Designed to Perform, Built to Win
More than a pretty face - performance board design defines whether a board is a winner or just another board that lays down when the pressure is on. Soulcraft designs boards to win surf comps and elevate a rider's skillset to new heights. In this Ride Guide, you'll begin to understand the basic building blocks of performance surf craft/board design.
01. Rocker
Nose and Tail Design
Rocker creates speed and drag simultaneously offering the knowledgeable board builder an ability to dial in a boards speed and character. Adding and subtracting rocker profile is one of the keys to high performance board design. Done wrong, a board can feel too stiff or too loose and generate speed too quickly or get sucked into the wave.
02. Rail
Profile and Outline
Rails are a critical aspect of board design and many board manufacturers and builders fall short in rail design. Consider the rail to be your attachment point to the wave. A sharp rail will be very fast, user friendly and capable in building speed, and attachment. Rounder rails are "stickier" due to surface area, but generally are slower and less involved in directing performance. Round rails rely more on the fins for direction changes and speed generation. A tucked rail promotes pump drive but also works in the "lean on the gas" for speed. Tucked rails are the best of both worlds in attachment and speed generation, however for novice riders, a tucked rail can hold a rider back when not ridden correctly, making the board feel slower when not matching the rails performance envelope.
03. Concave
Base and Deck
Base design captures the physics of water flow to build performance under foot. By tapping into the hydrodynamics, the base design can unlock new levels of performance when executed correctly. When a base design is poorly designed, a board will feel sluggish and sucked into a wave - leaving the rider feel like the board doesn’t respond. Optimizing these physics frees a board up to promote lift, pop, and wave attachment.
04. Fins
Twins and Quads
Choosing a fin setup is a personal decision for each rider. Some prefer Twins to suit their riding style surfing, while others like Quads. Twins typically are looser and faster in speed generation (less drag/locked in). Quads are more locked in - promote stability and directionality - and can improve drive in pump driven aspects with correct fin selection. With one of the excellent fin templates from Futures Fins, riders can dial in their surf board to match their personality.