surfboard customer

There are two variants: the modern (new school) and the traditional (old school), which we will look at in more detail later. First, we will concentrate on the modern form.

Fish surfboards are specifically designed for surfing small waves. They are wider at the tip (nose) and tail (tail) than performance-oriented shortboards. This extra width increases the surface area of ​​the board, which allows it to glide and ride better on small waves - this makes them particularly fast.

Fish surfboards are best suited for weak and shallow waves as they maintain their speed very well. However, they reach their limits as soon as the waves become larger and steeper.

Another characteristic feature of Fish surfboards is their wide "swallow tail". This tail shape increases the width at the rear, which provides additional buoyancy and better gliding properties. At the same time, the swallowtail allows for better maneuverability from one edge to the other, which enables more advanced surfing.

High performance shortboards are, as the name suggests, designed for peak performance. They are similar to a Formula 1 race car, but for the waves. This is also where most of the technological development in surfboard design takes place.

These boards typically have a narrower nose and tail, which allows for sharper, tighter turns in the waves. At the tail of the board are hard, sharp edges that are less forgiving. This helps the surfer edge the board more sharply and maneuver more precisely.

Much like a Formula 1 car, which needs to be driven at top speed to perform optimally – for example, to maximize downforce and warm up the tires – high-performance shortboards also need to be surfed with a lot of pressure and high speed.

If you use these boards correctly, they offer a fascinating surfing experience. However, they are less suitable for beginners, as incorrect handling can do more harm than good. It is advisable to wait to use these boards until you have developed the necessary skills.

Hybrid surfboards are a kind of in-between solution that combines the features of a new-school fish and a high-performance shortboard. They are aimed at above-average surfers who want a board that is both easy to maneuver and easy to get in the water. They also offer a certain amount of forgiveness, which is especially useful if you are not on the water every day.

The shape of these boards is characterized by a slightly wider nose (front) and tail (rear). They often also have a swallow tail, but this is not always the case. In addition, they offer a bit more volume, which makes starting easier.

If you're a fan of high-performance surfing but only get in the water a few times a week and often surf smaller waves, a hybrid board might be just right for you.

As the name suggests, the step-up surfboard is designed for bigger waves. It is usually 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) longer than your usual shortboard. This extra length gives the board more volume, making it easier to paddle and catch waves. This is especially important when surfing bigger waves, as they move much faster.

Additionally, the outline shape of the Step-Up surfboard is slightly elongated, which helps you with longer, more challenging carving maneuvers on bigger waves and allows you to better handle the extra speed.

The Gun surfboard is specifically designed to help you surf really big waves. Typically, Guns are between 8 and 10 feet long, and there are even longer versions for the really crazy ones who surf infamous spots like Jaws or Nazaré.

The shape of a gun is thick, narrow and long. This design gives you tremendous paddling power, allowing you to catch big waves early. It also gives you plenty of grip and speed to stay on the wave and not slip away, as well as the ability to glide over meter-high chop that is typical of such big waves.

Overall, there are many features to consider when it comes to big wave gun surfboards, and there have been many innovations in recent years as surfers continue to push new boundaries.

The Retro Fish surfboard is inspired by the surfers of the 70's who used such boards for the most technical surfing of the time. The shape of the Retro Fish features a very flat rocker that stays thick throughout the length of the board. Combine that with a wide nose and a large retro swallowtail and you have your Retro Fish.

Another distinctive feature is the twin keel fins. These fins are usually (but not always) firmly glassed into the board and are characterized by large, protruding bases. These boards are a tribute to the old shredder school of the 70s and offer a lot of fun on the water.

Egg shaped boards are the rugged short forms of the surfboard world - short, stocky and thick. They are designed to be extremely fast in small waves, like a bat fleeing from hell. However, they are not particularly well suited to other conditions.

These boards aren't ideal for sharp turns or performance-oriented surfing. However, if you just want to go straight and wiggle around quickly like a nimble cockroach, then an egg shape board might be just what you need.

Nose rider longboards are, as you guessed, specifically designed for nose riding. Of course, you can do turns and carves with them, but their main function is to allow you to get your toes to the nose.

The shape of a nose rider longboard is wide at both the nose and tail, which provides additional stability. The rails are soft and rounded, which increases the Coanda downforce effect at the tail and keeps the board stable in the wave. There is also often a large single concave running through the nose of the board to provide a little more lift.

And another important piece of information: These boards are almost always ridden with just one fin. So you can safely do without a thruster installed here.

High performance longboards, or HPL for short, are perfect for surfers who want to experience a "shortboard-like" performance on a longboard. These boards allow you to really take advantage of the waves by performing big roundhouse cutbacks, snaps, laybacks and carves. Nowadays, surfers are even able to do airs with these boards.

The shape of these longboards is quite different from that of a classic noserider. They have a more tucked nose, often leading to a rounded tip, and a more tucked tail with thinner, sharper and more refined rails. These design features promote the maneuverability and responsiveness of the board.

In addition, these boards are almost always equipped with three fins, as these boards are all about speed and propulsion. This setup allows you to fully exploit the longboard's performance.

The "Midlength" model was made famous by hipsters like Alex Knost and has been extremely popular for several years. This mid-length board finds its ideal position between a shortboard and a longboard and creates a perfect balance of the characteristics of both board types.

In the past, surfboards of this size were mainly designed in a minimalibu shape, but these days they are much more geared towards high-performance surfing. A mid-length board allows you to put the board firmly on the rail and perform elegant carving maneuvers. It also has the advantage of working well in smaller, less powerful waves.

If you go to Byron Bay, you'll see a lot of surfers riding finless boards. Why? Firstly, because it's considered cool, but also because it's just great fun.

The shape of a finless surfboard can vary depending on the surfer, but some features remain constant. Typically, these boards are about 15 to 20 cm longer than a standard shortboard. They have extra volume to ensure sufficient buoyancy, and often have deep channels cut into the bottom of the board to provide the necessary grip in the waves.

And of course – they have no fins. This feature is crucial to the unique riding experience that finless surfboards offer.

Asymmetric surfboards are a relatively new phenomenon that design one side of the board differently than the other. The idea behind this is that surfers approach the wave differently depending on whether they are riding on their backhand or forehand, so it makes sense that the shape of the surfboard takes these differences into account.

While the idea is practical, the unusual look of asymmetrical boards can take some getting used to. These shapes have not yet fully entered the mainstream, but with projects like Stab's Electric Acid Surfboard Test and other similar experiments introducing these designs to a wider audience, asymmetrical surfboards could potentially become the norm in the future.