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For other uses, see Surfboard (disambiguation).
A stack of boards in Waikiki during a surf competition.


Modern surfboards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fiberglass cloth, and polyester or epoxy resin. The result is a light and strong surfboard that is buoyant and maneuverable. Recent developments in surfboard technology have included the use of carbon fiber. Each year, approximately 400,000 surfboards are manufactured.[3] Longboards, as the name suggests, are longer (often 8 ft or 2.4 m or more), and are also thicker and wider, with a more rounded nose than a shortboard, making them stable and buoyant. Shortboards are shorter (5–7 ft or 1.5–2.1 m), thinner, and have a more pointed nose. They are not as wide as longboards and are typically more maneuverable.

Other variants include "guns" (big wave boards 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m) long and with a thin, needle-like appearance), longboard "guns", olos (wooden boards can exceed lengths of 24 feet (7.3 m)), fun-boards (combines elements of both shortboards and longboards and are generally midsized, usually 7 to 8 feet (2.1 to 2.4 m)), fish (short stubby boards under 6 feet (1.8 m) long), eggs (modern hybrid boards, usually 6 feet to 8 feet 6 inches (1.8–2.3 m) in length with a more rounded profile and tail shape), bonzers (surfboard with three or five fins with double concave channels), quads (reference to the number of fins this type of surfboard has, four), tow-boards, and hydrofoils.


Polyurethane (P.U.) boards[edit]



Balsa boards[edit]

Balsa MiniMal.



Hollow wooden boards[edit]

Hollow wooden surfboards are made of wood and epoxy, and are a reversion to using wood after the foam became dominant in the 1950s. Hollow wooden surfboards specifically have no foam in their construction. (Boards made with foam and wood are commonly known as compsands or veneer boards.) Various construction methods are used to hollow the inside of the surfboard and lighten the weight of the completed board. Generally a hollow wood surfboard is 30% to 300% heavier than a standard foam and resin surfboard. The main inspiration, apart from beauty, is that this is a more environmentally friendly method which uses fast-growing plantation wood such as Paulownia, Cedar, Spruce, Redwood, and of course Balsa.

The current methods descended from the 1930s Tom Blake paddleboarding method, which favors a central stringer, with individually shaped transverse ribs, covered with a skin and lastly, rails which are then shaped. A modern interpretation of Tom Blakes work is the perimeter stringer method used by some manufacturers, utilizing laminated rails as stringers, which are connected with a series of plywood ribs. This skeleton is subsequently sheathed with 5mm-thick wood strips, creating a fast hollow board with better flex properties.

The parallel profile system was NOT developed by Roy Stewart is developed from cold molded (double diagonal) boat building, and uses at least four layers laminated over a male mold into a curved blank, including enough wood for rails, which are then shaped. The chambering method follows a system whereby planks of paulownia are selected and the rocker of the board is cut into each. The planks are then chambered to reduce weight, and then are bonded together to form a hollow, or "chambered" blank which is then shaped.


Many types of boards are made using any of the different construction methods, the variation of type dependent in some cases on the use for which the board is designed.

Surfers catching waves in Strandhill, Ireland.


Since the late 1960s, when Gordon Clark found the optimum formulation of urethane foam, many of the surfboards in common use have been of the shortboard variety between 6 feet and 7 feet in length, with a pointed nose and a rounded or squarish tail, typically with three skegs (fins) but sometimes with two or as many as five. Surfers generally find a shortboard very quick to maneuver compared with other types of surfboards, but because of a lack of flotation due to the smaller size, harder to catch waves with, often requiring steeper, larger and more powerful waves and very late takeoffs, where the surfer catches the wave at the critical moment before it breaks.

A bonzer is a variety of surfboard created by the Campbell Brothers with three or five fins with double concave channels. The manufacturer claims that these channels create a venturi effect which guides the water off of the surface of the board through a narrowed passage.[6]


Modern hybrid boards are usually 6 feet to 8 feet 6 inches (1.8–2.3 m) in length with a more rounded profile and tail shape. Surfed in smaller waves with any fin set up. They are more about having fun than high performance or tricks. They can be easier to ride for beginning surfers and generally perform well in surfing conditions where the more traditional long and short boards might not.[7]

Balsa Fish.


