Understanding Surfboard Shapes
I’m coming back to write this intro after I’ve written the rest of this post just to say this is a bit of a long read. However, if you want to truly understand the different aspects of surfboard shapes, I really think we provided all the information you’ll need. We cover the different aspects of a surfboard shape including the rocker, the nose, the rails, the tail, and the contours. We also offer a bit of insight into common surfboard shapes/styles.
I think that finding the right surfboard shape really takes time. I have read so much over the years about the different shapes and fin setups, but it isn’t until I’ve actually tried a board on my local waves that I’ve gotten a feel for how it works for me. I do have different boards for different waves/conditions, and take different boards on different trips.
Surfboard Volume
Before getting into the individual shapes of different surfboards, it's important to have a little discussion about volume. Volume is an important metric to consider as it impacts many aspects of the board's performance. More volume generally means more float or bouyancy, more stability, more wave-catching ability, and easier paddling. However, higher volume boards may have less maneuverability.
The volume of a surfboard is simply its water displacement. That is, if you stick the board in a big full tub of water, how much water will spill over when you submerge it. It's a product of the length, width, and thickness. More beginner-friendly surfboards will have more volume, helping individuals learn to pop up and build balance on the board. As you progress, you may want to consider dropping down in volume slightly.
Furthermore, because of the bouyancy, you want to consider volume when looking at the waves you have available. Where I live, the waves are generally a bit mushy. We get a lot of days in the 2-4' range, so I want a board with a good amount of volume. I have a fish that comes in around 38L, but I often take out my 51.9L Harley Ingleberry Moe in those waves. The increased volume makes it way easier to catch the mushy waist-high waves.
The last thing I'll say about volume is not to get stuck on it. I think a lot of beginner surfers don't pay attention to surfboard design and just focus on the volume of their board. You have to look at things like the stringer, nose shapes, tail shapes, and how you want to surf. For example, my 7'4" HI Moe is 51.9L and my 6" Firewire Sweet Potato is 51L. There is over a foot difference in length, and they surf completely differently. Don't get stuck on volume!
Aspects of Surfboard Shape
So let’s get into it! I haven’t listed these items in any specific order, so don’t take the ordering as a reflection of their importance. In fact, the idea is that all of the different characteristics of a surfboard work together to create a unique feel.
The Rocker
So let's start with the rocker. Why? I don't know! But it's an important part of the board and one that many beginner surfers don't look at much. It's not quite as obvious as other parts of the board like tail shape. The rocker is essentially the curvature of the board from the nose to tail.
More rocker (or more curve) is meant to be used in steeper and hollower waves. Less rocker, or a flat rocker, is meant for smaller or mushier waves. Many beginner surfboards and grovelers also have fairly flat rockers (my Sweet Potato being a great example).
Flatter rockers help you mantain speed easily going straight down the line, paddle faster to catch more waves, and generally offer more stability. However, you will sacrificie a bit of maneuverability and performance. You also may nose-dive or pearl more as you take off on steeper waves. Generally speaking, beginner-friendly boards will have flatter rockers, while more performance-oriented boards will have a steeper rocker.
Rockers may also not be uniform all the way through. More nose rocker will help prevent nose dives, give you more maneuverability off the lip and in critical parts of the wave, and can help you move through more choppy parts. It also will be slower in general, and harder to catch waves.
Tail rocker will also slow you down a bit and make it harder to catch waves. But it will greatly increase your maneuverability as you can really pivot off that back foot. Similar to nose rocker, it will help you avoid pearling. I actually think tail rocker is more important in avoiding pearling than nose rocker personally.
The Nose
On to the nose, or front of the board. Everyone seems to have a different opinion of what the nose is, but I'll say its the top "portion" of your board. Not a specific measurement or amount of inches, just the top part. The nose of the board impacts paddle power, maneuverability, duck diving, and how the board catches waves.
Generally, more rounded noses will provide more float and more paddle power, while sharper noses are more for performance and sacrifice paddling power. Broad noses are more bouyant as they provide more volume up front. Ths is helpful for beginners, in smaller waves, and in mushier waves. You can also get into waves earlier with a more rounded nose. Nose-riders and logs will often have wider and rounder noses compared to high peformance surfboards.
In the photo below, you can see a few different styles of surfboard noses. The blue one (second-to-left) has a relatively sharp nose. This is more of a performance board, and is common on shorter boards. The WSS board (second-to-right) has the fasttest, widest nose. This is more of a small wave board or beginner-friendly board. It will likely have less maneuverability than the blue board as well. And the far right board you can see what the middle of the spectrum looks like. It's not too sharp, not too rounded!
The Rails
The rail shape is something more subtle than the nose shape, but super important. The rails are the sides of your board, where the top meets the bottom. Running the entire length of the board, rails also dictate how bouyant and maneuverable the board will be. We're going to talk about two aspects of the rail shape: soft vs hard rails and foils.
Soft rails are rails that are more common on longboards, mid-lengths or funboards, or beginner boards. You also might find them on fish boards and some grovelers. They perform better in mushy waves and gutless conditions, providing more float and paddle power. However, if you sink a big soft rail into the water on a turn, you're going to bog and go down.
Harder rails are more commonly foundon high performance surfboards. With a more defined and sharper edge, they give you the ability to really dig the rail into the water on turns and get the bite on the wave face needed for sharper and more controlled turns. It also will hold much better in critical sections of the wave.
