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Understanding the Physics and Meaning Behind the Design of Modern Surfboards.

Teagen Alexander

Ocean Lakes High School

November 28, 2023

Introduction

Any teacher looking to convince an uninterested teenager to “buy-in” to a high school

science class often turns to the analogy of sports. Sports are a practical application of science.

Under science lies physics, and utilizing knowledge from physics can allow athletes to train

harder, have a greater impact during games, and even help make performance-enhancing

equipment. Taking a look at any high-level sport we will see that in the majority of cases, they

spend a lot of time and money analyzing and improving on every aspect that can be improved on.

This can be seen heavily in the recent years of surfing. With the sport taking great strides in both

board production and board performance.

Now, like many sports, surfing has been around for centuries. It started in Polynesia,

found its way into Hawaii, and then took off when Hawaii joined the United States [1].

Originally surfboards were carved out of trees, making them extremely heavy and difficult to

maneuver. Since then, there have been many great leaps in the technology of surfboards and

physics has allowed these discoveries to come into the light. With the use of adhesives that were

developed in the Second World War [1], to the three fin design that many modern shortboards

use. Each one allows us to perform more efficient maneuvers on both long and short boards

alike.

Growing up at the beach, I started surfing around the age of 6. My dad took me out and

pushed me into my first wave. Over the years this small act of standing up and riding a wave has

become something of great passion and has led me to where I am today. From taking surf trips

out of state and out of the country to even making my own custom board, some could even call it

an obsession. I however am not the only one, in 2019, 23 million people participated in surfing,

3.72 million of those people being American [2]. Along with this, in 2019, the global surf
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industry was estimated to be worth over 10 billion dollars, over 33 million being the surfboard

market in the U.S. alone [2].

After initially wanting to compare two nearly identical boards with only one difference, I

decided to reel back my aspirations and focus on something that I could share with a broader

audience in a more digestible way. With this goal, my project has come to focus on why the

boards that we all know and ride are shaped the way they are. Having some knowledge on what

general shapes do, I wanted to expand on how the designs have been changed and what changing

them has done to both the riding experience and the possibilities on surfboards. Focusing on

different subjects like the outline, rocker, bottom contour, and volume; I decided to create

something I could present to a broader audience and give a general understanding of how physics

can affect a surfboard.

The Story of the Search

Coming into my junior year, the looming prospect of a senior capstone project hung over

me like a cloud. Uncertain about the direction I wanted to take, I found myself struggling. It

wasn't until the end of my sophomore year that I had the opportunity to interview a senior who

had successfully navigated the capstone project journey. Their insights provided me with

valuable answers to lingering questions and, more importantly, a glimpse into what a complete

senior project entailed.

Now with a clearer vision, I set out to undertake my first significant step: crafting an

I-Search paper. Shortly after my sophomore year concluded, I delved into the exploration of a

topic that had captured my interest — How do different materials and shapes affect the float and

speed of a surfboard? As I navigated through my I-Search paper, digging deeper and deeper into

the question, I couldn't help but become more intrigued by the complexity of the subject matter.
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The more I delved into the intricacies of how materials and shapes impact the performance of a

surfboard, the more I realized the depth of this topic.

Drawing inspiration from a previous project that explored the "Effects of Computer

Design on Surfboards," (Justin McPherson) I realized that there are an endless amount of unique

projects within the realm of surfing. Wanting to create something unique, I set my sights on a

senior capstone project that would not only challenge me but also contribute to the world of

surfing.

Knowing that I would be focusing on surfing throughout my entire project, the next step

was to find a mentor. My dad and I had been to a lot of different board shops in Virginia Beach.

With this, I had set my eyes on 40 toes. They had been around for many years and had access to

a machine shaper, they had also mentored Justin McPherson when he also did his project on

surfboards. With my resume and a letter of request in hand, I drove to 40 toes to seek a

mentorship. Only to find out that they had recently closed. I was devastated, and a bit lost as to

what I would do next. After thinking about potential next steps and with some luck I had also

heard from a friend that they knew one of the local shapers for WRV. However, this wasn't able

to work out because of scheduling over the upcoming summer. I was now zero for two and

feeling pretty nervous as senior project proposals were coming shortly.

