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surfboard shapes...

Longboard | Mini-mal | Shortboard | Retro | Fish | Gun

Surfboards come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the shapes are designed to suit different wave types and the ability of the surfer. At Hawaiki Surfboards we have briefly outlined 6 of the most common shapes available to help girl surfers, they are the:

1. Longboard Surfboard
2. Mini-mal Surfboard
3. Shortboard Surfboard
4. Retro Surfboard
5. Fish Surfboard
6. Gun Surfboard
   

Longboard Surfboards

Level of Surfing: Beginner to Advanced

ADVANTAGES

• Ease of catching waves
  
• A good start for beginners
  
• Can perform manoeuvres on the deck like nose riding and cross stepping
• Good in all small - medium waves and in larger reef or point break waves
• Tip: Experiment with the centre back fin size and shape
  

DISADVANTAGES

• Hard to negotiate the impact zone when waves are bigger
• Not as easy to turn as fast as on shorter surfboard shapes
• Heavy to carry, and can be bulky to move through the surf wash zone when learning
  

Mini-mal Surfboards

Level of Surfing: Beginner to Intermediate

ADVANTAGES

• Ease of catching waves
• Lighter in weight than a longboard
• Turns are faster than on a longboard
  
• A good start for beginners, especially for girl surfers
  
• Wider shape and thicker than average shortboards
• Tip: Three fins are usually give beginners better stability when surfing

DISADVANTAGES

• Hard to negotiate the impact zone when waves are bigger
• Not as manouevrable as a shortboard
  

Shortboard Surfboards

Level of Surfing: Intermediate to Advanced

ADVANTAGES

• Shortboards are light and are easy to negotiate through the impact zone
  
• All areas of the board are narrowed down
  
• A wide range of manoeuvres can be performed in all waves
• Shortboards are constructed with three or four fins for improved speed, stability and ease of manoeuvres
• Tip: Intermediate level surfers can progress into good high performance surfers on these boards

DISADVANTAGES

• Can be hard to catch waves when waves are small
• Not as stable as when riding as a minimal or longboard
  

Retro Surfboards

 Level of Surfing: Beginner to Advanced

ADVANTAGES

• The designs of the 70’s and early 80’s have a lot more thickness throughout the entire shape of the board compared to modern day surfboards
  
• Many retro shapes have more volume further up the board and less at the tail
• Easier to catch waves on than a shortboard
  
• Mainly twin or single fin systems are used
• Good in small to medium sized waves for all levels of surfers
• Tip: This is a great intermediate level surfboard
  

DISADVANTAGES

• Single and twin fins can often slide out in bigger surf or can be "skatey" when performing turns
  
• Often stiffer to ride than shortboards
  

Fish Surfboards

Level of Surfing: Intermediate to Advanced

ADVANTAGES

• Good for small to 6ft waves, this is a great shape for girl surfers!
  
• Short in height but wide and thick in volume
• Rides quickly over flat sections and is easy to manoeuvre
• Generally have a swallow tail 
• Tip: Fishes are a great summer board for small or not so perfect wave conditions
  

DISADVANTAGES

• Fish surfboards don’t perform as well in bigger surf

Gun Surfboards

Level of Surfing: Intermediate to Advanced

ADVANTAGES

• Good for catching big waves
  
• Are light for travelling
  
• The narrow surfboard shape make it easy to negotiate impact zone in bigger waves 
• Tail shapes are often thin pins or swallow shapes to handle fast drops
  
• Tip: Guns are good for riding barrels and have strong glass jobs to prevent them from snapping easily

DISADVANTAGES

• Only good for bigger waves
  
• Turning a gun is harder than on a regular shortboard
  

Do you have a question about Hawaiki Surfboards for girls? Contact us