Surfers are super particular about what they ride, in the water that is. (They usually have the worst cars/bikes) I am not a surfer… so take what I write with a grain of salt. But I hear that typical fiberglass boards only last 18-24 months whereas a balsa board can last up to ten years.
Check out BJ Surf Shop where you can customize your board down to the wood types, number of fins, fin size, etc…