The value of patience while learning to Kiteboard

One of the most important qualities that a new kiteboarding student can posses is patience. In many of my instructional blogs you will here me say “do not rush”. In the students first few months of kiting, keeping the kite flying is like balancing a baseball bat on the end of your nose. As hard as you try sooner or later the kite comes crashing down. The only way you can move forward in the process of kiteboarding is to keep the kite in the sky. And the longer we can keep the kite in the sky the more time we have to experience what is going on and learn how it all works. Not being tense is also important. The first few times that we fly we are naturally apprehensive about the power of these great big kites, get nervous and react by becoming tense. Piloting a kite requires utilizing many of our senses, the most obvious is sight, but feel is also very important and if we are too overly tense we can not feel what the kite is trying to tell us. I had a student in the water and he was so close to getting up and riding, he was doing so well but the one thing that I could see, was that he was just trying too hard. After several attempts at the water start each ending unsuccessfully, I finally had him put the board on his feet, bring the kite to 12:00, and then I ask him to count to 10 before he tried to perform the water start. He did as I asked and when he did dive the kite, he rode away for 100 yards.
Even in my own experiences I have been frustrated from time to time with my own performance, and upon analyzing what might be going on I usually come to the conclusion that I’m trying too hard, and as I begin to relax everything begins to fall into line, and I have a much better experience.
So check your tension level once in a while. Ask yourself to relax, go with the flow. And you will soon get more power from your kite, find the groove on your board, and feel all that is going on.

Skills Drills #2 Figure 8’s

Figure 8’s
In this Skills Drills you will practice one of the most important skills you can have in your arsenal to find power. The figure eight is the fastest and most effective way to get your kite back into the power zone and away from the the edge of the wind window!

Drill: Standing on the beach with your trainer kite, or while body dragging with a power kite, bring the kite to a stationary position at 12:00 overhead for several seconds. This is an important time, spend this moment relaxing and becoming focused. Count to 10 if you have to. Do not rush. You are now ready to start the exercise. From 12:00 move the kite to the 11:00 on the left then dive the kite to the right but only for a short time then turn the kite 180 degrees and fly it back to 12:00 turn the kite again to the right and dive it once again on the right side of the wind window but deeper this time ( by deeper I mean dive it closer to the ground) then turn the kite 180 degrees again and back to 12:00 turn once more and dive the kite still deeper turn and fly back to 12:00. Bring the kite to a full stop. Now do the same exercise only to the left this time. In my description of the drill you will notice there were no comas. There is no time for pausing or hesitation during a series of figure 8s!
Key points:
Keep the kite moving! If at any time during the drill the kite stops moving forward quickly you have failed. Bring the kite to 12:00 and start over.

Dive the kite more vertically, less horizontally.

Always return to 12:00 before the next dive.

Anticipate 12:00, do not fly much past 12:00.

Avoid flying the kite in future 8s across the top of the wind window from 10:00 to 2:00. This is counter productive toward the end goal of kiting in one direction i.e. starboard tack. Practice figure 8s on one side at a time. And when it comes time to ride you will benefit a great deal from these drills. Never think you have done this exercise enough! You should be able to increase the amount power you get or decrease the power by adjusting the shape of the figure 8s.
When the day comes to try your first water start your understanding of good figure 8s will become immediately evident in your success or failure to ride, they are that important!

Skills Drills #1 S turns

Welcome to my new category “Skills Drills”. Here I will post drills that challenge riders to move beyond their comfort zone to develop new skills, and understanding of the sport of kiteboarding.

S Turns

Now that you have mastered the water start and have ridden a few hundred yards at a time, it is time to figure out how the board works and how to make it work for you. This drill is designed to get you to change course. That is the direction in which you are riding. I.E. from 90 degrees east to 130 degrees south east and back again. This will give an idea of the effects that a change of course will have on things like speed, upwind progress, and the limitations of too great of a course change.

