FAQs

BoardFormula will help you find YOUR perfect surfboard. There a number of routes you can take to get there:
1)The Formula, where we tell you what surfboard shape is best for you, based on the feedback of surfers that have your characteristics.
2)Browse by Shape, where if you already know the shape you want, we'll tell you every shaper that makes that board and every type of construction it comes in.
3)Browse by Shop, where you can find the nearest shop and see which board they carry.
4)Browse by Brand, where you can find all the brands that are local to your area. A lot of surfers don't know this, but you can personally talk to almost any shaper, and they would be happy to spend some time talking to you to create a custom board. Yes, even big names like Rusty.

1) Because when you tell us about the board you are riding and some of your surfer attributes (your weight, height, foot size...) it will help another surfer, who has the same attributes, choose their next board. The information is also shared with the shaper of the board so that he/she can make better surfboards and it is shared with the shop you bought it from so that they can sell their boards to the right people. We'd like to think that, in the end, surfers will be having more fun in the water because they have truly dialed in equipment. More fun = happier surfers = better atmosphere at the break.

2) You can track your sessions and we'll give you back statistics on your surf sessions like: what conditions your boards work best in and what board you need to complete your quiver

3) It is the easiest way for a shaper to make you a custom board. Just give them your email and they can look up all your stats so that they can make you the best board.

Stability by our definition, is how easy it is for someone to stand on the board while not moving or moving slowly. This phenomena is dominated by the width of the board. As the the board gains speed, stability is gained through the grab of the fins and rail (dynamic stability). In our calculation of stability we do not include the effect of dynamic stability. Stability is important because if you are not stable at slow speeds, you will never be able to get to fast speeds.

Our calculation of stability is the second moment of the surface area of the bottom of the board about the longintudinal axis. We take into account the linearized correcting moment generated by small rotational displacements about the longitudinal axis. We then normalize this number so that when a board has a stability rating of 1, it means that an average surfer who weighs 150lbs could stand on the board without moving at all. That's basically an SUP.

A stablility rating of 1 means that a 150lb surfer could stand on the board without even moving. So SUPs typically have stability ratings between 1 and 2. Performance boards usually have stability ratings between 0.2 and 0.3. The lower the stability number, the more skilled you must be and the faster you must go to gain stability. The appropriate stability number is different for everybody. The best way to figure out how much stability you need is by looking up a board that you currently ride and determine if you need a little more or if you can manage a little less (if you can manage less stability, the board will be easier to ride at fast speeds). Also, if you have a two board quiver where one board is for slow waves and the other is for fast waves, you will need a higher stability number for your slow wave board than fast wave board. For instance, my fast board has a rating of 0.25 and my mushy wave board has a rating of 0.3

1)Length is measured from the tail of the board to the nose.

2)Width is measured across the board at the widest point.

3)Nose width is measured across the board at 12" from the nose. This measurement can have an error up to .3 inches.

4)Tail width is measured across the board at 12" from the tail. This measurement can have an error up to .3 inches.

5)Thickness is measured from the bottom of the board to the top of the deck at the thickest part of the board.

6)Volume is a measurement of how much water the surfboard displaces. If the volume given has an asterisk(*), that means it was calculated, not measured, therfore this calculation can have an error up to 1L. The measurement is the same in both salt water and fresh water. When you are sitting on the surfboard in the water, the board can hold up as much weight as the weight of the water it displaces. Salt water weighs about 2.26 lbs per liter. So if your board displaces 30 liters, the buoyant force will be 68 lbs. Volume only matters when the board is displacing water. When the surfboard is moving fast, it is on top of the water and displaces a tiny amount of water. At high speeds, surface area and rail outline matter most, volume has little significance.

7)Center of Buoyancy is measured from the tail. This tells you how the volume and surface area are distributed lengthwise. If the Center of Buoyancy is below the midpoint, then the bottom half of the board has more volume and more surface area. Start paying attention to this parameter! This is an ingredient in the magic formula.

8)Surface Area is the measurement of the planing area on the bottom of the board. It is the best indicator of buoyancy beyond paddling speeds (5mph). Surface area can also help you catch more energy off the lip and help the board stay attached to your feet in aerial maneuvers.

9)Stability is a measurement of how the surface area and volume are distributed laterally. This indicates how stable you will be at low speeds. At high speeds, all boards become stable as a result of the forces produced by the fins. A value of 1 for stability would indicate that a 150lb surfer does not even need to be moving to stand stably (so SUPs all have stability values greater than 1). The lower the stability value, the more speed the surfer needs to stay stable. Essentially better surfers can ride boards with a lower stability rating.