Find the Perfect Surfboard for the Perfect Wave

When looking at surfboards there is such a variety depending on your skill, the type of waves, and what you plan to do. You have a choice of board shape, tail shape, and fins. Matching these can take years of trial and error, but when you find the perfect match for you it will make the waves forever more enjoyable. With board shapes you have to choose from gun, long board (mini, classic, performance), hybrid (also known as egg or fun-boards), short-board, fish (retro and tri), and tow-in. With tail shapes you have squash-tail, square tail, thumb-tail, rounded pintail, pintail, baby swallowtail, swallowtail, and bat-tail. With Fins you have to decide on your depth, template, base, foil, rake, tip, flex, brand, and fin configuration (tri-fin, quad, single, 2+1, twin, twin with trailer, twinizer, bonzer, or keel). After deciding which is right for you, you are ready to rip, but it's a little over whelming choosing. Luckily it's a bit easier to decide once you figure out what you plan to do.

With board shapes there are many shapes, and they all have their specific uses. Gun boards range from 7 to 12 feet in length and have a thin needle nose similar to a short board, but larger. Gun boards are better for paddling into larger waves. Long boards are known for their length (9 to 12 feet), short rounded nose, and a single fin. Long boards are what the sport was started on. These boards are recommended for beginners because of their steadiness on the waves. You won't be ripping nor doing any tricks though. Hybrid, Egg, "mini-mals", and Fun-boards range from 7 to 9 feet. These boards are smaller versions of the classic long board. Because of the smaller size you have more mobility; it sacrifices the stability of the long board though. Hybrids usually have a single fin or a tri-fin (thruster style). Hybrids are used in smaller surf and are for beginners also. Short boards are from 5.5 to 7 feet in length with a slender pointy nose. These boards allow surfers excellent mobility for tricks and sharp cuts. Usually, short boards have 3 or 5 fins (thruster or Bonzer style), and are ridden by more experienced surfers. Fish boards are under 7 feet in length and is a short, stumpy board for riding small waves. This is a good board for more experienced surfers or people with other board sport experience to get a little crazy with their cuts on smaller waved days or inexperienced surfers to just stand up. Tow-ins are from 5 to 6 feet and are for only the most experienced. These boards are used to be towed into huge waves at high speeds by jet-ski.

Tail shapes are more varied, and have more interesting names. The squash-tail is the most common, modern tail shape. The design of the squash-tail makes for a stable handling, and still enables the board to stay loose (not catch water and cause more friction) on the water. This tail shape can be used on small and over head waves. The square tail is just as its name says. It is a flat based pre-runner to the squash-tail. The rails meet the tail at sharp corners giving the surfboard good maneuverability. It's best used in small to head high waves. The Thumb-tail is a rounded version of the squash-tail. This tail shape is great for rail-to-rail and big turns because of no hard angles or lines like that of the squash and square tail. The Rounded pintail is just like the thumb-tail, but more pinched towards the center. The rounded pintail is great for medium to large waves and ideal for powerful hallow surf. The pin tail is the next step down from the rounded pintail. This tail is PERFECT for tube riders!! The swallowtail and the baby swallowtail both combine the rail drive shape of a square tail with the sensitivity of the pintail. The swallowtail gives you excellent paddle and drive in smaller surf. The bat-tail performs like a swallowtail, but 2 outer pivot points and the additional central point provide greater stability. This tail can be used on any waves and is the most modern tail design.

Fins control the ability to turn and its stability. The depth of the fin (from the board to the tip of the fin) is in the water the more stable, but the less mobility you have. The shape of the fin also decides the mobility and the flexibility you have in turns and cuts. The longer the base (the piece that is right against the board) the more forward drive you have to push you faster along the wave. The foil, or the horizontal curvature of the fin, is another thing you need to decide. The Rake is the distance between the trailing edge of the fin base and the fin tip. This is the swept back characteristic of the fin. Increasing rake increases traction. The tip, top third of the fin, controls your hold. When deciding the flex you need to think about the fact that stiff fins are faster but flexible fins are easier to turn. When you decide on the brand you have a choice of FCS(www.surffcs.com ), Future (http://www.futuresfins.com/ ), Lokbox (http://www.lokboxfins.com/ ), O'Fish'L (http://www.ofishl.com/ ), and 4WFS (http://www.4wfs.com/ ). Each brand has there pros and cons. You just need to try them out to decide.

Fin configuration can make the ride pure ecstasy or complete trash. Tri-fin configuration is widely known as the standard fin configuration. This configuration gives you stabilization, control, and maneuverability in all types of surfing conditions. Quads, as their name states is four fins in the water, boasts an extraordinary amount of holding power in larger surf. They also are very responsive and great maneuverability because the fins are directly under her back foot. Single fin was the original fin configuration for surfboards. Single fins have added stabilization and control on the powerful, larger waves but with all that they lack maneuverability. 2+1 is a long board configuration, it is a single fin with two smaller helper fins. Twin and twin with trailer are just about the same thing, except that twin with trailer is a bit more stable due to the single small fin in the center of the rail. Twin configuration is perfect for small waves because they add speed and maneuverability, very popular with fish boards. The Twinzer has two large fins at the back and two angled smaller fins on the outside further from the tail. They are much looser than a thruster yet still have some speed to them. Twinzers are popular with hybrid boards. Bonzer configuration, also known as C5, is a 5-fin similar to the twinzer with an additional center trailing fin In the back.. The Bonzers two front fins are normally oval shaped. Last, but not least, is the Keel which is similar to the twin fin configuration although smaller (lower) profile fins are generally placed wider on the surf board. Keel is more popular with the Fish, Egg, and Retro surfboards.

Once you take all these things into consideration and test them you will have your perfect board. Exactly what you need, and once you have it perfect try a new one out until you have a few perfect boards for any situation, any wave, and any day. Experiment, and just have fun with it.