The weird and wonderful world of surfboard shapes.
How do surfboards differ and what's the purpose of each type ?
How's it going everyone ? Welcome back to Empty Peaks Surf ! If you missed my last post, be sure to go back and read that for some info on this blog and what I hope to share with you !
So recently I got a new surfboard (pictured above). If you cant tell by my blank facial expression, I'm super stoked about it!
It's a Form Flow Stik board designed by the English surfboard shaper Alan Stokes.
There were so many different types of surfboards I had to choose from and it's inspired me to tell you about a few different types of boards I came across on my search!
After that I'll explain how I came to my final decision, and how my new board felt under my feet !
Here's a few different types of boards you might come across.
Long Board - As you might guess from the name, this board type is the lengthiest. A typical longboard can be between 8 to 11ft long. In general, these boards have one large fin on the bottom which creates a smooth, glide-like ride. When I think of long boarding, I picture a small mellow wave being surfed in an extremely elegant fashion. You may have heard of phrases such as 'Hang Five' and 'Hang Ten' this is when a surfer makes their way all the way up to the nose of their board to the point where the toes of either one or both their feet 'hang' off the end.
In my opinion, longboarding is the most graceful form of surfing, the best in the world make it look like they're not even trying !
Short Board - Hopping down to the other side of the scale now, the short board is for the those seeking big turns and a generally more aggressive style to those on the aforementioned longboard. The lengths of these boards range anywhere from a little over 5ft to a little over 6ft, typically these boards will have 3 fins, (something we call a thruster set up) however there's other configurations which have 4 or maybe even 2. Shortboards generally desire a steep faced, punchy wave from which they can gain lots of speed and power from. Some of the most famous surfers of our time like Kelly Slater and John John Florence have made their names on boards of this nature, performing huge turns and sometimes leaving the face of the water completely and taking to the air!
Mid Length - The next category I'm going to cover is the mid-length. Again, as you might be able to tell by the name, these boards are a middle ground between the two extremes I've covered. These boards start at around 6'6'' in length and go right up towards 8ft. Mid lengths can act as a hybrid between the cruising style created from a longboard, while still giving the potential for big turns. As well as this, the extra length and stability from this shape works perfectly for intermediate surfers who are looking to work their way down to a more performance based surfboard. Mid length boards come in many different fin configurations, in fact I think I've seen all possible fin configurations on mid length board in my time, however I would say my favourite set ups on a mid length would be a single fin set up for a more smooth style. Or a twin/2 fin set up, for extra speed !
Fish - This board gets it's name from the shape of it's tail, which looks just like the tail of a fish. As a generalisation, these boards are used in smaller or messier waves and are surfed from 5-6ft in length. They're designed to have plenty speed for mellow sections and the V shape created in the tail allows a wide surface area to be caught by the waves but the cut out also allows surfers to submerge this part of the board easier in order to pivot around it on a turn. Fish boards are usually surfed with 2 large fins, the removal of the 3rd, centre fin, reduces drag and gives additional speed in weak surf. The fish is my personal favourite type of board, especially in Scotland where the surf can sometimes be small and messy. A fish really allows you to get the most out of your surf !
So how did I choose my new board, and how have my first surfs gone ?
Well, my board would fall into the category of the mid length surfboard, and I chose it because it's going to give me the best combination between the longboard and shortboard that I mentioned earlier. As I have spoken about, Scottish waves can be messy and small at times. However Scotland can also be home to some amazing waves too ! This board can perform in most of what Scotland has to throw at me.
The first surf I took it out in was small mellow, I was instantly surprised at how much speed this board could create as well as how smooth and cruisy the ride was. The next time I took it out was on much bigger and consistent surf. The four fin set up I rode that day gave me lots of speed as well as grip/hold on the wave and I was able to still perform turns close to how I would on a shortboard. It's safe to say, I'm very happy with my new board. The Mid Length category of board is a perfect middle ground for those looking for the elegance of a longboard while still being able to hold it's own in punchy surf too !
I could write forever about the endless different types of boards however most boards fit somewhere within one of these categories however you guys will have to let me know in the comments whether you'd like me to dive further into the different types of boards in a future blog.
Thanks for reading, see you next time,
Oli,
Empty Peaks Surf.
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