Learn about what goes into surfboard & fin design. Understanding your equipment will help take your surfing to the next level.
Who said you need to be on the coast, or even on a body of water for that matter, to enjoy perfect waves for surfing? Welcome to the age of the wave pool. Wave pools optimized for surfing are relatively new, but given interest, money, and competition, wave pools for surfing are only getting better …
With all sorts of buoys, satellites, and measuring tools there is no shortage of data when it comes to weather, wind, and surf forecasting. And, unless you live within eyeshot of your local break, a surf report can be a handy tool in your surfing toolkit. Surf forecasts and reports have come a long way …
You already know that surfable waves and swells are created by storms and winds traveling across expanses of water. The size and quality of those waves is partly dependent upon the strength of the winds and the distance they’re able to travel before meeting the shore. Wind, storms, and weather patterns change with the rotation …
One of the most defining factors in things like a surfboard’s overall strength, flex, ding resistance, longevity, and sustainability is the type of foam and the type of resin that’s used in its construction. The surfboard industry in general does seem to be shifting towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly processes and materials, but old …
Having a good understanding of surf conditions and how to interpret a surf forecast is key to knowing when the surf will be ideal at your local spots. This page will provide an overview of some of the conditions that will affect the waves and how to understand the information you can usually find in …
Waves originate from swells that form offshore, how those waves ultimately break and the quality of conditions are determined by a variety of factors. One of the major defining factors for different surf breaks around the world is the bathymetry, or the depths and topography, of the seafloor. Where do Waves Come From? Waves are …
Surfboard foil (not to be confused with foil surfing or foil surfboards), describes the distribution of thickness from the board’s nose to its tail and from the deck to the bottom. Foil distribution dictates where the surfboard’s wide-point should be and how the other areas of the board taper away from that wide-point. You can …
The bottom of a surfboard is where the majority of water flows. How the water flows over the bottom of the board is going to dictate how fast you go, how responsive your board will be, how much control or stability you’ll have, and how you’ll turn. Subtle changes in the curves and shapes on …
You may not think about the way your surfboard is finished to have an effect on performance, but it does. The final step in your surfboard’s construction will not only affect its appearance, but it will also influence how the board moves over the water (or how water moves over the board) and the overall …
The surfboard’s rail refers to the sides of the board. While the top-down view of the rail lines give you the overall template or outline of the surfboard, the side-view of the rail reveals a variety of rail shapes. Rails affect speed, turning, buoyancy, and maneuverability. Different Types of Rail Shapes The first major distinction …