Surfboard Tail Shapes

The shape of a surfboard tail influences hold and release on the surface of the wave.

You start splitting hairs when you're talking about a rounded squash versus a squash, but
I like to tell people that basically an angular tail creates a more angluar turn.

A good rule of thumb is to think of a more angluar tail as creating more angular, square turns. A rounder tail will create more elliptical, smoother turns. For instance, Rusty Preisendorfer said in a Transworld Surf article: "I like to tell people that basically an angular tail creates a more angluar turn."

There are two basic tail designs: the pintail and the square tail. All other designs are variations on these two themes.

Outlined below are the pros and cons of each surfboard tail type:

• Narrow Tail
• Pros: hold wave better
  
• Cons: less turning ability and speed
• Surf conditions: Gun type surfboards designed for big waves have a long pointy tail designed to hold on the face of the wave, effectively digging into the water to maintain stability and direction.
• Rounder, squarish tail
• Pros: will generate more speed and maneuverability since it does not dig in a much
• Cons: less hold
  

Pintails

Pintails are designed to provide maximum control and surface hold on the wave. They have minimal surface area and come to a point at the end with little curvature. This decreased surface area decreases the lift on the tail and allows the point to dig into the face of the wave, causing the board to "track" or maintain direction. Pintails are used almost exclusively on big wave gun surfboards, where control is the most important element. Pintails are not so maneuverable, but when you're speeding down the face of a 20' Waimea bomb it is more important that the board go straight and not suddenly start snaking all over the place.

Roundpin Tail
This surfboard tail design is a more versatile version of the pintail with a bit more width and curve. It is the halfway point between round tails and pintails, ideal for medium sized surf, anywhere from shoulder to almost double overhead. Softer curve coming to either a point or a rounded point. This tail design provides a moderate reduction in surface area to maintain control, however it is not as extreme as the pintail. Roundpin tails have less release and create smoother, more drawn out turns. This tail can be found on a variety of boards from shortboards and hybrids to longboards.

Round Tail - This is a smoother continuation of the board's contour, coming to a rounded end. The increased surface area helps give the board a bit more lift in the rear and allows for a looser, more turnable board. These are popular on shortboards where maneuverability is key. A round tail will provide more release off the top of a wave than a squash or swallow tail, however it makes square turns off the bottom or mid face a bit more difficult without a corner to work with, such as exists on a squash or swallow tail. Round tails help direct the water around the end of the board and provide more stability in hollow, fast surf. Both the round pin and the thumb tail compliment bigger waves and more powerful carving styles.

Thumb Tail - http://www.cisurfboards.com/sb_ksmall.asp . For 2008 Kelly jumped over to a new tweaked version of Flyer rocker. We added the Ksmall Thumb to complete a board that became Kelly’s small wave favorite (ankle to two feet overhead). Substantial rocker, slight single concave forward flattening out the back. Kelly's Ksmall is the the board he rode to victory at the 2007 WCT Trestles contest. According Proctor, the thumb tail offers a more clean carving effect.



Rounded Squash - nice pivot and snap of squash tail

Squash Tail
Conditions - "knee to over-head" - ambrose
Very responsive, the squash surfboard tail design provides all the surface and planing area of a round tail, contributing to speed and lift and helping to maintain speed in slower spots. The rounded corners provide a bit more bite and control than the round tail, and the square end allows the board to release. The corners allow for more pivotal, abrupt turns off the bottom or on the face, but will provide less release off the top. This tail design relies on the tri-fin setup to maintain control. The squash is the most popular tail for a shortboard. One of the most versatile shapes. According to Proctor, more pivoty and snappy. Ambrose writes - "The squash is the child of the square. The edges of the once sharp square tail are simply rounded a bit to create a 'squashed' appearance. This tail results in a design that is more stable than the square yet still loose when it needs to be. The squash is by far the most popular and versatile tail today and is an excellent choice for beginners and experienced surfers alike."

Square Tail
Conditions - knee to overheard
The square tail is like the squash, but the pointed corners create more square turns with less release and more bite. According to ambrose surfboard shaper, this board is better in knee to overhead conditions. Ambrose continues - "This is a good overall tail shape although it is not a very common choice these days. The sharp corners provide a bite that aids in both drive and maneuverability. This is a tail that is loose and effective for smaller waves and more radical, fins-free surfing."

Swallow Tail
The swallow tail is related to the squash tail in that it provides more surface area from rail to rail, allowing for planing speed and lift. The tail of the board curves down to two points as in a squash, but the area between those points is decreased by a vee cutout resulting in two soft points. The decreased area between the corners and more pronounced points give the board more "bite" and control in critical maneuvers, as well as when going into and out of turns. The two points on the swallow tail act sort of like dual miniature round point tails, but without the pronounced "tracking" that a pin or rounded pin provides. The swallow tail is generally good for small waves, but it also is good for surfers who want a board that's going to stick during deep carves. Fish type surfboards tend to have a pronounced swallowtail, compensating for the wider, straighter outline which is more difficult to maneuver. According to Proctor, it creates something more loose and skaty.

Bat Tail
(sometimes called a star tail) This is rare surfboard tail design. It's a version of the swallow tail and essentially performs the same way. Helps keep the tail wider so the rails can run straigher down the length of the board. The bat tail is essentially just a cosmetic difference, as it is extremely difficult to percieve any difference between the Bat, Diamond and Swallow. Some say that the center point of the bat tail adds a bit more stability.

