Why does the Silver Surfer need a board to fly?

If this has been done before, forgive me, I am new to the forums. Anyway: if the Silver Surfer is so powerful in so many ways, why does he need a board to fly? Comics have repeatedly shown him falling when the board's been kicked out from under him, but inconsistencies have abounded (eg, when Doom stole his powers, and a house blew up around him, he was seen hovering over the hole; the Surfer has levitated pyramids with "degravity thrusts"; he has fired blasts from his hands to propel himself; etc, etc). My main "theories" on this (and this will not necessarily jive with what has been otherwise shown or stated in the comics) are as follows...
1) The Surfer can fly without his board but chooses not to. Why use his own power when he can use the board's, especially for interstellar/warp transit?
2) This was Galactus' way of keeping him from being too powerful.
3) The SS needs a surfboard, by definition, and that's just the way it is, don't ask stupid questions, just deal with it.
I've also always wanted to know why the Hulk never bursts his pants off, but that can be for another time.

It's #1, just like Galactus doesn't need his technology to devour the life-energy of worlds, but he does it anyway to not waste hi own energies.

i'ts number 1

and to know why hulk's pants doesn't come of go down to the hulk forum and look for the thread

as to why hulks pants don't bust off, well I think you can guess why

because then kids under a certain age wouildnt be allowed to purchase these comics

3

Surfer can fly without the board, but needs it to go at his highest speed, does he not? Plus, its pretty effective for defensive and offensive purposes - once drove it right into Firelord, smacking him across the galaxy. But the board is completely under his control. Anyone takes it, it comes back at his calling.

He cant fly without it. Lightspeed or otherwise.

Number 3 Come you've got to keep your gimmick