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Bio - Eric L. Mihelbergel is an intermediate/advanced windsurfer, kiteboarder, and foiler living in the Great Lakes Region of New York State who enjoys sharing about windsports and fitness.
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Windsurfing Board Shapes
(Category: Windsurfing Wave Sailing)
By Eric Mihelbergel (Written March 2019)
The shape of your windsurfing board greatly affects how it rides. It can be designed for speed, maneuverability, control, grip, big waves, small waves, chop, and more. As with all windsurfing gear there is always a trade-off in performance. For example with sails, you can select a sail designed specifically for speed, but it will lack maneuverability. If you select a sail built for maneuverability it will give up some speed (click here for an article Know Your Sail). We could put most windsurfing gear on a spectrum of performance benefits. Boards are similar in this regard. However, there are many shape features of boards, each with its own individual performance spectrum. Each of these shape features can be altered to provide different benefits that combine to make a whole board. Let's explore each of these shape features individually and look at how they work together when combined into a single board.
Here are the individual features in list form:
1. Volume
2. Foil
3. Length
4. Width
5. Rocker
6. Tail
7. Nose
8. Bottom
9. Rails
10. Deck
1. Volume
2. Foil
3. Length
4. Width
5. Rocker
6. Tail
7. Nose
8. Bottom
9. Rails
10. Deck
Volume - Total volume affects how the board floats in general. However, it is the distribution of this volume that dictates how the entire board will perform. Two boards with the same volume may have the same float when you stand directly at the center of volume, but they will do very different things depending on where that volume is allocated. Think of a 105 liter wave board compared to a 105 liter freeride board. The wave board will likely be shorter and narrower than the freeride board, but have more thickness. The volume is distributed very differently. All of the shape features listed above come from the distribution of the total volume. There is only so much volume to go around. If you put a lot of volume in the tail, for example, you have to put less volume in other places.
Foil - As volume is distributed over the board there is a taper in thickness from nose to tail. Generally, boards are designed thickest in the middle and thinner in the nose and tail. This tapering of thickness is called foil. The nose of a windsurfing board is usually not super thick, but there needs to be some thickness to prevent the nose from pearling into a wave, to promote planing, and to support a riders weight on moves such as back-winded jibes where the rider walks around the front of the board. Thickness in the middle of the board is needed to support the general weight of the rider. Thickness in the tail helps to make planing easier, and it also helps on freestyle boards because it allows the board to pop more easily. Today's compact wave boards are very short and the stance is moved rearward to increase maneuverability, so there needs to be more thickness in the tail of these type of boards to support the rearward weight of the rider.
Length - Board length also affects volume distribution a great deal. A longer board allows you to glide better through lulls and will facilitate earlier planing, while a shorter board is more maneuverable.
Width - The widest point of the board will affect turning. If the widest part of the board is further back the board will turn sharper and be more maneuverable. If the widest part is further forward the board will turn slower, but it will plane quicker and be more efficient with speed.
Rocker - This is the curve of the bottom of the board as viewed from the side of the board. If the board has a lot of rocker it will turn easier and allow big waves to push the board easier, but it will sacrifice speed. A board with little rocker will be faster and plane easier, but will not respond as well to waves and turns. Rocker in the nose helps keep the nose from pearling into a wave.
Tails - The tail of the board can get a little complicated. There are two basic aspects we will look at here.
1. First, let's consider tail area and volume. Generally if there is more area and volume in the tail then the board will have more early planing ability. Both area and volume in the tail can be increased by making the tail wider. The widest type of tail would be a square tail. Now imagine taking a wide square tail and rounding off the corners. Continue rounding off those corners more and more and more, extending this rounded curve toward the nose of the board, until you have a very long narrow tail. What you have effectively done is reduce the area and volume of the tail. By reducing the area and volume in the tail the board will sit lower in the water which gives much more control in big waves and better tracking in a straight line. This would be very useful on big steep waves when you are falling down the front of the wave at high levels of acceleration and speed and need control. But windsurfing boards rarely use these 'extreme' tails that I just described such as a square tail or pintail, as riders need more versatility within their discipline. Instead, windsurfing boards usually have tails somewhere in between. Consider, for example, taking a square tail, cutting off the corners a bit, and then notching a "V" in the middle so that you end up with a double diamond type of tail like the Fanatic Stubby that I ride. This type of tail has less area and volume than a square tail, as we created by cutting off the corners and notching the vee, but still retains a large amount of early planing potential compared to a narrower tail. If we made the tail much narrower we would get more grip in big waves as the board would sit lower in the water.
2. Second, let's talk about curves versa sharp angles. Water likes to hold onto curves and release from sharp angles. This means that a tail with more curve will give a board more grip (control), while a tail with sharper angles gives more turning ability. Again, take my Fanatic Stubby for example with the sharp angles of the double diamond. This board has a wide tail that favors early planing, so in order to make it also maneuverable the designer has used sharp angles in the tail so that water is released more easily and the board also turns quickly. The downside is that this board will never have good grip in big steep waves. My Quatro Twin, on the other hand, has a tail that is much narrower with a smooth curve which gives the board better grip on big steep waves. So, I would grab my Quatro Twin if it was a day with big steep swell that I wanted to ride at high speeds, while the Fanatic Stubby would be much more fun on smaller wave days when I want to hit frontside and backside turns while staying on plane in onshore conditions.