Usually a short stubby board under 6 feet (1.8 m) in length developed from kneeboards in the 1970s by Steve Lis. Other prominent Fish shapers include Rich Pavel, Skip Frye, Larry Mabile and Steve Brom. Primarily a twin fin set up with a swallow tail shape and popular in smaller waves, the Fish enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s after legendary surfer Tom Curren rode one during an ASP event at Hossegor. Note, any type of board (such as shortboard or mini-longboard) can have a fish tail, and these are commonly referred to as a "fish", but they lack the other properties of a traditional, or "retro", fish as listed here.

Fun board[edit]

The funboard combines elements of both shortboards and longboards and are generally midsized, usually 7 to 8 feet (2.1 to 2.4 m). The funboard's design allows waves to be caught more easily than a shortboard, yet with a shape that makes it more maneuverable than a longboard; hence it is a popular type of surfboard, especially among beginners, or those transitioning from longboarding to the more difficult shortboarding. This makes it the best design in most people's view due to the combination of the speed of a longboard and the maneuverability of a shortboard.[8]


Big wave boards of length 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m). Thin, needle-like template with single, quad (4 fin), or thruster (3 fin) fin set up. It usually looks like a shortboard but at a longboard size. Used at such big waves spots as Waimea Bay, Jaws (Hawaii), and Mavericks.


A longboard.
Duke Kahanamoku and longboard, 1920
Balsa Longboard.

The longboard, not to be confused with the skateboard variation of Longboarding, is primarily a single finned surfboard with large rounded nose and length of 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.7 m). Noseriders are a class of longboards which enable the rider to walk to the tip and nose ride. Also called a "Mal", which is a shortened version of Malibu, one of, if not the most popular longboard wave.

Longboards (also known as Malibu boards) range 8 to 14 feet (2.4 to 4.3 m) long, or 3 feet (0.91 m) taller than the rider in overall length. Its advantage is its substantial buoyancy and planing surface enables surfers to ride waves generally deemed too small to propel a shortboard. Longboards are universally common among both beginners and skilled surfers alike. The main reason why longboards are more suitable for beginners is because of the board's size and frequency of catching waves. In the proper conditions, a skilled surfer can ride a wave standing on the nose of a longboard, and put his toes over the nose's edge. By literally putting his "toes on the nose" the surfer can "hang ten".

Classic longboards[edit]

Longboards are the original, and very first variety of board used in standup surfing. Ever since the sixth-century the ancient Hawaiians have used 8-to-30-foot (2.4 to 9.1 m) solid wooden boards when practicing their ancient art of Hoe he'e nalu. Surfing was brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesians and has since become popular worldwide. The ancient boards were carved and fashioned out of solid wood, reaching lengths of 10 to 14 feet (3.0 to 4.3 m) long and weighing as much as 150 pounds (68 kg). Both men and women, royalty and commoners surfed. But the longest of boards (the Olo) was reserved for royalty.[9] During the 19th century, some extreme western missionaries actively discouraged surfing, viewing it as sinful. Surfing almost died out completely. In recent times replicas have been made of Olo's and alaia's by experienced surfers and shapers wishing to explore the roots of the sport.

By the early 20th century, only a handful of people surfed, mostly at Waikiki. But there, it started to grow again. Beginning in 1912, Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian Olympic swimmer in the early 1900s, brought surfing to mainland United States and Australia. Because of this, Duke is considered the "Father of Modern Surfing". From that point on, surfing became an integral part of the California beach lifestyle. In Malibu (in Los Angeles county), the beach was so popular amongst the early surfers that it lent its name to the type of longboard, the Malibu Surfboard. In the 1920s boards made of plywood or planking called Hollowboards came into use. These were typically 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) in length and very light. During the 1950s, the surf trend took off dramatically as it obtained a substantial amount of popularity as a sport.[10] The design and material of longboards in the 1950s changed from using solid wood, to balsa wood. The length of the boards still remained the same at an average of 10.5 feet, and had then become widely produced.[11]


Modern longboards[edit]