Drill: As you are riding on your heel side edge, back leg bent, front leg straight, leaning against the kite, arms out, bring your body to a more vertical stance while still standing over you back foot to keep the nose of your board up. Now lean toward your toe side edge and re direct the board in a more down wind direction. A course change of maybe 30 or 40 degrees. Not 5 degrees. This course change should only last 2-3 seconds, and then back to your original course. The kite should remain at the same elevation (45degree angle).

Goal: To carve S Turns in a consistent manner.

The final hurdle, onshore conditions at Jupiter Kite beach!

This post is bound to become one of my favorites to write. While much of what I discuss in this blog is addressed to kite boarders every where, this topic is directed to those riders who call Jupiter Kite Beach home, and those who travel to our town to kiteboard in our warm Gulf Streams waters. I am not going to discuss just kiting here on any average day…nope. We are going to discuss kiting at Jupiter in ( for some ) the most dreaded of all conditions…straight onshore wind, head high or bigger, rip the board from your feet, and always humbling shore pound! Talk to any Kiteboarder around the state and mention kiting in Jupiter and they will almost always mention how difficult it was breaching the shore break in East wind. Many near death experiences have occurred while making a late decision to turn away from a steep pitching lip and finding yourself tackled by the wave from behind like a Sumo Wrestler and tumbled with such force that it feels more like the first stage of Hell than your favorite kite spot. Some of the thoughts that go through our minds as we strive to survive the spin cycle are “I hope the board doesn’t hit me in the face”, “I don’t feel any tension in my kite lines, this can’t be good”, And when it seems like it will never end “will I ever breath air again?!”. While there are no fatalities to report thank God, many a novice kite warrior has had his pride and confidence shattered in their first attempts at charging the line. What’s more, as an aspiring Kiteboarder who is dedicated, and riding every chance he or she gets, there is a lot of east wind days during the South Florida kiteboarding season. We must master the skills needed if we want ride here all season. So her are some tips to think about. It still takes practice and perseverance, and really is just a fine tuning of the skills you have already learned while riding in side shore conditions.
First Goal The water start.
The first thing we must do is simply get into the water, get the board on our feet, and get up on plane. When the winds are on shore the waves are generally what we call a short period swell, 4 to 7 seconds between wave crests. This leaves us very little time to lay back in the water, get the board on our feet, dive the kite and get up to ride before the next wave is on us, pushing us back onto the beach. We need some advantage. And this advantage can be realized before you even get in the water. The key to this advantage is understanding that the contours under the water are responsible for the conditions of the surf at the surface. Deep water = ocean swells, no breaking waves. Shallow water= steep breaking waves. My point is that all beaches are not created equal. Every 100 meters or so the conditions near the shore can vary widely. What makes the shore break at Jupiter Kite beach so intense is relatively deep water on the outside sand bar, which allows the swells full energy to travel all the way to the beach, then break with great intensity in the shallow water close to shore. If you stand on the stairs or some high vantage point and look up and down the beach you will see that some locations are constantly bombarded by steep crashing waves, while other spots have very small shore break, only knee high. That is where you want to get into the water. There was a time in Kite Beach history when all of the riders discovered this fact, and that there was a beach that had this “easy entry” quality, and we all moved to that beach for a time. Then we realized that it had much more beach goer traffic and it was in the best interest of the sport to move back to Kite Beach. Tides can have an effect on conditions as well, high tide being the worst time to enter the water. If you find yourself struggling, take a break and return later when the tide is lower.
Second Goal Board speed.
