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Surfboard 101: Nose Shapes

It’s time to get back to the Surfboard 101 series and tackle another important part of the boards that mean the world to us: the nose. There is a total of three different basic nose shapes, which I will briefly assess in this article. Compared to the tails, which I discussed in november, there is a bit less complexity to the topic of nose shapes. It doesn’t, however, make the nose any less important. The nose is one of the key elements when it comes to dropping into waves. Its design decides how a surfboard paddles and catches waves. Noses vary in width, thickness, and curvature, resulting in different degrees of bouyancy and performance.

 

Round Nose

Round Nose

This is the type of nose shape that most beginners will be best acquainted with. It is the widest type of nose design, which provides the surfboard with an increased surface area in the front. The larger surface gives stability and makes the nose very buoyent. The result of this is that the surfboard and thus the surfer floats further above the water. Generally boards used for riding smaller waves and beginner boards will feature a round nose. In addition, longboards usually also have a round nose to allow the surfer to nose ride.

 

 

Pointed Nose

Pointed Nose

The pointed nose is the other extreme on the spectrum of nose shapes. It is mostly found in higher performance surfboards like thruster shortboards and big wave guns. Since it has much less surface area than a round nose, catching waves is much harder with a board featuring a pointed nose, except in steep take-offs. On the upside, the pointed shape allows the board to have more curve on the overall rail-line, which provides it with more grip on steep wave faces. This narrowest kind of nose also makes duck diving much easier and allows the nose to pop out of the water much faster in case of a nose dive during a steep take-off or big turn.

 

Rounded Point Nose

Rounded Point Nose

This final nose shape is a transition between a round and a pointed nose. The increased width gives it more paddle power than a pointed nose and thus makes it easier to catch waves. In addition, it is much easier to hold the balance on the board. The downturn is that it also makes the board less maneuverable. The rounded point nose is often found on funboards, that are made for surfing smaller waves, but still provide more performance than boards that feature a round nose. It is also a good shape for surfers looking to transition from a beginner board to a short board.

 

That’s it with the nose shapes! Hope you learned something new today! Want to learn how to surf and try out different kinds of boards? Check out our surf school on Tenerife and our summer surf camp in Cantabria.

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