|
|
NATURAL CURVES SURFBOARDS |
| Surfboards | | | Design | | | Surfing & Media | | | Surfcast | | | About NC | | | Custom Orders | | | Contact |
|
PROFILES and FOILS
THE DISTRIBUTION of VOLUME in a SURFBOARD |
|
OVERVIEW
The Profile and Foil refer to the distribution of thickness and volume in a surfboard. Surfboards are foiled nose to tail and rail to rail. Rails are also foiled from nose to tail and deck to bottom. Surfboard foils vary with the many classes of surfboards. The foil nose to tail facilitates several performance features for a surfboard - creating inertia and momentum, initiating maneuvers, control of the rails and tail, and support for the surfer's displacement and technique. The rail to rail foil facilitates the same performance features as well as enhancing transitions from rail to rail, and maintaining control and support for surfing on rail through maneuvers. An efficient well designed and well shaped foil creates acceleration, projection, planning speed, maneuverability, control, and predictability. SHORTBOARD FOILS The primary effect of an efficient shortboard foil is generating lift and reducing drag in a design. The foil of the modern shortboard is pretty unique. The performance demands and volume of these designs requires extremely well nuanced design features. Foils are dependent on and designed for a surfer's displacement and technique. Foils are moderately thicker throughout carrying more volume through the nose and tail for bigger or more powerful surfers and, conversely, foils are moderately thinner throughout carrying less volume through the nose and tail for smaller or more light footed surfers. Nose to tail along the length of a board the shortboard foil has the volume concentrated from 12" to 15" aft of the nose to the rail fins near the tail. The volume in the nose and tail are thinner than the volume from the wide point to the fins, the nose moderately thinner than the tail from the 1990s to the early 2000s. Foils have evolved to moderately thicker in the nose than in the tail in the 2020s. The transition from thinner nose to the concentration of foam under the surfer to thinner tail must be seamless and clean to maximize the board's performance. An efficient surfboard foil is moderately thin and crisp in the nose and entry, gains volume as it approaches the wide point, carries volume through the wide point, has a very subtle but well defined reduction in volume from the wide point approaching the fins, and carries that thinner volume from the fins through the tail. The thinner entry allows the board to transition with ease onto rail and from rail to rail. The moderate thickness at the wide point supports the surfer on rail. The moderately thin foil near the fins provides control and creates acceleration and projection. Carrying moderate volume from the fins through the tail maintains and carries the speed developed from turns. Foils from the early 1990s to the early 2000s were generally 1/8" to 1/4" thinner 12" from the nose than 12" from the tail and 1/16" to 1/8" thinner 24" from the nose than 24" from the tail. Shortboard foils from the 2020s are now moderately thicker at 12" and 24" from the nose, generally 1/16" to 3/16" thicker at 12" and 24" from the nose than from 12" to 24" from the tail. In the 2020s foils the distribution of volume has shifted forward in all shortboard designs mimicking the foils of Semi Guns and XXL Guns. This trend started in heavy water and XXL waves long before it was adapted to high performance shortboard and step up designs. This evolutionary foil feature and distribution of volume offers enhanced performance paddling, catching waves, early entry, acceleration, out of turns, turning a board as hard as possible with no risk of losing control, and particularly the ability to hold a board on rail throughout the full arc of turning on rail. Early 1990s to 2000s performance shortboards were notably longer than the more efficient versions of the 2020s. They ranged from 5' 10" to 6' 4" depending primarily on the size, skill, and fitness of the surfer. The 2020s versions range from 5' 8" to 6' 2". To offset the length in these longer shortboards profiles and foils were designed thinner with less volume to minimize the length's affect on quickness, maneuverability and turning performance. The shorter rail line and outline of the 2020s shortboard offers more versatile and efficient quickness, maneuverability, and turning performance. To maximize acceleration, projection, speed, and control the remarkably efficient shorter performance shortboards of the 2020s shifted volume forward from the early glass slipper profiles and foils. Dimensions nose and tail at 12" and 24" are generally 1/16" to 3/16" thicker in the nose than in the tail. Shortboard foils have evolved for decades with variations in bottom and deck rockers and volume distribution. Thickness, volume distribution and flow, and dimensions have evolved notably from the 1990s to 2000s glass slipper shortboards to the 2020s performance shortboards. Variations and options in dimensions, volume, and flow have developed as surfing, surfboard performance and surfboard design evolve. |