The next thing is to get up to speed. Like I have previously mentioned we are really just fine tuning the skills that we should already possess. If you have been kiting in side shore, or side on conditions, the course you have been sailing is a few degrees upwind. And it seems that you make pretty easy progress getting through any waves. Now that the wind is straight onshore your course should still be just a few degree upwind, but what has changed is your relationship to the waves. Instead of jumping the waves at a 45 degree angle, now you are running nearly parallel to the waves, and this is psychologically difficult for us. With white water nipping at our heels, and the dry sand staring us in the face, we want more than anything to get through the surf as quickly as we can. The common result is “Pinching”. Pinching is a sailing term used to describe turning your boat or board too high into the wind resulting in little or no forward speed. You need speed first! So sail a course that is parallel to the shore until you have sufficient speed to ride upwind. Pinching your way up to some steep knarly ones, you are just asking for a beating! The best strategy is to ride as if you have no intentions of getting out through the surf. There is no shame in riding between the impact zone and the beach, just be ready to sheet out in case you are pulled onto the beach.
Third Goal Hopping waves.
As you are riding parallel to the beach to gain speed, you will encounter waves every 4-7 seconds. How you handle hopping these waves will determine whether you ride for the next 5 minutes or only the next 5 seconds. So you have been riding in the side-on conditions and jumping the waves at a 45 degree angle, pretty easy to stay on the tail of your board and let the nose ride up and over. Now riding parallel to the waves you will find that the top, or deck of your board is exposed to the approaching white water (and impending doom!), you must not let the white water pile onto you deck or you will go down. As the wave approaches, maybe as early as 3 seconds before it reaches you, carve sharply upwind and rock your board to your toe edge just enough to expose the bottom of your board to the approaching white water. As soon as you have passed over the white water regain speed by pointing your board on the original parallel to the beach course. So… get speed…carve up and over…steer back onto speed course …carve up and over…you will develop a rhythm. Over time you will learn that there is very little power to be had while you are on or just behind the white water, because the energy of the wave decreases your “apparent wind”. But we’ll discuss that in a future post.
Fourth Goal Breeching the impact zone.
Now that you have some speed and have managed to hop the white water with some rhythm and consistency, its time to ride up wind and conquer the demons whose aim is to send you back to the beach with your little mammal nub between your legs. The key elements to this task are observation, good decision making and timing. Never head upwind into the gauntlet and assume you will ride a straight course into deep water. Looking ahead you are constantly making decisions. “Should I head out a little further?” or “Turn away from that steep one!”, “Run down wind a little further, the time is not right”. Slowly work your way upwind, hopping the white water as it comes, learn to read the waves and when and where they are breaking, it’s not random, there is a shallow fixed sand bar causing the swell to break. DO NOT RUSH! As you ride looking 20 meters ahead, observing the man crushing violence of heavy water, suddenly…there it is, the window, a pause in the mayhem! HEAD OUT!
After riding back and forth across the same stretch of beach you may find that your way out happens to be in the same place each time. Again, not a coincidence. The bottom has deep spots as well as sand bars, and these deep spots usually create rips and are good places to head out.
I personally enjoy the spontaneity required to ride in the onshore winds at Jupiter Kite Beach. And I think a lot of the experienced riders will agree. They are some of our favorite conditions. Maybe the reason is that it is always a challenge, and a great time to hone your skills, and be tested. The riders that you see outside in these conditions have all paid their dues, praying for forgiveness as they are held to the bottom, digging sand from their ears 3 days later. Take it one session at a time, one step at a time, one wave at a time and we’ll all be riding. But don’t think that getting out a handful of times will be the end of it, every once in a while we all are humbled, caught with loose lines, face to face with a deep dark pit!

