Your Guide To Surfboard Design

The first thing you need to know when learning about surfboards is surfboard design.  Lets start by taking a look at the many specifications, measurements and aspects of a surfboard with my surfboard design guide.

Surfboard Length

The first thing you will notice about surfboard design is that some surfboards are long or taller than others.  This is called surfboard length and is the measurement from the nose of the surfboard to the tail of the surfboard.

The length of a surfboard is the most influence aspect of surfboard design that will have an effect on the type of surfboard you decide to buy.  This measure will be influenced by your surfing ability, your height and the type of waves you intend to surf.

The longer a surfboard is the easier it will be to paddle and the easier you will catch waves.  This means that if you are a beginner surfer you will want to get a surfboard that is longer than what a professional surfer would ride.  Many surfers start of their surf career on a longboard.

Also the taller you are the more surfboard length you will need.  This is because if the surfboard is too short you will find that the nose of the board will go under the water when you are trying to catch waves and you’ll never get a chance to stand up and ride.

Professional and experienced surfers on the other hand like surfboards with less length than a beginner surfboard because these shortboards are easier to maneuver and will allow them to perform more radical maneuvers.

Surfboard Width

The next surfboard design feature you will notice is the width of a surfboard.  This is the measurement from rail to rail across the deck of the surfboard.  This measurement is taken at the widest point which is usually the centre of the surfboard length.

The main thing that a surfboard’s width will affect is the surfboard’s stability.  The wider a surfboard is the more stable it will be and the easier it will be for you to stand up on the surfboard.

The second thing the width of surfboard will do is affect how easy it is to paddle.  Wider surfboards are generally easier to turn than narrow surfboards.  Beginner surfers will therefore usually go for a wide board as opposed to a thin board.

There are also two other surfboard width measurements that exists that are not really important to beginners but taken into consideration by experienced surfers.  These are surfboard nose width and surfboard tail width.  These two surfboard design features are measured 1 foot from the nose of the surfboard and 1 foot from the tail of the surfboard respectively.

Surfboard Nose Width

The more nose width a surfboard has the easier it will be to catch waves and is usually found in surfboards for beginners or surfboard designed to be surfed in small, weak waves.

The less nose width a surfboard has the easier the surfboard will be to maneuver in larger surf and is a common feature of big wave surfboards.

Surfboard Tail Width

The more tail width a surfboard design has the easier it will be turn the surfboard and the looser the surfboard will feel.  This is usually a feature of small wave surfboards.

The less tail width a surfboard design the more control the surfer will have over the surfboard.  This is a common feature for the narrow surfboards suited for surfing larger waves.

Surfboard Thickness

This surfboard design feature is a measure of the top to bottom thickness of the surfboard.

The thicker a surfboard is the more volume the surfboard will have.  This therefore will cause the surfboard float better, be more stable and will allow the surfer to catch waves easier.  Beginner surfboards are thicker than advanced surfboards for this reason.  Thicker surfboards are also less likely to break and more geared towards the heavier surfer.

The thinner a surfboard the less volume there is throughout the surfboard and thus the less “floaty” the surfboard will fell.  It will be less buoyant.  The surfboard however will be lighter and easier to maneuver.  A lighter surfer will require a thinner board.

Surfboard Nose

The surfboard nose is the top of the surfboard.  Surfboard noses usually are in two shapes, a pointy tip or rounded tip.  The pointy tip is most commonly found on the shortboard design while the rounded tip is generally found on longboards and fishes.

Some shortboard noses are in the shape of a point but are flattened at the tip.  This does not mean the surfboard nose is damaged, it has been done intentional by the shaper for the surfer’s safety.  This reduces injury that may be caused by the surfboard nose spearing you during a surf session!

Surfboard Tail

The surfboard tail is located at the bottom of the length of the surfboard.  There are a variety of surfboard tail designs from squash tail to pin tail each adding their own unique feel to the way a surfboard maneuvers.

This surfboard design feature is less important to beginner surfers than it is for advanced surfers.

Learn more about the tail of a surfboard

Surfboard Rails

The rails of a surfboard run along the sides of surfboard from nose to tail.  This is the part of the surfboard that makes contact with the water when you try to turn or maneuver the surfboard.  Surfboard rails come in a variety of designs from full boxy rails to low taper rails.

A general surfboard design rule when it comes to surfboard rails is the fuller and boxier the rails the more flotation and the harder turn the surfboard will be to turn, while thinner tapered rails will be less floaty and easier to sink into the water.

Surfboard Bottom

Surfboard bottom contour can be the most confusing surfboard design aspect for beginner surfers to grasp.  The bottom of the surfboard is what is in constant contact with the water, like the bottom of a speed boat.

In order to help water flow underneath the surfboard better and help the surfboard board glide over the water smoother shapers alter the contours of the surfboard bottom.

There are 4 common bottom contour surfboard designs, flat, single concave, double concave and vee.  Many surfboard shapers will then combine these 4 bottom contours to help improve the performance of a surfboard.

Learn more about the bottom of a surfboard and surfboard bottom contours

Surfboard Rocker

Surfboard rocker is the curve of the surfboard from nose to tail.  If you flip a surfboard upside down so that it rest on its nose and tail you will notice the surfboard design has a “bend” to it.  This is the rocker.

Surfboard Nose Rocker

Surfboard nose rocker is the amount of curve that the nose of the surfboard has.  These helps prevent the surfboard nose from going under the water when a surfer is on the steepest part of a wave.  This is usually when he is catching the wave or on reentry after a lip maneuver.

The more surfboard nose rocker a surfboard design has the steeper the waves a surfer will be able to ride but this will be at the cost of speed. This is common in big wave surfboard designs.

The less nose rocker a surfboard design has the faster the board will be but the surfer will not be able to surf very steep waves.  This is most seen in small wave surfboards and fishs.

Surfboard Tail Rocker

Surfboard tail rocker is the amount of curve that the tail of the surfboard has.  This surfboard design affects the amount of pivot and maneuverability that a surfboard has.  Surfers who push really hard on their backfoot and like surfing in the pocket of the wave tend to like lots of tail rocker.  However too much tail rocker can lead to a lose in speed.

Surfboard Fins

Surfboard fins are found at the bottom of the surfboard tail and allow the surfer to steer the surfboard.  Without surfboard fins the board would be very unstable and would slide all over the wave.

The most common surfboard design, the shortboard, has a tri fin or thruster setup.  There are also many other surfboard fin designs including the old school single fin and twin fin, as well as the new school quad fin and 5 fin setup.

Learn more about your surfboard fins

Related Surfboard Design Articles

What are the different types of surfboards you can choose from?
There are 6 main different types of surfboards.  These surfboard designs are each geared towards a unique style of surfing and specific types of surf conditions.

Return from Surfboard Design to All About Surfboards