A surfboard is a major investment and in order to keep it
in good working order, some simple steps should be taken in
its care and maintenance.
In reality, only pro surfers can afford to replace their
board every six months, so investing the time and money to
properly care for your board will extend its life and save
you money in the long run.
A $30 investment in a board sock should be your first
purchase. When not in the water, you should keep your board
in the sock. 50% of all dings and dents occur when
transporting your board to and from the beach.
If you religiously keep your board covered, it can look
pristine for years. Even though your board is used for an
outdoor sport, the sun and heat are major enemies to your
board’s integrity.
Excessive sun exposure can cause damage to the boards
finish, causing it to yellow and crack. This sort of damage
can eventually cause your board to break and unfortunately
this may happen while you’re in the water.
Even minor dings can eventually cause major damage to the
board. It is important to repair even small dings as soon
as possible. But it is important to wait until the swell of
the board goes down so water is not trapped inside the
board.
Again, this could cause yellowing and compromise your
board’s integrity. Nobody looks cool having their board
break when they are trying to catch that perfect wave.
The wax is one last maintenance check that should be
performed. Periodically strip off the wax to check for
dings and cracks under the surface.
A quick repair will have you back out catching waves in no
time.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Reintroduction of the Long Surfboard
Longboards are the original surfboards used in stand-up
surfing. The original length of a long board varied from
9-24 feet of solid wood.
Though these were more commonly used in the sixth century
by ancient Hawaiians, the longboards of today are made a
much more reasonable length and weight.
The longboard was the standard until the 1960’s when the
shorter version was introduced. The shortboard was more
popular because the size made the board easier to transport
to and from the beach as well as in and out of the water.
The smaller board also offered more maneuverability and
more speed. With the introduction of polyurethane and
fiberglass for the shortboard, the longboard was
refurbished and reintroduced in the 1990’s.
Now lighter, the longboard became more of an interest to
avid surfers. Surfers began to integrate the new attributes
of the shortboard with the sleek lines of the once
dominating longboard.
Modern longboards have become shorter in length, now
averaging 9ft-10ft instead of the original 9ft-24ft. Even
though the long surfboard is now shorter in length, it
still retains most of its original design, including the
single fin for stability.
Because Longboards are not used in competitive surfing, the
need for maneuverability isn’t as high as with the short
board. The longboard has its advantages for the beginning
surfer.
The length and weight of the board make catching waves
easier. Surfers can literally Hang-ten on these larger
boards. This is accomplished by standing on the nose of the
longboard with your toes hanging off the end. By putting
-toes on the nose- a surfer can -hang-ten-.
surfing. The original length of a long board varied from
9-24 feet of solid wood.
Though these were more commonly used in the sixth century
by ancient Hawaiians, the longboards of today are made a
much more reasonable length and weight.
The longboard was the standard until the 1960’s when the
shorter version was introduced. The shortboard was more
popular because the size made the board easier to transport
to and from the beach as well as in and out of the water.
The smaller board also offered more maneuverability and
more speed. With the introduction of polyurethane and
fiberglass for the shortboard, the longboard was
refurbished and reintroduced in the 1990’s.
Now lighter, the longboard became more of an interest to
avid surfers. Surfers began to integrate the new attributes
of the shortboard with the sleek lines of the once
dominating longboard.
Modern longboards have become shorter in length, now
averaging 9ft-10ft instead of the original 9ft-24ft. Even
though the long surfboard is now shorter in length, it
still retains most of its original design, including the
single fin for stability.
Because Longboards are not used in competitive surfing, the
need for maneuverability isn’t as high as with the short
board. The longboard has its advantages for the beginning
surfer.
The length and weight of the board make catching waves
easier. Surfers can literally Hang-ten on these larger
boards. This is accomplished by standing on the nose of the
longboard with your toes hanging off the end. By putting
-toes on the nose- a surfer can -hang-ten-.
Short History Of Surfboards
Like the sport of surfing itself, surfboards were
originally developed in Hawaii. Though the first records of
surfing were by Lieutenant James King who was rewriting
Captain James Cook’s journals in 1779, surfing was already
a part of Hawaii’s history for generations.
The first surfboards were usually made from Hawaii’s local
Koa tree and reached lengths of 16 feet long. Although
extremely buoyant these surfboards were also extremely
heavy.
A 14-foot board would weigh as much as 150 pounds. Modern
surfboards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene and are
covered in fiberglass sheets and coated with epoxy resin.
The result of these materials being used to create the
surfboards ensures a much lighter and even more buoyant and
maneuverable board.
Modern surfboards are also much shorter. They range from 5
to 7 feet and have a more pointed nose than the original
rounded nose of the earlier long boards.
They are not nearly as wide either and this feature is what
makes them more maneuverable. The short board is what you
will see professional riders on during competitions.
Another advancement from the long board to the short board
is the introduction of fins. Fins help the board to -stick-
to the wave.
Fins are placed differently on boards and thus causing
different advantages to their placement.
The most common placement is called the Thruster. It
consists of three fins. One is placed nearest the tail and
the other two slightly forward towards the nose.
The idea behind the placement is to have the
maneuverability of a twin fin and the stability of a single
fin board.
originally developed in Hawaii. Though the first records of
surfing were by Lieutenant James King who was rewriting
Captain James Cook’s journals in 1779, surfing was already
a part of Hawaii’s history for generations.
The first surfboards were usually made from Hawaii’s local
Koa tree and reached lengths of 16 feet long. Although
extremely buoyant these surfboards were also extremely
heavy.
A 14-foot board would weigh as much as 150 pounds. Modern
surfboards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene and are
covered in fiberglass sheets and coated with epoxy resin.
The result of these materials being used to create the
surfboards ensures a much lighter and even more buoyant and
maneuverable board.
Modern surfboards are also much shorter. They range from 5
to 7 feet and have a more pointed nose than the original
rounded nose of the earlier long boards.
They are not nearly as wide either and this feature is what
makes them more maneuverable. The short board is what you
will see professional riders on during competitions.
Another advancement from the long board to the short board
is the introduction of fins. Fins help the board to -stick-
to the wave.
Fins are placed differently on boards and thus causing
different advantages to their placement.
The most common placement is called the Thruster. It
consists of three fins. One is placed nearest the tail and
the other two slightly forward towards the nose.
The idea behind the placement is to have the
maneuverability of a twin fin and the stability of a single
fin board.
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