Tail shapes

 

 

 

Rounded square tail is the most common tail shape used in Britain today.  The rounded squaretail allows the board to snap and release easily throughout turns whilst maintaining control.

Square or squash tails are flat at the back. The squash tail design is related to short board design, and refers to the widest part of the board being near the tail. The more volume and planing surface you have at the tail, the more there is to push against to do fast, precision turns.

The Swallow tail allows the board to snap and release similar to the square tail, however it is more controllable than the square tail in the steeper areas of the wave making the board feel a little stiffer and needing a little more pressure with your rear leg to manoeuvre the board.

Pintails Are pointed and you will see guns that are extreme examples of this design but you will also see them on long boards. People who prefer them claim that they get very smooth turns and cutbacks and also much more hold in steeper/hollower and bigger waves. Again pintails will get in the way on smaller, mushier surf.

Bottom Shape The shape of the base of your surfboard also affects the way it rides. The variation in bottom shapes is almost limitless. Essentially a surfboard can have "V" in the tail, textured bottoms, concaves or channels but these tend to be high performance features that shouldn't come into the equation if learning to surf.

 

 

 

 

 

BACK TO LESSONS