Details for Kiteboarding upwind

Kiteboarding well is all about the details, and there are many. When it comes to riding upwind those details are all important, miss one and you’re just slogg’n along. In the first few weeks, most people, while up riding are rapidly loosing ground down wind, but that’s ok, what’s important is to just be up on a plane, riding. How else could we learn what to do and what not to do. So here you are up on the water screaming and hooting and having a good time, you have even managed to get enough speed to park the kite at 10:00 or 2:00 and sit back and enjoy the ride, but now it’s time to get back to work Grasshopper. Here is a list of some details to consider when you get tired of walking back up the beach.
1 SPEED The first thing you need to ride upwind is “Board Speed”. If you are not moving at a sufficient rate of speed due to too light of wind, or too small a kite, too small a board or you are just trying to point upwind too soon you will not ride upwind.
2 COURSE The course we sail is the direction in which we are traveling. It doesn’t take very long for the novice rider to figure out that there are courses we can sail and some we can’t . Move directly toward the kite, the lines will soften and the kite will fall from the sky. At the other end we turn up wind too much and we loose power. The trick is to sail a course as close to the wind as possible without loosing power. Some tips for sailing a higher course may help here. Move your body weight as far back toward the tail of the board as comfortably possible by bending your back leg. This may sound strange but looking over your forward shoulder in an upwind direction always helps. ( by now you should stop looking at the kite so much) once you have steered as close to the wind as possible and you start to loose power , turn down wind just enough to regain your speed.
3 EDGING Edging is the term used for the way we tilt the board up edge wise. Letting the board lay too flat on the water will allow the board to be pulled downwind. Edging the board creates the resistance needed to stay upwind. Being pulled downwind can also happen as a result of too large of a kite, or too large of a board in high winds.
4 PROPER SHEETING This is a very important factor and one of the hardest to master by the beginner. Over sheeting is the term we use for pulling on the control bar excessively. When we over sheet the kite it slows the flow of air over the canopy and induces drag. When this happens the kite does not fly as far up into the wind, sometimes by several degrees. We want the kite to fly as close to the wind as possible and so we need to “SHEET OUT”! As we feel the kite start to depower we sheet in just enough to keep power in the kite and the kite pulling. When in doubt “Sheet out”.
5 BODY POSITION You should be getting a little more comfortable by now so relax, and learn to lean back in the harness. Standing directly over the board won’t allow you to edge the board properly .
6 KITE POSITION Riding with the kite too high in the sky can create too much lift and leave you skipping over the water with little or no ability to edge the board.
A good drill to help understand all of these details is to isolate each skill. As you are riding keep the kite in one place in the sky and keep the bar in one place . Now learn to adjust your speed by steering different courses. Or steer a straight course and adjust your speed by sheeting in or out .
One more tip is to pick a rider up ahead of you and try to match their course.

Time for a kiteboarding lesson

In the day to day running of Cloud Nine Kiteboarding one of the most difficult tasks we face is scheduling students for a lesson. There are so many factors involved that are not always apparent to the customer. So that students can better understand what we, and they are up against, here is a list of some of the factors involved in the scheduling process.
– At the top of the list is weather. At some kiteboarding locations in different parts of the world the wind blows 20 knts.+, 6 days a week on average., but not here in South Florida. For going on 8 years we have kept a log of conditions that are conducive to kiteboarding lessons, and on average there is suitable wind around 3 days per week during our 8 month season from Oct. thru May.
– Life’s priorities. This one is a touchy subject. While a child’s birthday or wedding anniversary are good excuses to miss a lesson on a windy day, playing tennis instead of running for a sudden kiteboarding lesson on a windy day could put you weeks behind. If you are serious about learning to Kiteboard, dedication to frequent lessons is of paramount importance.
– weekends vs. weekdays. We realize that some customers work regular hour jobs, 5-6 days a week, unfortunately Mother Nature does not supply good wind only on the weekends. Once a student is up and riding, it is like riding a bike, you do not forget what you have learned. But until that point every effort should be made to get a lesson in WHEN THE WIND BLOWS! Even if it means a few sick days or vacation time. If you invested in 3-4 lessons over a 3 month period, you would be riding. If you took 4 lessons over a 4 year period, you might as well buy a ski boat. You can use them on any weekend.
– Other customers. When the wind blows those few few days during each week, we have many students that need our attention. Since everyone has different amounts of time available, (some are only in town for a few days), it is important to stay in touch with us on a regular basis regarding your availability.
The sensation of kiteboarding is one of the best feelings ever! To get to that moment of riding with power takes dedication and an openness to learn, and before we learn to ride we must learn to work WITH nature to harness the wonderful resource that is the wind. It doesn’t come on at 8:00 on Wed. evening like a TV show, you can’t reserve “20 knts. s.e.” like at a restaurant.
Our most successful students in the past all had one thing in common. They learned to watch the weather themselves and when it was forecast to blow, they started calling.

