2008 Surfboard Models
by Chris Chira
More and more models have surfaced since the
first wooden surf board made of koa wood by the Hawaiians. They
have diverse shapes, colors, made of a mixture of materials with
additional pieces like fins or leashes attached, depending on the
situations.
There is one thing that hasn’t
changed since the beginning or surfing and that is the shaping of
the board. Even the modern board is hand shaped by professionals
after they have been molded into a rough shape. They basically
make them out of polyurethane foam and cover it with fiberglass
and resin. Recently, boards made of balsa and polystyrene cores
have increasingly become more popular. The majority of them have
between 2 and 5 kg in weight. In recent years one or more fins
have been added to enhance directionality and stability.
Generally, modern surfboard can be either
longboards �" of eight or more feet - or shortboards
�" of 5 to 7 feet. Longboard are thicker and wider, with
a more rounded nose while short board are shorter, thinner with a
more pointed nose, usually easier to maneuver. Shortboard are also
known as “Thrusters” and tend to have 3 fins �"
although a surfer can choose to attach as many fin as he wants to
his board. Other types of surfboard are Gun, Fish, Egg, hydrofoils
or fun-boards.
The Gun surfboard is especially designed for
paddling easier in the big waves and has from 7 to 12 feet in
length. It is thin with a single fin, making it look like a
shortboard in shape but with a longboard’s size. The Fish
surfboard is very short and has less than 6 feet in length, with
twin fin set up. It has developed in other models like Skip Frye,
Steve Brom and Rich Pavel, which are best used for small waves.
The Egg surfboard is a hybrid of 6 to 8 feet in length has tail
shape and a rounded nose for smaller waves, as well. This isn’t
the best choices for doing tricks or displaying major performance
but it surely is a lot of fun. That is why it’s highly
recommended to beginners.
Longboard are single finned and can reach 12
feet. Some of them are called noseriders because they allow the
surfer to walk to the tip and do what is called “nose ride”.
The most popular longboard is called Malibu (or Mal) and there are
also Mini Mals. The most impressive longboard are the Olos, which
can reach 14 feet and are made of wood, weighing 32 kg.
Funboards are very flexible to stabilize and
have more floatation than a shortboard. They are midsized,
suitable for beginner or amateurs. For beginners a Malibu board is
the best option - if you choose to go to a surfing school you will
most likely star with this one, also called a Foamie surfboard. A
Pop-out board is a good alternative to a cheaper surfboard that
floats very well.
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