Bodyboards are becoming increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more adults realizing just how fun they can be and how exciting it is to take a bodyboard with you on your travels.
You can toss it in the trunk and keep it on hand for any impromptu beach trips or surfing vacations.
As handy as a bodyboard can be, it’s pointless keeping one if it’s not the suitable kind for you. In fact, using the wrong bodyboard in the water is likely to just hold you back.
No two bodyboards are the same, and each manufacturer incorporates its own design features and styles. Each board and each differing design can have a huge impact on how well the board performs in the water.
To make things simple, we’ve outlined the differences between the 2 key types; Bat Tail and Crescent Tail, as well as other size considerations, to take into account when shopping around for your ideal bodyboard. Let’s dive in!
Bat Tail Bodyboards
Mike Stewart, a nine-time global bodyboarding king, invented the bat tail in the late 1990s. Custom X introduced the very first bat tail design. It has the shape of a bat, a larger cushion surface, and is just bigger in general.
Stewart desired a tail shape that would allow him to make more touch with the front of the surf. That is exactly everything you need when you complete an ARS, backflip, or rotation.
Experienced people are the only ones that use bat tail bodyboards. Very few bodyboard companies also make a flat bat tail model. There is no such thing as a greatest or worst tail. It is determined by your riding style and individual needs.
Therefore, if you’re a novice or advanced rider, the contrast between such a bodyboard that features a crescent tail and a board with a bat tail design will be insignificant.
If you’re not certain which tail to get, check them all before making a decision. Check out your local surfing shop and ask the owner to put both tail kinds through their paces in sloppy and deep waves, and then choose the one that feels right for you.
Crescent Tail Bodyboards
When designing the world’s first-ever bodyboard, Tom Morey’s original idea was a squared tail, but the previous models developed swiftly.
Since it conforms to your tummy and bone structure, the crescent tail is inherently more secure. Furthermore, the crescent tail makes a minimal impact on the wave’s surface, increasing the bodyboard’s flexibility, particularly in rolling, close-out, or beach break situations.
A bodyboard that features a crescent tail always seems to be smoother and reacts faster to sudden movements. Although drop-knee surfers favor this tail style, the crescent tail remains the most common bodyboard fin style worldwide.
Other Design Features
The Core
The true heart of a bodyboard is not seen, but it is the most vital component, and it’s referred to as the “core”.
It defines a bodyboard and, when utilized correctly, allows you to develop, love the game, and achieve your greatest potential. When you get the core kind incorrect, there’s a strong probability you’ll get on very well with it. It simply won’t feel quite right, or natural.
The variety of padding found in each core impacts the effectiveness of the bodyboard in the ocean.
So, consider the circumstances under which you will employ your new companion. Consider the temperature of the water, the magnitude of the surf, the types of waves, and your personal measurements.
Warm water riders tend to favor polypropylene cores. Because they are lightweight and stronger than their PE counterpart, they provide a quicker experience with increased pace out of curves.
Over and beyond a PE board, a PP board has the potential to restore its initial shape incredibly effectively, prolonging its service life.
The Deck
The deck is the surface on which you lay on a bodyboard. The most common deck material combination is 8lb PE (polyethylene). PE decks are generally spongy, but like PE cores, they lose their natural shape with age. Markings and wrinkles in high-pressure locations appear quickly in PE decks.
Crosslink is another great alternative to a PE deck. It is a smaller 6lb cell design that retains less moisture as well as being more resilient, although it is significantly more rigid.
If you get one of these types of boards, keep in mind that it will need additional wax for grip. This is owing to the fact that it has a plastic feel and can get quite slippery in the right conditions.
Contours
While contours improve the appearance of your bodyboard, they are also specially engineered to boost elasticity, reaction, and control. They provide more traction and security while assisting you to hang on during massive duck dives or hard landings.
They can also make a huge impact on bumpier rides. Riders who are inexperienced in bodyboarding may also discover that they aid to develop their ability to position their arms and elbows correctly.
Channels
These are little ridges on your slick’s underside. They help to grip the surf front in the very same way that a surfboard fin does, boosting controllability and mobility.
The majority of channel forms have a limited water entrance toward the front of the bodyboard and a larger escape at the rear. This increases the density of your board, allowing it to hold more water during bottom spins and rail changes.
