Which tail for my brand new surfboard ?

Publié le 16/04/2022

The shape of the tail completes the outline of the board and must be in accordance with the movement given by the other values of this outline. Multiple tail shapes are primarily different distributions of the board's end surface. For a board designed for small waves that are not very hollow, surface area is needed to generate speed through lift. We prefer a "wide" tail called square or a squash, whose two angles (more or less sharp or softened) offer two ideal pivot points for tight maneuvers typical of small wave surfing.

Tails

As the size of the wave increases, the more hollow they are, the more you will have to decrease the surface of the tail. The wave generates enough power to surf fast and it is now the control of this speed that matters. From the squash tail, we can move to its reduced version, the baby squash, or more common, the round pintail. The round pin always offers a large surface and above all a lot of smoothness in the passage from one rail to the other, just like its shape. It can be adapted in small waves for light weight riders, but most of the time it's a tail shape that flourishes in medium size waves (1m50 to 2m-2m50).

Beyond that, the pintail is essential. Its surface reduced to the minimum brings very little thrust, but this small width allows it to split the wave and to bring the "edge grip" necessary to surf big or very hollow waves.

Other alternative tails exist, offering compromises between the squash-square and the pintail. The fishtail and swallow tail offer almost as much surf as a square tail when the board is flat, and once on the rail, these "two-piece" tails behave like a sharp-edged, tapered pintail. So avoid combinations of big wave tail and small wave board.