everything, a hand plane turns a frustrating session into a decent one.
Why I’d still tell you to wait
Here’s the problem. The skills that make you a good bodysurfer are wave selection, timing your take-off, and holding your body in the right shape once you’re on the wave. A hand plane papers over weakness in all three.
If you learn with one, you’ll catch more waves sooner and you’ll learn slower. You’ll be getting into waves that your positioning didn’t really earn, which means you never find out what good positioning feels like. I’ve watched people bodysurf with a hand plane for two seasons and still not be able to catch a wave without it.
Learn the sport first. Then add the tool, and it’ll take you somewhere new instead of propping you up.
When to buy one anyway
Fair’s fair, there are good reasons to get one now rather than later:
- Your local is soft and mushy most of the year. Waiting to earn it is a nice idea, but not if the waves won’t cooperate.
- You can already catch waves reliably with your hands and you want more speed.
- You’re taking someone out who has never bodysurfed and you want them to have fun rather than swallow water for an hour.
- You’re going somewhere with proper waves for a week and you want to make the most of it.
Quick Comparison
| Hand Plane | Best For | Material | Made In |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAW Badfish | All round | Recycled ocean plastic | Australia |
| Hydro Body Surfer Pro | Budget | Moulded plastic | Not stated |
| Ecto Moon Rider | Performance | Recycled PP plastic | Australia |
| WAW TimberFish | Premium feel | Australian white cedar | Australia |
The Best Body Surfing Hand Planes
A note on how this list works. I’ve used the WAW and Ecto boards myself. The budget option I’ve assessed on construction and reviews rather than my own sessions, and I say so where that applies rather than pretending otherwise.
One warning that applies to this whole category. Hand planes are a niche product and Amazon stock on them is thin and unreliable, mostly small third-party sellers with a handful of units. If a link below has gone dead by the time you read this, that’s why, and the makers’ own sites are the more dependable route.
1. WAW Badfish – Best Overall
The WAW Badfish is made in Australia from plastic waste collected from the Great Barrier Reef. Every hand plane contains the equivalent of one shopping bag worth of ocean plastic, cleaned, shredded and moulded into a proper piece of surf equipment.
It’s a great all-rounder. The concave provides solid lift, the bio rubber strap fits all hand sizes, and it’s compact enough to throw in any bag. Australian-made, ocean-positive, and it actually works.
Best for: All levels, beginners through to experienced bodysurfers.
Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, or buy the Badfish direct from wawhandplanes.com.au
2. Hydro Body Surfer Pro – Best Budget Option
Around US$50 and the cheapest thing here I’d actually put my name to. Moulded plastic, a velcro strap, a wrist leash, and it weighs almost nothing at about 180 grams.
What you’re buying at this price is the answer to a question: do you even like riding with a hand plane? Some people try one and never go back to hands-only. Others use it twice and leave it in the boot. Fifty dollars is a sensible amount to spend finding out, and if you love it you’ll know exactly what to look for when you upgrade.
Don’t expect it to feel like the WAW. The plastic is stiffer, the finish is basic, and it won’t hold a rail through a fast section the way a properly shaped board does. It doesn’t need to. It gets you lift and it costs less than a tank of fuel.
I haven’t ridden this one myself. I’m going on the construction, the strap system, and a solid run of reviews from people using it in real surf.
Best for: Finding out whether a hand plane is for you before spending real money.
Where to buy: Check price on Amazon
3. Ecto Moon Rider – Best Performance
The Ecto Moon Rider was designed by Chris Anderson, the 2025 IBSA World Bodysurfing Champion, who took the title at Point Cartwright on the Sunshine Coast. That’s about as close to home as it gets for me.
Made in Sydney from 100% recycled plastic, the Moon Rider has hard rail edges, a curved concave, and a moon tail that gives you serious grip into the wave face. It’s a proper performance board and it rewards someone who already knows what they’re doing.
Best for: Bodysurfers who can already catch waves without one.
Where to buy: ectohandplanes.com (no affiliate programme, I earn nothing on this)
4. WAW TimberFish – Best Premium Option
If you want something with a bit more soul, the TimberFish is WAW’s timber model. Made from sustainably sourced Australian white cedar, naturally buoyant, and beautiful in the water. For every TimberFish sold, WAW plants a native tree.
It performs exceptionally well. The timber flex adds a subtle responsiveness you don’t get from plastic, and it’s the one I reach for when I want something that feels connected to the wave.
Best for: Experienced bodysurfers who want premium materials.
Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, or buy the TimberFish direct from wawhandplanes.com.au
How to Choose a Body Surfing Hand Plane
Five things decide whether a body surfing hand plane suits you, and price is the least important of them.
Size. Most hand planes are one size, designed to sit across your palm. Bigger isn’t automatically better. More surface area means more lift, but also more drag when you’re swimming and more board to fight when you get rolled.
Material. Timber has a natural feel and needs more care. Recycled plastic is durable and low maintenance. Foam floats best and is the friendliest option in a crowd. If sustainability matters to you, both WAW and Ecto use recycled or reclaimed materials.
Strap system. Look for a fully adjustable strap. Your hand position on the board changes how much lift you generate, so being able to fine-tune the fit matters more than it sounds. A wrist leash is worth having too, unless you enjoy swimming after things.
Budget. Entry-level hand planes start around $40. Quality Australian-made options like WAW and Ecto sit in the $80 to $130 range and are worth it if you’ll use one regularly. Prices move, so check before you buy.
One or two. One. You ride with your lead hand, and a board on both hands just makes swimming harder.
My Pick
If I’m recommending one body surfing hand plane, it’s the WAW Badfish. Australian-made, ocean positive, well-priced, and it performs. If you’re just testing whether a hand plane is for you at all, the Hydro Body Surfer Pro does the job for a fraction of the money.
But honestly? Get comfortable bodysurfing without one first. When you can catch waves consistently with your hands, a hand plane will take your riding somewhere new. Until then, you’re just borrowing lift you haven’t earned yet.
Once you’ve sorted a board, fins are the other thing that changes everything, and there’s more in the gear hub.