A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively
light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them
while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where
they were known as papa he'e nalu in the Hawaiian language, they were
usually made of wood from local trees, such as koa, and were often over
460 cm (15 ft) in length and extremely heavy. Major advances over the
years include the addition of one or more fins (skegs) on the bottom
rear of the board to improve directional stability, and numerous
improvements in materials and shape.
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 and kevlar composites, as well as experimentation in
biodegradable and ecologically friendly resins made from organic
sources. Each year, approximately 400,000 surfboards are manufactured.
Longboard
The longboard is primarily a single-finned surfboard with large
rounded nose and
length of 270 to 370 cm (9 to 12 ft).
The advantage of a longboard is its substantial buoyancy and planing
surface enable surfers to ride waves generally deemed too small to
propel a shortboard. Longboards are more suitable for beginners
because of the board's size and ease of catching waves. In the
proper conditions, a skilled surfer can ride a wave standing on the
nose of a longboard with their toes over the nose's edge: in this
way, with the "toes on the nose", the surfer can "hang ten".
Compared to the shortboards, longboards are considerably easier to
learn on as they are capable of achieving stability, thus making the
transition quite difficult.
Check out Kelia Moniz dancing on her board
Funboard
Funboards are generally
177cm to 200cm (7' to 8') in length
with a slightly more performance-focused shape than the
similar-sized normal board. Narrow outline & thruster-fin set-up
make it a close companion in size and performance to a round-outline
longboard. Funboards excel good in both small and weak & large mushy
waves by light and heavy surfers. A funboard is one of the most
versatile 'all-around' boards for fun and performance.
Take a look at this clip if you are interested in seeing a
funboard being surfed
Fish
Usually a short stubby board
under 180 cm (6 ft) in length
developed from kneeboards in 1967 by Steve Lis. Other prominent fish
shapers include 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 described here.
Stephanie Gilmore is showing us how to surf a fish
Shortboard
The shortboard is by far the most recognisable of all the surfboard
shapes and if you picture a surfboard in your head right now, the
chances are it's a shortboard! Defined as anything
under 7 foot, but usually in the mid 6 foot range, shortboards are the most performance orientated of the main 3
surfboard shapes. Because of this they're most suited for
intermediate and advanced surfers, but there are also types of
shortboard (such as the groveller) which are useable by a wider
range of surfers. Most commonly setup as a thruster/3 fin board,
quads/4 fin shortboard setups are also increasingly popular at the
moment too. Ideal in a wide range of conditions, but more suited for
bigger, powerful waves, the shortboard is usually the end goal for
most people who surf.
Carissa Moore knows what shortboarding is all about
