So you may have noticed that there are many surfboard shapes out there and may have no idea what each shape does to your style of surfing. That’s where I come in handy. I am writing this blog to hopefully inform you on different surfboard shapes and share my knowledge of their purpose. There are many different names people may use for these boards but the general names are as follows. We have the longboard, the gun, the funboard (also referred to as the hybrid, the egg, the fish, the shortboard and tow in.
If you talk to any surfer about their board collection they will probably tell you that they have quite the selection. A smart surfer knows how to choose the right board based on the wave conditions. Some though are strictly longboarders or strictly short boarders and may have slight variations of boards within that range of length. Let’s break down the different shapes. Starting with the longest, a longboard. The longboard usually ranges from nine to twelve feet. Longboards are commonly identified by their rounded nose and the long length. The longboards typically have a single fin setup. They are usually wide throughout with a slight sinch in at the tail. Next, you’ve got the gun.
This shape is unique to bigger faster waves. The gun ranges from seven to twelve feet in length. The gun has a thin, needle-nosed shape, similar to a shortboard’s nose but much greater in size. The increased length gives surfers an advantage when paddling into larger and faster sets. We then have the funboard, also referred to as the hybrid. This surfboard usually ranges between seven to nine feet in length. These boards are smaller versions of the classic longboard. Surfers have more range of motion and better mobility in the water. That being said, this board’s shape doesn’t have the stability and paddling ease that the longboard does. Funboards typically have either a tri fin setup or a single fin like the longboard.
Then there’s the egg. The egg is one of my personal favorites. The egg is exactly how it sounds. It is a bit stubby and rounded. These boards are by no means a competitive high-performance board. They are designed for smaller surf and for having fun. Eggs are good for beginners because their width creates great stability which therefore makes it easier to stand up. The egg is usually about six to eight and a half feet in length. Getting smaller now… The next surfboard we’re going to talk about is the fish.
The fish, lengthwise, usually stays under seven feet. A fish surfboard is shorter and stumpier and it great for smaller wave heights. The defining characteristic of the fish is the swallow tail shape. These boards are often used with a twin fin setup and allow for some fun on a smaller day. Then there’s the famous shortboard which stays between five to seven feet in length. Shortboards are well known for their mobility for tricks and sharp maneuvers and overall high performance.
These boards are much harder to stabilize and are not recommended for beginners. Shortboards usually have a three to five fin set up and are mostly ridden by experienced surfers. Last but not least we have tow-in boards. Tow-in surfboards are made for big wave surfing. They are usually five to six feet in length and have small foot straps that allow the surfer to be dragged into a swell wave by a jet ski. These boards are designed for high-performance in large fast wave conditions.