The modern longboard has undergone many changes since its earlier models in the past. Today's longboard is much lighter than its predecessors. Its polyurethane foam and fiberglass design allows less drag on waves. Today's longboards are typically 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) long, although some ride boards up to 12 feet (3.7 m) in length. Additionally, there is a revival of stand-up paddle-based surfing with boards up to 14 feet (4.3 m) in length (for stability). The classic single-fin longboard retains much of its classic design including a single fin, weight, and considerable buoyancy.[12] A longboard with a single fin allows the board to pivot turn in order to remain in the curl of the wave. Due to recent advances in technology, the longboard has expanded its family into different variations of the classic longboard.

The 2+1[edit]


Mini Tanker[edit]

The mini tanker is basically a shortened longboard shape that utilizes the same longboard design elements and enhanced maneuverability due to the shorter shape. These boards are normally ridden by women and children which provide smaller individuals with much more control than your traditional 9 foot longboard.[13]

The Malibu[edit]



Originally reserved for royalty due to its size and weight, these wooden boards can exceed lengths of 24 feet (7.3 m) and reach weights up to 200 pounds (91 kg).[14]


A traditional finless wooden surfboard, typically ridden by ancient native Hawaiian's. The surfboard typically runs 17 feet (5.2 m) 200 pounds (91 kg)[15]




A surfer carries a surfboard along the beach


The surface of the board that rests on the water, usually concaved.


Modern surfboards often contain multiple contours on the bottom of the board, termed concaves. These concaves have different uses and vary among different types of surfboards. Most concaves on the modern shortboard begin about twelve inches (300 mm) back from the nose of the board on the bottom and then carry out through the middle to the tail of the surfboard. The purpose of concave is to direct water through the fins of the surfboard. Surfboard shapers can experiment with concaves to create different drive and response characteristics on each individual surfboard.


Some older and more traditional surfboards along with many modern boards that take inspiration from these older boards utilize a convex rather than concave design on the bottom of the surfboard. These boards displace water and sit lower in the wave than a surfboard with a concave bottom.[16]


The surface of the board that the surfer stands on. Surfwax is applied to this surface. Wax comes in different degrees of hardness allowing its application in differing water temperatures.



The surfboard fin is a stabilizing rudder fixed to the rear of the surfboard to prevent it from sliding sideways. In the early days, surfers would stabilize the board by hanging the toes of their back foot over the edge of the board and would steer by putting their foot in the water. The innovation of a skeg in 1936 — by either or both of Woody "Spider" Brown or Tom Blake[citation needed] — revolutionized surfing, allowing surfers to direct the board's momentum and providing more balance whilst turning.

The template of the modern surfboard fin was developed by George Greenough in the 1960s.[17] The single fin changed little until the late 70s, when a second was added and popularised by Australian Mark Richards.[18] In October 1980, after seeing a twin fin surfboard with a "trigger point" fin Simon Anderson had the idea for a new, equal size, version of the existing three fin prototypes which was later dubbed the "thruster".[19] He created a prototype and 30 years later his "thruster" design is still the most popular fin design for surfboards.[19]


Tunnel fins were invented in the 60's by Richard Deese,[20] and were found on longboards by multiple manufacturers of that era, including Dewey Weber. Bob Bolen, A.K.A. 'the Greek', patented the "Turbo Tunnel" in the late 1990s. Since the mid 90s half tunnel fins have mainly been used on very long hollow wooden surfboards.


Winged fins are another type of surfboard fin, the genesis of which was America's Cup sailboat design.[22] The Starfin was designed in the 1980s by the America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen, who had designed the winged keel for the America's Cup boat, Australia II. The small thruster-sized fin, the RedTip 3D is manufactured by FCS.




Thrusters and Tri-fins[edit]





Nubster Fin Seen In Middle

Created by professional surfer Sean Mattison as a rear stabilization fin. Dubbed a "guitar pick" the nubster was designed to be used as a fifth fin. The Nubster helped professional surfer Kelly Slater win contests in New York and Portugal in 2011 by adding the nubster to his surfboard. [23]


The leash attaches a surfboard to the surfer.


