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There
are two types of surfers. Those who want to surf faster and those who
lie about it. While there is no substitution for experience and time in
the water, there are a few easy tips you should know to help you surf
faster.
Ride A Flatter Board
Board
design starts with the rocker, which is the curvature of the
surfboard’s foam. General principles dictate that more rocker will
result in a slower board that turns well. As you get to the flats of a
wave the rocker will push water instead of gliding over it. A flatter
rocker will plane easier and work very well when you don’t have larger
waves to help generate speed.
Sanded vs. Gloss Finish
Although there is some disagreement in shaping communities, a sanded board is thought to ride faster than a gloss finished
board. The main reason is the gloss finished bottom does not hold any
water on it while riding the wave. The water beads right off. This
sounds like a good thing, but a sand finished surfboard will actually
trap some water along its bottom surface allowing a film of water to
slide along water. This trapped film of water will reduce friction and
make the board slick and lively.
When asked about this theory, Erik Nordskog, founder of On It Pro, offered his own insight.
"In
the high performance boating industry, we found that a sanded finish
works better on a displacement hull (v bottoms) since there's more hull
pushing through the water," explains Nordskog. "On a hydro plane, a
gloss finish works much better! This is what a surfboard is more like! A
sanded finish on a hydro plane hull actually will trap air with the
water which slows the boat down. A gloss finish is the only way to go."
Try A Quad
Keep Your Bottom Clean
We have mentioned before how important it is to clear wax
from the bottom of your surfboard. The hydronamics involved with board
design require you to clear all substances from your board. This
includes dirt, salt, sand, and anything else you find under there. To
remove wax you can use a straight flat surface (old credit card, library
card), a hair dryer, hot sand if you’re on a beach, or some eco
friendly board cleaner.
Apply Some Product
Nordskog's
company makes a product called Extreme Cream, designed to lower the
friction of your board on water. Erik mentioned the fact that although
sand finished boards will make some boards surf faster, they have
drawbacks.
“The
idea of sand finish is the water molecules collect in the pores, giving
you water over water. That’s fast. You have slick over slick. Our
product is actually more slippery than water. A sand finish will attract
dirt and the salt. All the elements attract to it, it’s just filthy and
hard to clean. There’s no need for a sand finish anymore.”
We were intrigued, so we asked why this substance won’t simply rub off once in the water.
“People
have used a lot of different things over the years, like car wax. It
might look good but it creates friction. Any other kind of material
comes right off immediately. Nothing sticks and stays. When you have a
polymer it instantly starts to bond with the poly surface or the epoxy
surface very well.
"It
helps the little guys because they don’t have the paddling power and
speed. It also helps them connect sections easier. For beginners its
good because they can paddle faster and get into the wave easier. Pros
can shred more because they get more speed."
Change Your Fins
A
fin’s sweep is the degree to which the tip extends beyond the fin’s
base. Fins with a large sweep will propel the board faster and remain
fairly stable, but you sacrifice some turning ability. Fins with a
smaller sweep give the surfboard a tighter turning radius, but don’t
offer as much stability. A more rigid fin will also offer more speed. Be
careful not to go too rigid, or you will have trouble turning.
Conclusion
Surfing
with speed will enhance your skills and your overall surfing
experience. It obviously helps to learn how to read a wave and stay in
the sweet spot, but your equipment can make a noticeable difference.
With a few simple changes you can make more sections, complete more
turns, and become a better surfer.
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