Surfboard Shapes - which one´s the right one?

Modern surfboards come in all shapes and sizes. From longboards to shortboards, beginner boards to big wave guns, from experimental shapes to retro designs, there are plenty of surfboard styles to chose from. With this huge variety of models, shapes and names it can get hard to tell them apart – especially if you are new to the world of surfing. That´s why we want to introduce to you.. the main types of surfboards!

Surfboard design is not about the colour and the look, it´s about fluid dynamics. When buying a surfboard it shouldn´t be chosen by the color you fancy but by what level of experience you are or which type of waves you want to surf.

There is no exact science, some surfboard types overlap and morph into others as surfboard shapers are constantly experimenting with different shapes and designs and it is often hard to draw a line between different models.



 

SHORTBOARD (5.5-7 feet)

There are many variations of this type of board. When someone tells you he´s riding a shortboars he is only giving you an outline of his board. In general shortboards are characterized by a slender pointy nose and smaller dimensions. They allow surfers a great range of mobility for sharp turns, airs and tricks. A shortboard has a greater amount of rocker which allows you to surf critical sections of the wave. But you need to be aware that it sacrifices paddling ease for the sake of speed, power and control. A surfboard designed for the more advanced surfer.

The shortboard surfboard design reinvented high performance surfing in the 1970s and continues to allow surfers to push the boundaries of the sport.

FISH (under 7 feet)

The term fish has many meanings and can cause some confusion. Besides the name of the animal that swims in the our seas and rivers, it’s also the name of a surfboard and then it’s also one of the names for a special surfboard tail. Coincidentally the name of the board arises from the similarity with the shape of the animal fish and this same board also has a fish tail (also called swallow tail or split tail).

The fish seems to be similar to a shortboard but differs from a shortboard in that it has a wider, rounder nose, a wider mid-section and a 'swallow/ fish tail'. This makes it fast and easy to catch waves on so it´s a great alternative for small waves. The fish style surfboard flows over flat sections of the wave and helps you to have fun in middle sized surf. Fish boards are designed to improve your wave catching capability while maintaining speed and manoeuvring performance.

FUNBOARD (7-9 feet)

Funboards are not really a distinctive type of boards. Hybrids, eggs and malibus are all considered funboards. It is a general term for all surfboards that allow you to catch a lot of waves because of the extra volume. Since they are wide and stable also inexperienced surfers can also use them. They normally have a bit more length, more width, wider and rounder nose, wider tail, more thickness, more volume, less rocker and are in general easier to catch waves on.

If you want to move on from a beginners board, Funboards make a great transition or even learning board. But also as a more experienced surfer a funboard can make for a good variety to the way you normally surf. They work well in most conditions, from the very small and mushy all the way up to head high. The extra width in the shape makes them more stable and forgiving.

HYBRID

A hybrid is the love child of a shortboard and a longboard. The shape is somewhere between the two of them but more on the shortboard side. The result is a board that has a lot of volume and therefore more buoyancy which makes it easier to paddle and to catch waves. A hybrid is a good choice for complete beginners, for beginners that have outgrown their first mini-mal/longboard and for surfers that are heavier/older/not so fit etc… Performance wise it’s an all purpose board that works in small and bigger surf.

EGG (6-8.5 feet)

Eggs look like stubby, rounded, hybrid longboards. If it looks like an egg – it´s an egg. Common in smaller surf, these boards are about having fun, not so much about performance and tricks. It´s similar to the Hybrid, just a bit more on the longboard side: Wide, thick and usually longer than a shortboard. Eggs are a good choice for beginning surfers, because their width makes them pretty stable and they work great on small waves. Get an egg if you don’t care about performance surfing and tricks, if you want to slide over onshore conditions, mushy waves… have fun.

MALIBU

The malibu board or Mini-Mal is similar to the longboard in its shape and riding characteristics, but it's slightly shorter length and slimmer width and tail allow for sharper turns. Due to the funboard's reduced size, surfers have better mobility in the water, though they will sacrifice in stability and paddling ease. They either have one large fin or three smaller fins. Mini malibus are ideal boards for beginners and for longboarders who want a bit faster turning.

LONGBOARD (8-12 feet)

This is the oldest and most traditional of modern surfboard designs. Longboards typically range from 8 feet to 12 feet long, at least 2.5 inches thick and twenty inches wide. This extra volume allows them to paddle incredibly well and catch waves with ease. Longboards are characterized by their rounded nose and long length, and they typically sport a single fin. They are wide throughout, with a slight taper at the tail. Otherwise known as a 'cruizer' or 'log'.

There is a great deal of style attached to riding a longboard. Where the radical sharp turns and airs possible with a shortboard are not possible on a longboard, other manoeuvres are like hang fives or tens, drop-knee turns, cross-stepping along the deck of the board… and even tandem surfing! Expert longboarders are known for their smooth style, surfing in a very fluid manner.

Longboards were the original surfboards and the forerunners to the modern shortboard. They helped popularise the sport in the 1960’s but then almost disappeared in the late 1970’s with shortboard revolution. But these days longboards are back!

They are great for: smaller days, having fun in weak waves, for older surfers with less stamina, for surfers the prefer the smooth glide and slow turns over shortboard tricks, for beginners learning how to surf (they are really stable), for experienced surfer in quality waves etc…

GUN (7-12 feet)

This is the surfboard that you take out when the waves are huge. Ideal for big wave surfing, gun boards have a narrow design that makes it easier to paddle out and control on steeper waves. The thin, needle-nosed template is similar in shape to a shortboard but much larger. The increased length makes it easy to paddle into larger, faster waves. The name derives from the term 'elephant gun', and means the board is the surfers' gun for hunting down big/giant surf.

TOW-IN (5-6 feet)

These boards are used only by the best in big-wave surfing. Tow-in boards are small and have foot straps, allowing a surfer to be dragged into a swelling wave at high speeds by a jet-ski. These are specialized, performance boards that make large, fast waves surfable.

SOFTBOARD and SOFTTOP

The board you will start with and you are mostly using during your stay with Sunwave Surfcamp is a Sorftboard, otherwise known as 'foamies'. They are designed for beginners - as because they are foam, they are easier to catch waves on, easier to stand up on and much more stable in the water. Also as they are foam they are less likel to hurt you or others around you, and so are an obvious choice for surf schools. When you are learning how to surf, boards are flying around hitting you and people around you in the various parts of their anatomy and it hurts substantially less if you are hit by foam rather than by hard laminated surfboard.

OK, it is true that Jamie O’Brien used a softboard to catch waves at Pipeline but it is also true that he is crazy and that the board quickly became foldable.. watch it here!