Diamond Tail - The diamond tail is a lesser used tail design now that the squash tail has become more popular. The original intent of the diamond tail was to soften up the square tail but keep some of its speed.

Wing Tail:
The wing is really not a tail shape but more of a rail shape. It can be seen as the bump in the rails just in front of the front fins. Don't be confused and think that this is a different tail shape. The tail shown on the left is still a Swallowtail, the board also has a wing.



http://www.transworldsurf.com/surf/print/0,20087,1211781,00.html

osted 07.10.2006, By Casey Koteen - "What do the last few inches of your board actually do?"

It's common knowledge that a pintail is typical of a big-wave board and 95 percent of 6'2" shortboards are squashtails. For shortboards, the squashtail is the undisputed king of tails. But why?

Is there really a huge difference between getting a rounded pin, squash, swallow, or something else on your shortboard, and could the average surfer even tell the difference?

"I think so," says master shaper Rusty Preisendorfer. "You start splitting hairs when you're talking about a rounded squash versus a squash, but I like to tell people that basically an angular tail creates a more angular turn."

It makes sense when you visualize how water flows off the back of a board as it goes through a turn. "Water is kind of a sticky substance," says Todd Proctor of Proctor Surfboards. "It's touching your board at the entry point, grabbing the rails, and the last thing it does before leaving the board is bending around the tail shape. It can bend around the tail and hold on to it the whole way, like on a rounded pin, which keeps things stable. The smoother the rail line is, as on a pin or rounded pin, the smoother the turn will tend to be.

On a squash, square, or any tail where you have some flat area, water jumps off the flat areas. That creates a pivot point and makes the board skatier."

Rounded tail (are smoother)

Square tails or wider tail shape (overall, more lift and release).

1. Creates more volume. This translates to more
   
1. Stability
2. Lift,
   
1. Both stability and lift are good for mushy sections, but they fair well in hollow surf, too. In a word, they're versatile."The water wraps around enough so it can carve," says Proctor, "but with the flat space at the end of the tail, the water can release and you can make the board pop off the lip. You've got the best of both worlds; it'll draw a nice, clean arcing turn, but it'll still release."

What about the wily and weird swallowtail? "Depending on the depth of the cut, you'll get a bitier tail. Swallowtails sink and bite a little better," explains Rusty.

That, too, makes sense, especially when you consider that most fish-type shapes have swallowtails. The thinking is that you want to have as loose a tail as possible on a fish, because their typically straight outlines make them quick down the line but harder to turn, and a bitier tail shape compensates for that.

If you're still having trouble processing some of the subtleties of tail design, Rusty describes it this way: "Just imagine you have three squashtails that are all the same: What happens if you cut a notch out of the tail and turn it into a swallow? Well, you lose area and volume, and that corner goes into the water and it becomes bitier. What happens if you sanded the corners off a squash? You lose some area, but you gain curve so the tail sinks a little easier and the board will be smoother feeling." Apply that thinking to the rest of your questions about tail shapes, and you start to get an idea about the cause-and-effect relationship each design has.

But ultimately, you have to actually ride each one of these different tails to really know how they differ. So get out there and start filling out an order form and experiment a little. You can stay conservative and order that swallowtail or rounded pin you've always thought about, or just go hog wild and order up some crazy asymmetrical tail-either way, you'll end up knowing more about surfboards.

Pull Quote: "I like to tell people that basically an angular tail creates a more angular turn."-Rusty Preisendorfer

http://www.proctor-board-shop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=grovIV%2Ep%5F6963

Product Specs:
Dimensions: 6'3" x 18 5/8" x 2 1/4"
Tail Shape: squash tail
Construction: polyester/ Y2k UV Isothalic Light Cure Resin
Glassing: 4oz bottom, 4oz+4oz deck/ Direct Size cloth
Fins: FCS Fins

Rider Weight: 160 - 185 lb. / 72 - 84 kg

Groveler IV.p [performance]
Most versatile and well received new shortboard design.

This is a very fast design that generates it’s own speed when it’s small, yet holds in and rails tight arcs in the pocket when it’s overhead.

The rocker has a flatter area between the feet combined with an even, flowing single-to-inset double concave bottom. This creates a rail line that runs straighter from under the front foot to the lead-in fins, giving the board quick bursts of speed and incredible drive around sections. There is a good amount of tail rocker and release coming off the back fin allowing for lightening quick, explosive turns.



http://www.proctor-board-shop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=sr71%5F6%2E2

Recommended Cure Time: cured & ready to ride
Construction: Polyester/ Y2k UV Isothalic Light Cure Resin
Glassing: 4oz & 4oz + 4oz Direct Size cloth
Fins: Future Fins
Rider Weight: 155 - 170 lb. / 70 - 80 kg

Blackbird
New and improved...

Straighter tail rocker increases drive
Heavier concaves through the fins adds a whole new responsiveness

Heavy single concave through the tail makes this board really alive in the pocket.

STILL....AND NOW MORE THAN EVER...A spry, lively bugger of a backfoot board. Developed around San Clemente’s variety of waves; goes mental in points, reefs, and beachbreaks alike.

It will release out the back and re-engage for fins-free type of maneuvers, airs and reverses.

Ideal Conditions: Knee-high to Slightly Overhead
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Designed for: Fins-free maneuvers, airs & reverses