BodyBoard Advice and Technology
Contents
As a general rule of thumb, most prone riders prefer a board with a wider nose (something more than 11" wide on a 41" or longer board). A classic prone shape will also have a higher wide point meaning the Nose To Widepoint measurement is going to be a lower number. The theory is that you are pivoting from your elbows and shoulders, which of course are further up the board.
The average dropknee rider prefers a narrower-nosed board with a lower widepoint since the bulk of their weight is further back on the board. If you ride both styles, something in between will work. Generally, dropkneers prefer crescent tail boards, and prone riders do better on bat tails, but if you do both, it's your choice.
Deck
The top of the board where you lay.
Slick Bottom
The bottom of the board that has a smooth or slick material such as Surlyn or HDPE.
Nose
The front of the board where you hold on.
Rail
The side of the board. Often the rail of a board is expressed as a ratio such as 50/50 or 60/40, etc. The theory is that a 50/50 rail is faster but a 60/40 offers more control. Most companies now make their boards with 60/40 as the standard ratio. Some boards have single rails and some have double rails. The inner rail piece is referred to as the "pin". Double rails add more stiffness to the board.
Tail
The back end of the board.
Channels
Gouged-out areas on the bottom of the board that help to channel the water to enhance performance. There are MANY channel configurations out there, and basically, they help you hold on the face of the wave better and enhance speed, but can decrease maneuverability, ALTHOUGH when combined with certain tail designs and templates can work perfectly and be very maneuverable. Especially effective in this respect with bat tails. Crescent tail boards don't necessarily need channels, but some people prefer them even with this tail type for that extra bite.
Stringer
Now offered by most manufacturers, stringers made a brief appearance in the 80's, and are very popular once again. It's basically a straight rod inserted into the board to maintain the stiffness of the board. They can be made of many different materials. Lengthens the life of the core.
Mesh
A chicken wire-like plastic material sandwiched into the core of a board to enhance projection and durability. This material is only used by a couple of manufacturers as an alternative to stringers.
Template
This term refers to the basic shape or outline of the board (ie: narrow nose, wide nose, etc.).
Chine
This is the part of the board's rail that wraps over the side of the board from the deck. It's usually much smaller than the bottom part of the rail.
Rocker
Not technically a "part of the board", the rocker refers to how flat a board is. Example...if you lay the board flat on the ground, and it doesn't rise up at all in the tail, it has "flat rocker". Naturally, the nose curve is going to keep the nose off the ground, but the tail on most production model boards should be flat on the ground and the board shouldn't "rock" more than just a little bit. The more "banana-like" the curve in a board, the more rocker it has. The rocker of a board will change as it ages because of the different materials that are used on the deck vs. the bottom. Deck skins tend to expand faster with age, and therefore will cause a flat board to end up with a touch of reverse rocker in many cases. Heat accelerates this process, so keeping your board in a cool place when not in the water is the best defense for this problem.
Bat Tail
A tail shape that slightly resembles the wingspan of a bat. There are many varieties of bat tail, but basically, there are points at either end of the tail, with some form of rounded or pointed area in the center of the tail. Bat tails are generally loose, and provide lots of maneuverability. These tails are preferred by most prone riders. If you like doing lots of maneuvers tight in the pocket and prone ride a lot, go for a bat tail. There are many marketing names for bat tails including "wing" tails, etc., but they are all varieties of the bat tail.
Crescent Tail
First introduced by Morey in 1982, this is a tail that holds you well on the wave. The design has square "pegs" on either side of the tail, and a "U" shape connecting the pegs. The crescent holds your body on the board and holds you on the wave face very well. If you don't like channels, this is a good tail design. The crescent is the call for full-time DK riders or prone riders that are interested mainly in tube-riding and carves, and not quite as much about spinning moves tight in the pocket. It provides maximum hold, but doesn't release quite as easily as a bat tail if you like to spin.
