Types of Boards
Contents
LongBoards
Every day another person comes in the shop that has a new found interest in longboards. Why? Because they're loads of fun. From small wave groveling to all out noseriding soul arches, longboards have made a huge comeback in the last couple of years, not just for the old timers anymore. We are constantly trying to improve our longboard line up and this year is no exception. We have a number of designs to offer in longboards. Pin, diamond, and squash are the most common tails found on a longboard with many dramatic size changes for each. Longboards come in a variety of sizes from around 8'6" to 11'. In our store the longest board we stock is 10' but that doesn't mean you can't get one longer. For the most part you can seperate longboards into four categories. The first is the performance longboard. This one is designed to do it all, turn and noseride with ease. The second is another performer, designed for more progressive surfing with all out performance in mind. This board is not the choice of someone who wants to noseride as it is lacking in adequate concave in the nose to allow it to plane out with all your weight on the nose. The third is the all out noserider with fifty-fifty rails, tons of nose concave, single fin, and a narrow tail. Oh and the fourth is just to beautiful to be ridden so you hang it up in your living room. Just kidding, ride 'em all they're all tons of fun.
Mid-Range Funshapes
Probably the most versatile surfboard design of all, the funshape or "egg" shape is really a combination of several different types of board design. Funhapes are generally considered to be boards in the 7'0" to 8'6" range that combine certain features of both longboards and shortboards. Most funshapes utilize a three fin or "thruster," fin setup much like a shortboard while their templates look more like miniature longboards. Most funshapes perform quite well in a variety of conditions. Their shorter length and three fin setup allow them to turn easily like a shortboard, and their fuller longboard style template offers the speed, smoothness, and flotation of a longboard. It is because of this versatility that funshapes have now become a very large part of the surfboard market. Funshapes also offer the best platform for beginning surfers to learn on since the design qualities of most funshapes are fairly conservative.
Shortboards
Shortboards come in every size and variation known to the surfboard industry. From a 5'4" for 80 pound groms to the 8'0" pintail gun. For most on the East Coast thougha shortboard, or thruster as they are commonly known, generally have the following design features. First a tri-fin set-up, a squash, swallow, or pin tail. For most riders a shortboard is purchased with the intention of riding bigger or more powerful waves, but for many they simply prefer them over a fish. The height and width of a shortboard will of course depend on the size and ability of the rider. Many of the shortboards that we stock are from 6'0" to 7'0" with a width somewhere between 18 to 19" depending on the lenght and design. Recently a hybrid has been spawned though... the summer squash. the summer squash is essentially a fish crossed with a thruster. It has nearly the same width and thickness that a fish of the same length would have, hips at about a foot and a half from the tail of the board, which is a squash for maintaining drive that many fish lack. When purchasing a summer squash one would select a board that is no longer than 2" above their current fish. We have found that the summer squash is much more versatile than most fish's. You get looseness, like a fish, and drive, like a shortboard, without sacrificing one for the other.
Fish
An East Coasters mainstay. By far the fish is the best board for summer time groveling. When purchasing a fish a general rule of thumb is to choose a board that is 2-4" smaller than your normal shortboard. Fish's will compensate their shortness in width and thickness to accomodate the same if not more flotation for the rider. While shortboards tend to be more streamlined, a fish can have a narrow nose, wide center and tail. This template is commonly know as a rocket fish, which allows it to perform better in bigger surf while still maintaining characteristics of speed and looseness for small waves. Most of the fish's that we stock are rocket fish's. Stub nose fish or wide nose fish's that slightly resemble the nose of a funshape are great boards for teeny tiny waves. They are generally wider than the rocket fish with a center width of up to 21" and very wide tails as well. The width of the nose helps the rider to catch waves earlier and easier much like a funshape does. As far as fin design, anything goes. With many of the fin systems now available there really are no limitations to what can be done with a fin set-up. From twin to quad fins, you just got to try 'em all and find out what works for you.
