Recently I was asked what the rails were like on one of my boards.

I can explain what they are like but to really know what rails are like on any given surfboard it’s pretty mandatory to see, feel and handle the board.

I know what my rails are like. I can see them in my head. It’s like someone you know in a crowd. They are easy to spot…. ‘cause you know what they look like. 

When you’re shaping a surfboard after you’ve got the outline cut and milled the blank for foil and rocker you band the rails. Then you turn the rails… shape the rails using sand paper and screen. Dial in the rail apex, where and how the apex line moves from nose to tail, blend in edges etc.

If you shape lots of boards each and every day your routine will pretty much get you the same results on each board you shape. It’s not a bad idea to have a few rail profile patterns to check consistency. If you don’t shape lots of boards and or have several board models having different rail profiles, patterns make dialing in consistent rail shapes a proficient exercise.

I can’t imagine working without them.

D.R.