Surfboards

Sizing a surfboard leash is actually quite simple. You never want the leash to be shorter than your board, so the quick answer to what size leash you should get is: the same or a little longer than your board. These are my favorite surfboard leashes for everyday surfing. But there’s more to choosing a…

Rails are the edges of your surfboard—the parts you grab onto. Since they run the entire length of your board from the nose to the tail, they play a key part in the board’s performance: how fast it glides, how it paddles, how it floats, and how it turns in the water. The shape of…

Look on the bottom of any surfboard and you’ll notice one, two, three or more fins of different sizes and shapes. These fins—and the way they’re arranged—can have a major impact on your board’s performance, especially as you pass the novice level in your surfing and want more responsiveness. Fins give a surfboard stability, control,…

Have you ever noticed that little line running straight down the middle of your board? It isn’t merely decorative. There’s a lot that goes into surfboard construction and that line—called a stringer—is a fundamental part of it. Stringers aren’t visible on all boards, but they usually appear as thin strips of wood from the nose…

“Rocker” is a term you often hear when it comes to surfboards, and it’s a helpful one to know because the amount of rocker (an important design feature for both longboards and shortboards) determines how the board glides through the water. The rocker is the curve of a surfboard from its nose to its tail,…

If you love surfing but feel like you don’t know the first thing about it, don’t let that stop you from going after it! Surfing is a journey that has to start somewhere, and a good place to start sooner than later is knowing the parts of a surfboard and what they do. This will…