Going to Mrs. Graves, confused and needing help with the next steps, she helped me do

some research and discovered a local board shop I had never heard of. MAR (Make and Ride)

Surf Exchange. Owned by Nick Hallaran, they not only offered internships, but also one-on-one

experiences where you can learn to shape, glass, and sand your board. Seeming to find the

perfect fit, I immediately went and asked a few clarifying questions, agreed on a set of dates, and
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found the perfect mentor. We agreed that I could come in for a week during the summer and help

out around the shop, as well as take notes and pictures on the general process of making a board.

During the 30 hours that I spent at MAR Surf Exchange, I had the unique opportunity to

immerse myself in the art of surfboard shaping and get to watch the transformation of a basic

piece of foam into a surfboard with the perfect blend of rocker, width, and thickness. Taking

notes and absorbing the intricacies involved in crafting a surfboard, I managed to acquire a solid

understanding during my time in the bay. However, shaping was not all that I was able to observe

during my time at MAR. Along with watching Nick in the shaping bay, I had the opportunity to

witness Riley and Dominic glass and sand surfboards respectively. Glassing, is a step less

detailed than shaping but crucial for structural strength, preventing the board from weakening

and snapping unexpectedly. While sanding is the final step and is what truly turns the surfboard

into the shaper's vision.

Along with watching and taking notes, I also helped out with daily tasks around the shop.

From taking out trash and cleaning boards for board repair to making a small advertisement for

some new foam boards that they would be selling soon, I was constantly moving around the shop

and interacting with new and old customers, allowing me to make new connections with fellow

surfers. This outcome was honestly the best part, and that's because I was able to talk to people

who had been surfing for fifty-plus years and people who had never been on a surfboard but still

be able to connect with them.

Overall, my summer experience and everything that led up to it helped me dig deeper into

something that I was already so passionate about. Letting me see a side of the sport that I had

never looked too deeply into. Opening up a world of information that I knew existed but had

never realized how much it affected surfing. Also helped me realize that many others could be in
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a similar position that I was in, and not knowing much about something that they care so much

about.

Product

Similar to figuring out the topic of my senior project, I was having trouble figuring out

what I wanted to make for my product. I knew that I wanted to make something that the general

surfer would find interesting, engaging, and informative. I also knew I would be making my

custom board with the help of MAR Surf Exchange. Knowing those things, I went to Mrs.

Graves and we talked about possible products that I could make. She suggested that I make a

short documentary about the information that I had learned throughout the summer and would

continue to learn while making my surfboard, then share the video with peers and fellow surfers.

This piqued my interest because it would be easily digestible and I could share it with a wide

range of people.

At first, I thought of doing a video focusing on the process of making a surfboard and

then diving into each aspect of the board. This would also fit into my plan of making my board

since I could record the process and I would have well over 10 hours of film at my disposal.

After talking with some peers about my plan though I realized that with all of the information

that I would want to cover, I would probably have an excessively long video. Because of this and

that I wanted to try and have a good audience engagement, I decided to solely focus on the

different parts of a surfboard and inform the general surfer of what they do. I wanted this so they

can make a more informed decision the next time they buy a surfboard. That way I could still use

a lot of the film that I had already captured but I would also be able to use all of the knowledge

that I gained.
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Since creating a professional, polished, and engaging video was also a big goal of mine I

knew that I would need more than just videos of me creating my surfboard. For this, I was very

fortunate that me and my dad both love to film our surfing with our GoPros and have thousands

of videos going years back of both of us surfing. From the wipeouts to the places we've traveled I

was now confident that I would have more than enough footage to make a good documentary.

My next hurdle was what software I wanted to use to create my product. I had access to my dad's

MacBook so whatever I used needed to be compatible with that, I also did not have the funds to

buy any professional software so I went to Mrs. Graves and my peers to see if they had any

recommendations. I got an overwhelming amount of recommendations to use Adobe Premiere

Pro and since I could get it for free through the school it seemed like the perfect option.

Logging into Adobe Premiere Pro for the first time was downright terrifying. There were

more options on the screen than I thought was possible for a video editor and reminded me more

of the 3D modeling platforms I had previously used in my STEM classes. So like any good

teenager does, I went straight to YouTube to see if I could find a beginner's guide. Using

YouTube and with a little bit of practice from a recent surf trip I went on with my family, I

started to get the hang of the basics and by the end of my documentary I even started messing

around with audio settings.