1. First, let's consider tail area and volume. Generally if there is more area and volume in the tail then the board will have more early planing ability. Both area and volume in the tail can be increased by making the tail wider. The widest type of tail would be a square tail. Now imagine taking a wide square tail and rounding off the corners. Continue rounding off those corners more and more and more, extending this rounded curve toward the nose of the board, until you have a very long narrow tail. What you have effectively done is reduce the area and volume of the tail. By reducing the area and volume in the tail the board will sit lower in the water which gives much more control in big waves and better tracking in a straight line. This would be very useful on big steep waves when you are falling down the front of the wave at high levels of acceleration and speed and need control. But windsurfing boards rarely use these 'extreme' tails that I just described such as a square tail or pintail, as riders need more versatility within their discipline. Instead, windsurfing boards usually have tails somewhere in between. Consider, for example, taking a square tail, cutting off the corners a bit, and then notching a "V" in the middle so that you end up with a double diamond type of tail like the Fanatic Stubby that I ride. This type of tail has less area and volume than a square tail, as we created by cutting off the corners and notching the vee, but still retains a large amount of early planing potential compared to a narrower tail. If we made the tail much narrower we would get more grip in big waves as the board would sit lower in the water.
2. Second, let's talk about curves versa sharp angles. Water likes to hold onto curves and release from sharp angles. This means that a tail with more curve will give a board more grip (control), while a tail with sharper angles gives more turning ability. Again, take my Fanatic Stubby for example with the sharp angles of the double diamond. This board has a wide tail that favors early planing, so in order to make it also maneuverable the designer has used sharp angles in the tail so that water is released more easily and the board also turns quickly. The downside is that this board will never have good grip in big steep waves. My Quatro Twin, on the other hand, has a tail that is much narrower with a smooth curve which gives the board better grip on big steep waves. So, I would grab my Quatro Twin if it was a day with big steep swell that I wanted to ride at high speeds, while the Fanatic Stubby would be much more fun on smaller wave days when I want to hit frontside and backside turns while staying on plane in onshore conditions.
Video - Windsurfing Board Tail Shapes
Nose - We briefly mentioned noses above when we discussed foil and thickness. A thicker nose has more volume to support the front of the board. In addition to thickness, the nose can be wide or narrow. A narrower nose will have more grip just like tails, especially when the board is pointed down on steep drops, while a wider nose has more area making it better for early planing. Similar concepts to what we have already discussed.
Bottom - Bottom contour is probably one of the most controversial features among board shapers, so don't get too committed to the advantages and disadvantages of different bottom contour. Keep an open mind. With that said, bottoms can be convex, flat, concave, or combinations of these. To be very general, convex shapes displace water which makes them very good for chop, but they are slower as this displacement produces more drag. Convex shapes give a board excellent control in big steep waves as the shape provides no lift and allows the board to settle in the water. Concave shapes, on the other hand, channel water under the board and create more lift with less drag than convex shapes, but they are poor in choppy conditions as they bounce all over. This is very general, however, and these bottom features are usually combined to get benefits of the different shapes. Let's look a little more closely at these features.
One of the most common convex bottom shapes for windsurfing wave boards is 'vee' shape. Vee will push water aside which makes it smooth in chop. A shallow vee can also help with transition from rail to rail as the board can rock from side to side fairly easily, which can help initiate turns. But if the vee is too deep it can start to actually hinder turning, so most windsurfing wave boards keep the vee fairly shallow. Often we hear the term 'panel vee'. It simply means the vee is flat from the rails to the deepest part of the vee at the centerline.
Single concave means that there is a single concave section between the rails that runs a certain distance of the board length. If you can imagine this, the rails will be deeper in the water than the centerline of the board bottom. Double concave means that there are two parallel concave sections between the rails, one on each side of the board, that run a certain distance of the board length . If you can imagine this, the rails would be at the same water depth as the centerline of the board bottom while the middle of each concave section would be less deep in the water than the rails. A single concave section will provide more lift and speed than a double concave, but it will be bad in chop and will not turn great. Double concave will loosen up the board compared to single concave while still providing much better lift and speed than convex shaping. However, double concave can also be combined with vee so that the centerline of the board is deeper than the rails. This gives benefits of both vee and double concave. What are those benefits? The board will handle well in chop AND have good lift, speed, and turning.
Now let's combine some of these bottom features even further. I was recently comparing two radical quad wave boards from two different companies. Both boards are ridden by top pro windsurfers in world class events, but the bottoms are designed oppositely. Board 'A' has vee in the front, double concave with vee in the middle, and single concave in the back of the board. Board 'B' has just the opposite. Let's examine what this does. With board A, the vee in the front helps with chop and gives good control. When the rider pushes hard on the tail of the board to turn then the single concave in the rear helps the rider stay on plane through the turn and still provides good grip while the front of the board may be out of the water a bit. The double concave with vee in the middle of the board helps with both planing and control. Board 'B' does the opposite. It helps the rider plane early with single concave up front. And the vee in the rear will prevent the board from bouncing when turning in choppy conditions and it gives more control in big waves. So, as we can see, there is really no 'right way' to design the bottom, just different ways for different benefits.
