Shaping 101 Guide

TAIL SHAPE

Tail Shape Tail shapes have many different purposes. More tail shapes have been added in recent years as surfing has evolved. We have listed the main features of tail shapes below. Basically an angled tail will give a sharper turn where as a rounded tail will make more elliptical turns.Pin TailPin tails are generally used on [...]

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RAIL SHAPES

Rail Shapes Rail on the surfboard is the curved rim of your board; rolled from deck to bottom and nose to tail (Rails are the edges of the surfboard where the deck meets the bottom).The rail interacts with the wave water at its most sensitive point, as the water enters, flows along and exits the board’s [...]

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​BLENDING THE RAILS

BLENDING THE RAILSThings You’ll Need: Shaping standSanding padSanding gauzeStep 1: Decide on the base type of rail you want. If you are building a long board, go with the soft rail shape and if you are building a short board, go with the hard rail shape.Step 2: Gather your materials. Before you begin to blend the rails on [...]

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SURFBOARD DEIGN AND SHAPES

Surfboard Deign and ShapesShortboardThe shortboard (also known as the thruster) is the most popular type of surfboard design, it’s used to perform quick maneuvers on waves. They are light and are easy to negotiate through the impact zone, as all areas of the board are narrowed down. The size of these shortboards is generally from [...]

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CONTOURS

ContoursBottom contours are the shape of the bottom of the surfboard and influence how water travels under the surfboard. Some common surfboard bottom contours are:Flat BottomConcave BottomDouble Concave BottomVee BottomChannel BottomFlat Surfboard Bottom DesignFlat surfboard bottom design is a fast bottom shape but one that can be difficult to control in larger/faster waves. Flat bottom [...]

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SURFBOARD DIMENSIONS WHATS TO KNOW...

SURFBOARD DIMENSIONSSurfboard dimensions are commonly measured in feet and inches. Your board dimensions will change depending on the type of board and shape of its rails, tail and nose.LengthThe length is measured from the nose to the tail. Choosing the length of the surfboard is dependent on your size (weight, height), board type and waves [...]

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Fin Setups

Surfboards may have any number of fins, usually 1 or 3, and there are valid design points (and fans) for the different combinations and designs. Without a fin a surfboard would slide sideways and be almost uncontrollable. A fin creates resistance to the water allowing the surfboard to be turned and to travel across the face of the wave without sideslipping.

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