Surviving a Florida summer as a Kiteboarder / Learning to flow with Nature

Being a kiteboarder in Florida during the summer months requires a certain amount of patients. For what seems like an eternity we are faced with light wind, or no wind at all. Lets face it, most kiters are… Passionate about our sport. It is new to most of us, we are excited, can’t wait for the next blow, and it eats us up waiting! Over the 10 years that I have been kiting I have made an observation regarding the attitude of kiters when it comes to living with this addiction. At first I thought it was just me, then as the years wore on I realized that there is a cycle that most of us shared. In the first year as novice riders, or should I say novice crashers, we are so excited about the progress we made during our last session that we can barely sleep. We drive to the beach, and sit for hours on end with our kites rigged, laying on the sand ( baking the canopies ) waiting for the wind to come up. The laundry piles higher, the grass gets deeper, the Girl friend becomes a friend, and there we sit. This goes on for about 2 years. Then we get better about reading the forecast, and realize how hard the summer sun is on our gear, so now we leave the gear in the car, but still drive up in the afternoons, because by now we have learned how convection, and thermal winds create sea breezes in the afternoons…Maybe. Then after about 4 years of this madness we finally realize that we must not fight it, we have to learn to live within natures schedule. None of us are happy about the light winds of summer, but lets not sulk. Embrace the conditions, and move to one of the many other activities that we can enjoy when the wind is calm. We can learn a lot about nature and our surroundings by observing, and finding the groove for these activities. Wind is the enemy of stand up paddle boarding, but there is nothing quite like being a mile from shore atop a sea of glass over a bed of grass. Or riding knee high waves in water so crystal clear that all you see is the sandy bottom. These two conditions are only possible in deep summer. Sea Turtles are mating just off shore in the summer months, and in the morning glass they are very easy to spot.
Diving, and snorkeling have always been good summer activities. Diving from the beach or in the inlets, you will learn how the tides and fresh water run off effect water clarity.
Just take a drive. Explore our state, in just one day we recently drove 130 miles up the coast and Paddle Boarded 3 different surf spots, and experienced 3 totally different conditions. We paddled across an inlet, visited with a Manatee, found bigger, crappy waves further north, witnessed an awesome thunderstorm, and finished the day riding glassed off waves in front of a Light House as the sun set, and had the place to ourselves.
I was recently working on a piece of wood, when I stopped to admire the grain pattern, and realized that what I was admiring was the random flow of nature in the uneven rings of this old Cypress tree. The lines were not evenly spaced like the minutes on our clocks. They were random, and that is what made the piece interesting.
The wind will blow again, but until it does enjoy what nature is laying before you…and let the grass grow longer.

