Design Philosophy.
There are many aspects, concepts, styles and visions that take place when creating a surfboard. Here are my own and what drove me to make my first surfboard in the beginning.
Eyes on the details // double checking the concave
When I shaped my first surfboard, I was living in Buenos Aires, 400km away from the ocean. Not being able to surf during the year led me to try another way of feeling connected and closer to that passion. Since the whole purpose of trying to make my own surfboard was in a way to experiment and have fun, I decided to shape something that would give me that same feeling. It was a 5'6 classic twin fin fish. Although imperfect and pretty rough, the first time I rode it something changed. It showed me a wide open door of riding waves in a different and exciting way. All of a sudden I could draw so many different lines; flowing across small weak wakes with so much speed and glide. That first board marked my way to continue creating boards that would envision that freedom of expression when surfing, the endless search for different feelings, and getting joy out of it.
HANDSHAPED.
Every board is handshaped. I believe that crafting with your own hands gives a greater freedom and connection to what you are making. It takes some skill, time and patience to get it right, but at the same time it's what keeps it interesting and always wanting to improve and perfect it (although there's no such thing). I believe that hand shaping aligns better with alternative shapes, having the planer in your hand, as many templates to draw any curve you want, and the blank as an empty canvas. Creativity just flows and each creation is a unique, almost unrepeatable piece. Which to me, it adds more value to the surfboard itself; compared to a machine-production shaped board that you find in a surf shop (or imported from Asia). It is functional art or art in motion, every curve and part of the shape & glassing has a purpose, maybe a different energy as well.
GOING CUSTOM.
Having the opportunity to make yourself a custom surfboard means you get a board suited for your needs, physique, skill, waves you ride and the style you're looking for. One of the fundamental values and value proposition we offer is making a board that is going to work for you, and not trying to sell high quantities out of fashion or trends. Many surfers just pick up a board from a shop or online not really knowing what are the aspects behind the design and if it's going to work. When ordering a custom surfboard, there is a first stage where we discuss, inform, share and listen ideas and concepts to make sure we're making the right board. That is the key to getting yourself a special & hopefully magic board, apart from being able to customize within infinite possibilities of colors and aesthetics.And your name written on the stringer...
'LIBRE ANDAR' (Spanish for free being/walking) is an expression of the freedom and uniqueness of wave riding. That moment when we become one with the mind/body/spirit and the energy provided by the ocean.
VOLUME.
What is volume and why is it an over-used term? Many think volume is the most important aspect to consider when buying or ordering a surfboard. Volume is important, but it's just a reference. More importantly, it's a result of many combinations of variables that make a board surf & feel a certain way. Things such as rocker, outline, rail shape, bottom contours and fin setup matter the most and determine the volume distribution, which in the end determines how the board is going to perform.
For example, two boards with the same volume can surf completely different. A 6.0x19.5x2.5 standard shortboard can have the same volume as a 5.6x20.5x2.5 fish. Or even two boards with the same dimensions can have widely different volumes and characteristics. The shortboard is meant to be surfed by an advanced surfer in good waves, with progressive top-to-bottom maneuvers; usually harder to surf in average waves as they are narrow and have more rocker, slowing the board down and making it less user-friendly and less forgiving. The fish would be easier to catch waves on, since it's wider and flatter, generates and maintains more speed, and has a flowy feeling. Different personalities for different waves.
So volume in the end is just a reference of how many liters the board has. How that volume is distributed is what matters. It's useful to know what volume you're comfortable riding, and then make modifications from there. There is no formula, you can have your performance board with 29lts and a 7.6 mid-length with 46lts and surf beautifully on both with the right approach on the right wave. Nowadays, volume serves as a standardized way to sell mass-produced boards, so surfers without knowing entirely the main design features can buy their board. Less volume won't make you improve or surf more aggressively.
There is a tendency to think that a higher volume board won't let you progress. But many times I think it's the opposite. You need speed and stability to make a turn or maneuver, more volume will give you that. In first place, it aids in getting earlier into the wave, carrying more drive through sections and it gives you a better chance of making that turn or simply surfing smoother. This is true especially in intermediate surfers. Sometimes going too small in volume is just going to make you look less in control and slow you down. If you're an advanced surfer looking for high-performance surfing, volume certainly matters since there is a high responsiveness demanded and everything is more fine-tuned. But for alternative boards, usually foam is your friend. So don't be afraid of having more liters under your feet, be open to new sensations.
IMPORTANCE OF VARIETY IN THE QUIVER / TRY EVERYTHING.
Most of us surf to have fun and enjoy that time in the water. Having the right board for the conditions that day can make a big difference in your experience. Being open to trying as many different shapes, sizes and feelings makes surfing much more interesting, challenging (in a good sense), and enjoyable than being stuck with just one board or just one type of board. How many boards has your quiver? Are they different? What type of waves are they for? Those are good questions to ask. I always try to have at least 2 completely different boards in the car; which covers the majority of wave conditions that are constantly changing. Right now, the 6'1 asym and a 6'10 Quimera.
