Simply convert your surfboard’s dimensions into centimeters, plug in the values, estimate the percentage of an imaginary cube your board takes up, and you’ve got your volume.
(To convert your surfboard’s dimensions in inches to centimeters multiply inches by 2.54).
Read below for more details.
| Length (cm) |
|---|
| Width (cm) |
| Thickness (cm) |
| Shape Percentage (~.54 – .64) |
| Estimated Volume (L) |
Calculate a Surfboard’s Volume
The dimensions of your surfboard, including the overall volume, can give you a good idea of how it might perform for you.
You can find plenty of surfboard volume calculators out there that will tell you what volume board you should buy, but figuring out the volume of a board you already have is a little less common.
But, it’s not too hard!
Many surfboards will have their dimension listed on them, typically written as: LENGTH x WIDTH x THICKNESS.
Sometimes, these dimensions will also include the volume in liters. Sometimes it won’t.
If you’ve got a board you like to surf, but don’t know the volume, you can get a rough estimate based on the dimensions you do have.
The volume of your surfboard is simply a calculation of the length by width by height in centimeters.
The tricky part of the calculation is that surfboards are not perfect cubes, but if you think about your surfboard inside a cube, you can get close.
Surfboard Volume Calculator Formula
To calculate your surfboard’s volume given its dimensions:
- Convert the length, width, and height of your surfboard into centimeters.
- Multiply these numbers.
- Imagine your surfboard inside a cube. If the cube itself is 100%, try to work out what percentage of the cube the shape of your surfboard takes up.
- A fuller, thicker outline and shape will take up a higher percentage (maybe 58-65%).
- A narrow, thinner outline and shape will take up a lower percentage (maybe 45-55%)
- If you want to get a more accurate estimate you can draw this out on paper or a computer by placing the outline inside a rectangle made up of 1×1 boxes and finding the ratio of board:not board from there.
- Multiply your first product by the percentage you’ve worked out to get an estimate of your surfboard’s volume in liters.
While surfboard volume is not the only factor in picking the right boards, knowing some general volume ranges that work for you for different types of boards can make choosing a good board easier.