In addition, you might see the term rail foils used. The foil is essentially how curved downward the rail is. So a 50/50 rail is like the soft rail above. The example of the hard rail above is about a 60/40, while even higher performance boards can go up to 80/20. With higher foil like 80/20, you're moving into high performance surfing only. Beginner and intermediate boards will have a more even rail foil.
Boards may also not have a uniform rail up and down the board. Rails may be harder in the back toward the tail to provide more maneuverability while keeping thicker and softer rails toward the middle to provide float and stability. Thicker and softer rails will help you paddle and catch waves, but the thinner and harder rails will help you move your board.
The Tail
Surfboard tails come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are for big waves, some are for maneuverability, some are for those rail to rail turns, and some simply provide stability. Tails are a personal choice. You have to find what works for you. I'll cover a few common surfboard tail shapes, but I've seen boards in all kinds of shapes that may be somewhere between these more common shapes.
Before getting into the specific shapes, let's consider what the dimensions or shape may do. Wider tails generally offer more stability and float. A wide tail also gives you faster planing speed, or the speed of acceleration as you paddle for and catch a wave. A narrower tail will have less float and planing speed, but allow rail to rail movement more easily.
A rounded tail holds the water, which gives more control and flow over the board. A sharper tail with harder angles actually releases more water. This gives you a snappier feel to the board. Generally, rounder tails are better for carving open wave faces, while a more angled tail will help you get your snaps in with the punchier waves.
Squash Tail
The squash tail, or square tail, is probably the most common tail shape on today's performance shortboards. It has two relatively square edges that give the board some release. It's a spectrum of course, but the squash tail is essentially a happy medium between a more pin tail and a rounded tail.
Round Tail
Round tails generally feel relatively loose. They help surfers make longer and more drawn out turns and carves. You'll see them on some shortboards, and they are especially common on mid-length surfboards and funboards. You won't get great snaps with these tails, but you can hold your speed well through turns.
Swallow or Fish Tail
A fish tail is essentially a double pin tail. By keeping the tail wide and offering more points of bite, the fish is a popular tail choice for smaller and gutless surf. I actually surf a swallow tail board myself and absolutely love it. They work well in smaller waves while still providing the ability to generate speed through the slow sections.
Pin Tail
Pin tails are definitely more common on bigger-wave boards. They have the most speed and hold of any surfboard tail shape here, so they're often used in step up boards. The sacrifice of course is the maneuverability. However, for big-wave surfing, holding your line is the most important aspect, not sharp snapbacks.
Asymmetrical Tail
Finally, there are boards with asymmetrical tails. I honestly have never seen one in the water. I've seen them at board shops, but never being used. The idea is that you are either goofy footed or regular footed, and generally riding lefts or rights. The asymmetrical tail is designed to really work with what you're working with!
Bottom Contours
The last piece I want to cover that is actually the shape of the board is the contour of the bottom. This is something many people, especially beginners, may not pay attention to. But the bottom contour of your board makes a big difference in how it handles. The contour is the shape of the bottom of the board, and may differ from the tail to the nose.
More flat concaves add speed but sacrifice performance. Many beginner surfboards will be relatively flat on bottom as turning isn’t quite happening yet. They plane well but are not easy to turn and move around. Many boards will provide a flat section somewhere under the chest to help make catching waves easier.
Other than your flats, you may have a single or double concave. Generally single concave offers a bit more lift and speed, while a double concave board will provide some control through turns.
You also might have vee or rounded hulls, when the concave actually sticks down into the water the other way. This is more common on longboards, and helps move from rail to rail and provide some ability to turn on such a large board.
Common Surfboard Shapes
With all of these aspects of the surfboard shape to consider, I thought I’d offer a few more general surfboard shapes to get to know. There are boards that fall in between these categories, and boards that combine aspects of multiple. But here are a few classic and/or common surfboard shapes.
Performance Shortboards
First, we have the high-performance shortboard. These are generally the shortest boards (hence the name) and provide the most maneuverability. They may need solid conditions to work in, or people may use a fish variety for smaller waves.
Grovellers
These are relatively short boards meant for small waves. My Firewire Sweet Potato is a great example of a groveller, as is the Lost Puddle Jumper. These small boards pack a bunch of volume by increasing width and thickness. They’re a bit fatter in the nose and tail, but still short enough to practice your turns. Depending on the type of break, grovellers can be a great thing to have in your quiver for the smaller days.
Guns and Step-Ups
Guns are surfboards used for big wave surfing. They generally have a relatively pinned out tail and are long and skinny. Step-ups are similar but generally slightly smaller. These are both boards for advanced surfers looking to catch massive waves.
Mid-Lengths
The name here kinda gives it away. Mid lengths cover a bunch of different common surfboard shapes including funboards, eggs, mini-mals, and hybrids. These are boards that aren’t quite longboards, but also aren’t short enough to be performance boards. My HI Moe is 7’4” and a lovely mid-length. I can turn it well, but still catch plenty of small waves with ease. I like to think of it as an alternative to a groveler when I don’t want to have to work as hard.
Longboards
Longboards are boards that are… long. There are different types of longboards like logs or noseriders meant for different things. Generally, the length of the board makes catching waves super easy, although you won’t be able to snap these boards around. They work super well in mushy or gutless surf!
Soft Tops and Foamies
If you’re just learning to start surfing, this is where you’ll likely start. Soft tops and foamies are boards with soft tops to help prevent damage to the board, other surfers, or yourself. They offer a safer way to get in the water than a hard-top board, and many people stay on foamies for their first year or so of surfing!
More Posts