Every time I switch boards, I learn something new or improve my technique and ability to read what the wave is doing. It's very important to know well the waves you surf. If it's a point break, where the waves can be slower or fatter, a longer board or a shorter/wider/flatter fish will make you catch many more waves and make it down the line connecting sections, making the most of what the wave offers. If you usually surf beach breaks, where the waves break faster, stronger, and more unpredictably, a shortboard kind of shape with more curve, rocker, and a more reactive feeling would be a better call to adapt to the wave personality.
Then, the style you have, the way you surf and/or how would you like to surf determines what type of board suits better for you. It's very important as well to be honest with your skill level, trying to over-reach can lead to frustration and make you progress slow or get stuck. Being a good surfer doesn't mean throwing big turns or airs, sometimes it's more about catching as many waves as you can and drawing your own lines. There are many advanced surfers riding such a wide variety of craft, from small wide twin fins to 7-8ft mid-lengths, asyms, and everything in between. Everything works. You just have to find what works for you and stay open to trying different feelings.
MAIN ASPECTS OF BOARD DESIGN.
Here's the more technical side of surfboard design. A brief introduction to some of the main aspects that make a board surf a certain way. Not trying to go too deep, but it's always important to know them when talking to your shaper, buying a board, or simply identifying the board you already have and what is it for. The basic concepts are the following:
ROCKER. The curve of the board from nose to tail, how flat or curvy a board is. Rocker is one of the most important, yet unnoticed aspect of a surfboard. It determines how the water flows and interacts when surfing and paddling. Flatter rocker (usually found on fishes, small wave boards, fun shapes & mid lengths) means the board is going to paddle easier and picks up/maintains speed better. The water goes through the board with less effort, quicker. So that translates into less resistance and easier speed generation. It adapts better to slower and weaker waves with less power. On the other side, boards with more rocker or flip are intended to be used in better, faster, and more powerful waves. The speed is already there, so the curve helps fit the board better (when dropping in and turning) in that hollower wave shape and helps control that speed.
RAILS: A rail can have almost any shape; rounded, boxy, tapered down, pinched, hard edge or soft tuck, etc. They let the water wrap around to create hold or release. A less volume/foiled rail is going to penetrate the wave easier, allowing for more control and sensitivity. Usually found on high-performance boards or good wave boards. When surfing a softer wave, a fuller, more forgiving rail can be useful to keep the rail more stable and planing over the water, instead of bogging and slowing you down. There are ways of strategically placing more or less foam on different parts of the rail line to achieve the purpose and functionality desired; like having a softer/fuller rail in the nose to keep it flowing over sections, and a more thinned-out, sharper rail in the tail to gain control with your back foot to be able to turn and gain performance.
OUTLINE: Usually the first thing we see on a surfboard. The overall plan shape that ties all curves together. Fuller outlines means more surface area; more glide, stability and easiness. Think of a longboard nose, that can support a surfer standing over its tip on small weak waves. Easy to paddle, generate and maintain speed. A narrow outline is more agile, making it faster to shift your weight from one rail to the other. Same with tail shapes. A rounded, narrower tail hold better to the wave, giving the board more traction and control on bigger waves, also creating a tighter turning radius. A wide tail (square tail, fish tail...) has more planing characteristics, which are useful for creating speed.
BOTTOM CONTOURS: The shape of the bottom of a board. It can be concave or convex, or a mix of both. Concaves, usually found in most modern performance boards, create lift. Water is channeled under the board and helps it stay over the water. Useful in lower volume and refined boards, to gain some acceleration. Convex bottoms (or vee) means that when flipped upside down, the rails are lower than the stringer or center of the board. This creates a rail-to-rail transition and roll, helping especially on bigger or wider boards to be able to turn. It can be placed behind the fins, in the back 1/3 between your stance, or all the way. Depending on the design purpose. On longer boards and mid-lengths I like to shape a vee bottom from the center to the tail, with a slight double concave running through to also gain some acceleration, since convex contours slows the board down a bit, making it more 'connected' to the wave face. While on shortboards, since they are already agile due to the narrower outline and refined shape, vee bottom is usually placed between or behind the fins (if there's any vee at all); combining it with concaves.
FIN CONFIGURATION: Last but not least, fins play a main role in how the board is going to perform. To me, they are an extension of the whole design concept, it has to complement that purpose. Twin fins are my favorite to ride & shape; they are the fastest and feel really free, enabling you to flow effortless. As everything, they have their limitations. Looseness can be a great thing on weak waves, but hard to control on solid days. With some modifications, you can get that feeling, but adjust it to the waves you're going to be surfing. A twin fin can be loose and playful, or drivey and holding; that's where fin placement, angles, toe-in (how angled in or how parallel they are compared to each other), and fin type take action. Thruster set up (3 fins) are great for vertical progressive surfing, allowing to pivot the board tighter without sliding much. Quads (4 fins) have a similar speedy feeling as the twin, but the extra 2 fins add some bite to the wave and stability. Single fins are found in more classic, longer boards. They create drag, slowing the board down, but allowing it to roll from rail to rail more freely, letting you draw some unique stylish lines. There are many variations possible, like twin + trailer setup, twinzer, single fin plus side bites and more...
Like everything, it all has its place and function when combined properly.
