There are plenty of discussions about how a certain surfboard works. When talking surfboards with people about surfboards, during the process of deciding what surfboard they might like me to make them I often hear “ I like a surfboard that does this …. And doesn’t do this…”  ( fill in the blank ).  So the question is what makes a surfboard work?

Answer is…. You do!

What??? Wait a minute… you mean to tell me that board I got from so and so that was a total dog in the water that didn’t work at all was my fault?  Yeah, that board that you got from so and so that you gave back to so and so? They in turn gave that same board to someone else. That someone else started surfing it and it became their favorite board. Yeah, that board worked quite well.

It’s always said that every wave is different. You can be standing on the beach looking at the most perfect surf when every wave looks the same, so perfect you can’t get in the water fast enough. Even then each and every wave is different. And every surfer is different as well. Like your finger print is unique to only you so is your surfing unique to only you.

That means that what you feel under your feet and all the time you’ve spent in the water developing your abilities is personal to you. What works well for you may not work as well for someone else. And what works well for someone else may not work that well for you.

Just like people, surfboards come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and they all surf differently.  Simple examples… Single Fins surf different from Twin Fins, Twin Fins surf different from Tri Fins and they all surf different from Quads.  What about all the asymmetric stuff out there? Like the 3 fin board that has 2 fins on one side and 1 fin on the other?

It takes a lot of time and effort to learn to surf. When your abilities have progressed and you’ve gotten some proficiency what you like and don’t like starts to surface. What conditions you favor, what surf spots you favor, what time of day you like to surf and of course what kind of surfboards you like to surf. Or, work for you.

At first when I started surfing I had one surfboard. Whether that first surfboard worked or not, never entered my thoughts. I just got in the water and went after catching waves getting to my feet and trying not to fall. Just like everyone else. Of course you see someone that can surf like you wish you could. Look at the board they have thinking, if you had that board you could surf good too. Just like them. Funny, once you get good at surfing someone will see you and think the very same thing.  

I’ve made so many different types of surfboards, and surfed so many different types of surfboards. Yeah I have my favorites. Even favorites for certain types of conditions.  We’ve had surfboards we liked and surfboards we really liked. Or put another way, boards that worked better. Unfortunately the ones we really like we surf until they have just had it. Then we try to get another one just like it.

You may have a favorite board… even if it’s one that didn’t work well for someone else.

D.R.