Prior to leashes' introduction in 1971, surfers who fell off their boards had to swim to retrieve them with runaway boards being an inconvenience to the surfer and a danger to other surfers. Santa Cruz resident Pat O'Neill is credited with popularizing the surf leash.[24] His initial designs consisted of surgical cord attached to a board with a suction cup. At the 1971 Malibu international surfing competition, Pat offered leashes to his competitors in the event. Consequently he was disqualified from the event for wearing his leash, dubbed a kook cord by those at the event. However, over the next year, the leash became a ubiquitous tool in the surfing world.[24]

Jack O'Neill lost his left eye in a surf leash accident as the surgical tubing used in the early designs allowed the leash to overstretch, causing the surfboard to fly back towards the surfer. Subsequent cords were made with less elastic materials such as bungee cords.[24]

A surf leash being demonstrated.


Leashes are still the source of some contention in surfing today as, although they are now accepted as mandatory equipment for shortboarders, many longboarders refuse to wear them, claiming it interferes with their ability to walk up and down the board.[citation needed] At crowded surf spots with large waves, it is argued that the freedom of not wearing a leash is secondary to the safety of others.

Leash cup[edit]



The front tip of the board. This can be pointed or rounded.


The edges of the board. A rounded rail is called "soft", while a more squared off rail is called "hard", and rails that are in between are considered 50/50. While riding down the line, one rail is in the water, one rail is free in the air. Turns are largely a matter of transitioning from rail to tail and over to the contralateral rail.


This refers to how much curve the bottom of the board has from nose to tail. Increasing the rocker helps improve a board's performance when it is used in and around tighter curves on the wave face while flattening the curves of the board help it to handle better on flatter sections of water.


A thin piece of wood running from nose to tail that increases the strength of the board. Some boards have different numbers of stringers and some have no stringers.



See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Ethnology database". Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Retrieved 2008-11-10. 
  2. ^ "History of the surfboard". Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  3. ^ "Toxicity of Surfing". Envirosurfer. 
  4. ^ Recently, the largest producer of these blanks, Clark Foam announced its closure. This move drastically affected surfboard production and has become known to surfers as Blank Monday or Black Monday.
  5. ^ Ben Perreira. "Apocalypse to epoxy, from Clark Foam to the New Standards of Surfboard Production". Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  6. ^ John Wythe White. "Surf Wars". Honolulu Weekly. Retrieved 2008-11-08. 
  7. ^ John Dang. "Surfboard Design". Retrieved 2010-03-10. 
  8. ^ Trevor Cralle (2001). The Surfin'ary: A Dictionary of Surfing Terms and Surfspeak. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1-58008-193-2. 
  9. ^ Legendary Surfers Volume 1 by Malcolm Gualt-Williams
  10. ^ Sonnen Sloan. "The Evolution of the Surfboard". Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  11. ^ Dave Parmenter. "Longboards - Surfing A to Z". Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
  12. ^ a b c Surfboard Anatomy Guide
  13. ^ Kent Senatore. "Surfboard Design". Retrieved 2009-05-17. 
  14. ^ "The Surfboard". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-11-08. 
  15. ^ "The Cardiff Kook - America's First Surfers". 
  16. ^ John Dang. "Displacement Hulls". Retrieved 2010-02-13. 
  17. ^ The Australian Surfer's Journal Volume 2 No 2 Autumn 1999 pages 82-84
  18. ^ Surfing Magazine May 1979 Volume 15 Number 5, page 9
  19. ^ a b Koteen, Casey (10 August 2010). "Simon Anderson Talks Thruster". Retrieved 28 February 2011. 
  20. ^ LONGBOARD Magazine Vol 4 No 5. 1996 November/December
  21. ^ "Wavegrinder Surfboard Fins - Science Applied to the Art of Surfing and Surfboard Fins". Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  22. ^ Cheyne Horan. "STARFIN (also known as the winged keel)". Retrieved 2008-11-08. 
  23. ^ "Korduroy Television - Nubster". 
  24. ^ a b c Marcus, Ben (October 2000). "Surf Leashes". Surfline/Wavetrak, Inc. Retrieved 2007-01-11.