1990s SHORTBOARD FOIL - Extreme entry rocker, well foiled, low volume, volume concentrated from wide point to fins, extremely thin nose and tail with the nose notably thinner than the tail 
2020s SHORTBOARD FOIL - Efficient rocker, nuanced moderate foil, moderate volume, volume shifted forward with the nose equal to or thicker than the tail |
|
SEMI GUN FOILS
Semi Gun foils feature volume shifted forward compared to the foils in the glass slipper shortboards of the early 1990s and 2000s and the foil is moderately more pronounced from the wide point to the tail. The volume in the classic semi gun foil has been shifted forward from the origins of contemporary semi guns. The foil shifted forward enhances paddling mobility, paddling for entry and generates and maximizes key performance features acceleration, projection, speed, and control in heavy water and critical waves. This offers greater control and projection through the critical turns required in larger and thicker waves. Surfers have the option of going slightly, moderately, or substantially thicker with the semi gun's volume and profile depending on their size, technique, style, skill, and fitness. |
SEMI GUN FOIL - Volume shifted forward compared to the foil in shortboards. Semi Gun foils are moderately more pronounced from the wide point to the tail with extra volume in the core. |
|
XXL GUN FOILS
The foil of the XXL big wave gun is designed for paddling, catching waves, making the drop, and accelerating and maintaining speed off the bottom and down the line. Like it's little brother, the semi gun, the foil has the volume shifted forward. A full yet well foiled nose gains volume through the wide point, then tapers with a smooth reduction of volume through the tail. Most of the volume is concentrated at and slightly forward of the wide point corresponding to the concentration of surface area in the outline. The forward concentration of volume in an XXL Gun offers great paddling mobility, efficient take off and entry, complete control on rail and has a pendulum effect pulling the board down the face in take off and down the line out of the turns. XXL Gun foils are focused, consistent, predictable, simple, and efficient. |
XXL GUN FOIL - Volume shifted forward. XXL Gun foils are notable from the wide point to the tail with extra volume in the core. |
|
MID LENGTH & EGG FOILS
Mid Length and Egg foils are balanced from nose to tail. They mimic shortboard foils. The nose and entry rocker are notably more relaxed than shortboard and semi gun entry rocker. The performance features of these boards are created and tuned with nuanced foil options. Foil options are dependent on a surfer's displacement and technique and the venues and waves they surf. Foils are moderately thicker throughout carrying more volume through the nose and tail for bigger or more powerful surfers. Conversely, foils are moderately thinner throughout carrying less volume through the nose and tail for smaller or more light footed surfers. Foils for venues with marginal to moderate waves are moderately higher volume. Foils for venues with critical waves are moderately lower volume. |
MID LENGTH & EGG FOIL - Balanced foil with moderate volume in the nose, entry, and tail. |
|
PERFORMANCE LB FOILS
Performance LB foils are balanced from nose to tail. They mimic Mid Length and Egg. Nose and entry rocker is notably relaxed, even more than the relaxed entry in Mid Lengths and Eggs. The performance features of these LBs are created and tuned with nuanced foil options dependent on a surfer's technique and the venues and waves they surf. Performance LB foils are similar to the foils of most surfboard designs and classes, but are moderately thicker throughout. Foils are moderately thicker throughout carrying more volume through the nose and tail for bigger or more powerful surfers. Conversely, foils are moderately thinner throughout carrying less volume through the nose and tail for smaller or more light footed surfers. Foils for venues with marginal to moderate waves are moderately higher volume. Foils for venues with critical waves are moderately lower volume. |
PERFORMANCE LB FOIL - Balanced foil with notable volume in the nose, entry, and tail. |
|
CLASSIC LB FOILS
Classic LB foils are full and balanced from nose to tail. Nose and entry rocker is notably relaxed. Rocker accelerates in the tail. Volume is concentrated mid board with a moderately foiled nose, entry, and tail. The foil wide point to tail carries volume well into the tail. |
CLASSIC LB FOIL - Full and balanced foil with notable volume throughout. The nose, entry, and tail are moderately foiled. |
|
LINKS
Acceleration & foiled profiles Rockers, profiles & foils 1960 to 1990 on decade intervals Rockers, profiles & foils 1990 to 2020 on yearly intervals |
| |
< top of page > |