Sometimes channels are put in the tail to allow water to flow through more quickly so the board keeps planing.
One of the most common convex bottom shapes for windsurfing wave boards is 'vee' shape. Vee will push water aside which makes it smooth in chop. A shallow vee can also help with transition from rail to rail as the board can rock from side to side fairly easily, which can help initiate turns. But if the vee is too deep it can start to actually hinder turning, so most windsurfing wave boards keep the vee fairly shallow. Often we hear the term 'panel vee'. It simply means the vee is flat from the rails to the deepest part of the vee at the centerline.
Single concave means that there is a single concave section between the rails that runs a certain distance of the board length. If you can imagine this, the rails will be deeper in the water than the centerline of the board bottom. Double concave means that there are two parallel concave sections between the rails, one on each side of the board, that run a certain distance of the board length . If you can imagine this, the rails would be at the same water depth as the centerline of the board bottom while the middle of each concave section would be less deep in the water than the rails. A single concave section will provide more lift and speed than a double concave, but it will be bad in chop and will not turn great. Double concave will loosen up the board compared to single concave while still providing much better lift and speed than convex shaping. However, double concave can also be combined with vee so that the centerline of the board is deeper than the rails. This gives benefits of both vee and double concave. What are those benefits? The board will handle well in chop AND have good lift, speed, and turning.
Now let's combine some of these bottom features even further. I was recently comparing two radical quad wave boards from two different companies. Both boards are ridden by top pro windsurfers in world class events, but the bottoms are designed oppositely. Board 'A' has vee in the front, double concave with vee in the middle, and single concave in the back of the board. Board 'B' has just the opposite. Let's examine what this does. With board A, the vee in the front helps with chop and gives good control. When the rider pushes hard on the tail of the board to turn then the single concave in the rear helps the rider stay on plane through the turn and still provides good grip while the front of the board may be out of the water a bit. The double concave with vee in the middle of the board helps with both planing and control. Board 'B' does the opposite. It helps the rider plane early with single concave up front. And the vee in the rear will prevent the board from bouncing when turning in choppy conditions and it gives more control in big waves. So, as we can see, there is really no 'right way' to design the bottom, just different ways for different benefits.
Sometimes channels are put in the tail to allow water to flow through more quickly so the board keeps planing.
Video - Basic Windsurfing Board Bottom Contours
Rails - Rails can be hard or soft. A hard rail has more of an edge to its shape rather than the smoother curve of a soft rail. Hard rails turn better than softer rails, and they cut through the water easier. Soft rails give more float and stability. They are also more forgiving and spinnier for freestyle. Hard rails have better hold on turns, and are faster as the water releases easier. Harder rails are often used in the back of board for turning while softer rails are used in middle for floatation and stability. A straighter rail line (more parallel) is faster, while a curvier rail line turns better.
Deck - A dome deck allows you to push the board over onto the rail a little easier and get a little more pop. A dome deck can make it a little easier to jibe and is generally considered more comfortable. A dome deck is associated with thinner rails as the 'doming' reduces volume at the rails while putting more volume in the middle of the board. A flat deck, in comparison, is associated with fuller rails that provide more side-to-side stability and, for this reason, works well on beginner boards. On freeride boards, the shaper will sometimes add a section of concave deck around the mast base which lowers the center of effort of the sail slightly. This lower center of effort helps to hold the front of the board down in high wind and chop, and it helps the rider close the gap between the bottom of the sail and the back of the board.
The above 10 features are combined in many ways by professional shapers to produce a board with multiple benefits. How do we begin to learn more about these combinations of features? I suggest that you start by going out into your garage with the specific intent of looking at each feature of your board and thinking about what the feature does for your board. Bring a long straight-edge out to your garage and lay it on the bottom of your board so you can more closely inspect the convex and/or concave bottom features. Do you see any vee? Ask yourself what the specific tail shape of your board does for performance. Pay attention to areas of your board where you see more volume. Notice where the widest part of the board is located. Run your hand down the rails to feel where it is hard and soft. Then go out on the water and notice when these features apply and how they feel. Go back into your garage to look at the features again, and think about how your board shape applied when you were on the water. Now get a different board and do the same thing. Compare the two different boards. Write down notes. Repeat this process many times over the next season and you will start to understand board shape. I have just started doing this in the last couple years, and it has made a significant difference in my understanding of board shape. This article is just a starting point in understanding board shape. It is very basic. Over the next few years I intend to personally explore shapes more thoroughly and add to this article. I hope you enjoy doing the same.
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Know Your Sail
Spin-Out: Your Fin or Your Sail?
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click here Weather Forecasting For Wind Driven Water Sports in WNY
Know Your Sail
Spin-Out: Your Fin or Your Sail?
The Importance of Your MAST
click here Weather Forecasting For Wind Driven Water Sports in WNY