Down Looping

The technique of down looping a kite is one of the most overlooked skills there can be. Down looping is not to be confused with the more powerful, “Kite loop”. I think when people just hear the word “loop” they cringe, and the hair stands up on the back of they’re neck, from the memory or story of the accidental kite loop gone bad and the painful consequences. First lets explain the difference between the two.
Kite Loop A kite loop is performed by steering the kite from its normal position ( say 10:00 on port tack) up, then back, then down, then forward, back to it’s original position. Performing a kite loop sends the kite around 360 degrees.
Down loop Performing a “Down loop” requires the rider to start with the kite at a relatively high position ( say 11:00) and diving the kite down, and back, while jibing the board. Performing a Down loop, the kite only rotates 180 degrees.
While the kite loop is definitely a powerful, more advanced move, a down loop should be learned just as soon as you are able to jibe, or do a toe side turn. In fact down looping the kite is a perfect complement to a toe side turn. Most people while learning the toe side turn complain of a loss of power. Down looping the kite while performing the toe side turn gives a more steady pull from the kite through the turn.
Heres how it works: In a normal jibe we take the kite up, and over the top of the wind window. By doing so, the kite travels along the “Edge” of the wind window, decreasing the power until we dive it down the opposite side and recover the power. In a down loop, the kite moves through the power zone, not along the edge of the wind window, and so delivers a more steady pull through the turn.
Confused ?
It’s very simple here is how it’s done: Say you are on Port tack ( riding heel side with your left foot forward) take the kite up near the top, 11:00, then instead of sending the kite over the top and down the other side as in a normal jibe. Dive the kite down ( pulling on the left side of the bar, do not hesitate!) and as the kite dives, lean into your toe side turn. Hold the left side of the bar down until it climbs back up on the new starboard tack. You will be amazed at how easy this move is, and how useful it can be. When you are out riding and the wind starts to die, and you need to get back to shore…DOWN LOOP!
Here is a fun drill: Next time you’re doing a down winder, down loop your kite, and carve a toe side turn, then let the kite climb close to the top, and down loop it again, and do a heel side turn, then up to the top again, and down loop it , toe side turn, heel side turn, toe side turn, the kite will be making huge figure 8’s in the sky, it’s like water skiing through the cones on a slalom course!
Find the rhythm, Embrace the power

Kiteboards / Design / Function

The wind is S.E. at 21 knots, there are gorgeous peaks of crystalline turquoise I am tow side, heading out, when I spot my target. A chest high nugget racing onto the sand bar. I set my eyes crosshair on the steepening face… Down loop my kite…Load up the tail of my Totora Wave Skate…and BLAST the vertical wave face with all my might!
So what drove me to purchase the board that I used so effectively during that sweet session? What features does that board possess that give me the feel that I am looking for?
When it comes to the design of a board there are many variables. Each of those variables have an effect on the sensation, or feeling that we experience when we ride them. The main variables are length, width, thickness, weight, contour, and flex, or rigidity. If you can picture in your mind a block of foam 12 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 4 inches thick, and figure this is what you have to start with. Imagine all of the combinations of shapes that could possibly come from that block. The number would be closer to infinity than 0!
There are two main types of Kiteboards that are popular today. Twin Tips, and Surfboards.
I am going to keep this as simple as possible to understand, and try to communicate the “feeling/ sensation” of each design feature in today’s boards.
TWIN TIPS
Length- The longer a board, the more stable the ride. Longer boards have a more drawn out turning radius, tend to ride upwind better, and due to their greater surface area will keep a rider up on a plane in lighter winds. Shorter boards have a tighter turning radius, are not as efficient in light wind due to their low surface area, how ever they will have greater edging power in high winds, and will deliver greater “Pop” for bigger jumps.
Width- The width of a board effects it’s ability to roll from side to side. A narrow board will transition from heel side to toe side easier than a wide board. A narrow board will more effectively edge against the pull of a kite than a wide board. A wide board will stay on a plane at lower speeds, than a narrow board.
Rocker- Rocker falls under the category of contours. Rocker is the bottom contour, length wise from tip to tip, measured from the lowest point, usually at the center, to the highest point at the tips.
Flatter / Low rocker boards are more efficient, and give a faster ride. Flatter boards will track, or ride in a straighter line, and have a more stable feel. Good on flat water, not so good in chop, or waves.
Continuous rocker boards are less efficient, but have a more desirable turning radius, and comfortable ride. Better in choppy conditions or waves.
Three Stage Rocker is a blending of the two, with a flat center section, and turned up tips. these boards achieve the goal of efficiency, and comfort.
Flex vs Rigid- Rigid Kiteboards are usually Continuous rocker “Wake Style ” boards. A rigid board will give a more solid feel, and have better “Pop” for jumps. A rigid board will have a rougher ride than a flexible board. Flexible boards are more forgiving in rough conditions, giving a smoother ride. Today’s modern Kiteboards have a wide variety of flex points, soft flex corners, stiff centers, high torsion cross sections, all in an effort to create a board that rides smoothly, and gives Pop for jumps like a tightly strung bow.
Rails- are another feature in the Contours category. Rails are the term given to the edges of a board, that transition between deck, and bottom. Rails can be “soft” or “hard”. Soft rails are rounder and give a smooth feel to the ride. Hard rails have sharp 90 deg. corners, these rails give better edging qualities to a board, and can add to it’s ability to ride upwind.
Bottom Contour- Where Rocker is the bottom shape from tip to tip, now we are describing the shape from side to side. There are many varieties , flat, single concave, double concave, v bottom, channels. Flat bottom boards have a smooth feel to them, but move slower than the other types. Channels, and concave bottoms are all utilized to focus the flow of water out the back of the board instead of over the side, creating better speed, and efficiency upwind.
Weight is a factor in twin tips, but a small one, mostly felt when jumping.
Thickness also plays a very small roll in twin tips, having more to do with whether a board is flexible or rigid.

Surfboards
For this article I will be discussing surfboards from a kiteboarding perspective.
Most of what was said about Length, and Width for twin tips holds true for Surfboards.
Rocker is where the two different types of boards grow apart. Twin tips are bi-directional, each end of the board acts as a nose in one direction, and a tail in the other. Surfboards are uni-directional. There is only one nose, and one tail, and each is designed for that specific purpose. The combinations of differing nose, and tail rockers are many. Nose rocker plays a very small roll as it is rarely in contact with the water. The point at which the board first comes in contact with the water is called the boards “Entry Point”. The tail rocker holds around 70 % of the boards efficiency. When it comes to the feel, flatter is faster, more stable, more tail rocker allows for a tighter turning radius, but will slow the board.
Flex- Most surfboards have little or no flexing qualities, some manufacturers have started to introduce small amounts of flex.
Rails- Due to the greater amount of thickness, and volume of a surfboard, the rails play a much bigger roll in the boards design, and feel. Again, the job of the rails at the nose is different than the tail, at the nose the board enters the water, the water flowing around the rails, and exiting at the tail, flowing past the rails. Thinner rails are easier to “Bury” in a turn than heavier rails. Softer rails make rail to rail transitions smoother. Harder, sharper rails add speed.
Bottom Contour- Most of today’s modern surfboards utilize some sort of concave configuration as mentioned in Twin Tips. Concave bottoms are fast, and are so effective, that it is difficult to find a board on the market that does not have this feature included in it’s design. Surfboards with spiral vee bottoms are usually big wave guns meant to be ridden in large powerful surf.
Weight- this feature is more important in surfboards than twin tips. Lightness is more desirable, the only down side is a trade off in durability. A light board will have a more free feel, and jump easier, especially when jumping strapless. A heavier board will have a more solid feel, some speed boards are actually loaded with extra weights to give stability at speed.
Thickness- The thickness of a surfboard can vary in so many places. Some boards may be well “Foiled Out” ( thin at the nose, and tail) with great volume in the center of the board, while others may be virtually the same thickness from tip to tip. Rails can be thick and “Hard”, or thin with a lot of “Dome” in the deck. Thickness adds positive floatation, depending on where the thickness is located, it can work for you, or against you, depending on what you are after. Going to extremes for an example. If you needed a light wind board, the thickness of an SUP will do the job. If you want to rip the top off of a chest high wave, a 5’2″ x 18 3/4″ x 2″ thick Totora Wave Skate is all you need.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, there are so many variables and the combinations are endless. The best thing to do when looking at different designs is to take it for a test ride. For all of the different designs out there, there is one more variable, and that is the rider, and their individual needs, and riding style, and I will discuss this in an upcoming blog.

A Notha Groovy Session At Saint Lucie Inlet