During the documentary, I made a voice-over talking about the nose and tail outlines,

rocker, bottom contour, rails, and volume. Physics can be seen when looking at any part of a

surfboard so I wanted to focus on the most noticeable pieces so that viewers can later recall and

use the information from the video to make informed decisions.

Going in order of my documentary, starting with the nose outline. It has its greatest effect

during paddling when most of our weight is at the front. Picturing it like a car or plane slicing
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through the air – our board, from nose to tail, acts like a hydrodynamic foil, affecting how it

moves through water. The tail outline has its greatest effect after we've popped up and during

maneuvers. It's like a wing, affecting speed and maneuverability. Rocker is the curve you see

from the side. It's like a banana shape. Breaking it into nose rocker and tail rocker. The

nose-rocker helps on steeper waves, allowing you to drop in without nose-diving, while the

tail-rocker helps control how much of the board is in contact with the water. The bottom contours

are the shape underneath the board. Like a riverbed, the water flows differently on the bottom

depending on different contours like concave, convex, flat, and channels. Rails affect how the

board bites into the wave, whether you want it to be more forgiving or more responsive. Volume

is just how much space your board takes up. It's about buoyancy, keeping you afloat. More

volume means less drag when paddling, helping you catch waves easier.

With all of the information and film that I needed to put together, I spent from November

to December putting it together, and because of this, I was not able to post and share it as early as

I would have liked to. My intended audience is fellow surfers of both the skilled and newly

starting. I shared it through my social media and sent it directly to people I thought would be

interested. Also, ask that they share it with any of their friends. I immediately got feedback

through the YouTube analytics being able to see the true anonymous audience engagement and

retention rates so that I would not rely on a form where there would be some potential bias.

Some of the limiting factors for my product were the sheer amount of information and

footage I had and needing to limit the amount of detail that I gave in certain aspects to ensure

audience engagement. I was also worried about the amount of people who would see my video

and the reliability of the data that I collected. But to my surprise, I got more than enough views

and plenty of data. The biggest limitation was me though. Forcing myself to stay on track and
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make sure everything was completed on time and to the best of my ability was a good learning

experience and allowed me to grow my time management skills. Overall I would say that my

product turned out to be a success in both my professional and personal goals.

Results

As stated previously I planned on collecting my data from the YouTube analytics.

Because of this data analysis plan, I was able to get completely unbiased data from YouTube.

Combined with the feedback that I received in person, I was able to make sound conclusions on

the results and effects of my documentary.

In total, my short documentary had 195 views as of Jan. 17th 2024. This was 17 days

after its initial publication, and from Youtube analytics I can see that 32 of those views were

from me sharing with friends and peers. The rest were from random people that suggested my

video and decided to watch it. Overall my documentary had an average view duration of 2:01

and 48% of viewers would still be watching by the 30-second mark. I can also see that the

highest retention rate was from the people who were suggested by YouTube. Them having an

average view duration of 3:36. This shows that when my video reached people who were more

interested in the topic of surfing and surfboards they would tend to watch my documentary for a

longer time.

With this data and feedback that I received from friends and peers, I can assess that the

information was viable and interesting but the format and engagement were what was struggling.

Most people agreed that it was good information but boring to watch and listen to due to the

mostly monotone voice-over. Once receiving this feedback I realized that I could have made the

documentary more entertaining by adding more jokes, being more natural, and not being as

nervous talking into the microphone.

Throughout the process of my senior project, I have experienced a lot of self-growth. The

biggest is time management. Going into the summer leading up to the senior year I had 2 jobs, an

internship, and traveled. Being able to manage my time was crucial and has paid dividends by

making me more responsible and efficient while working on projects such as this. Also showing

me that it's ok to look towards others in need of inspiration and help as long as you know how to

ask the right questions.

My senior project experience has led me to where I am today and allowed me to vastly

grow my professional skills along with my time management skills. I will take these skills that I

have learned and improved upon to college and my future professional careers. This paper also

provided me with valuable experience and shows me that I can turn anything I have a passion for

into something that I can share with others. Showing that even a beach bum can learn some

physics and have a little fun while doing so.

References

[1] How it all began - The History of Surfing. Planet Surf Camps. Retrieved from:

https://planetsurfcamps.co.uk/history-of-surfing/

[2] Must-Know Surfing Statistics. (December 13, 2023) Gitnux.org Retrieved From:

https://gitnux.org/surfing-statistics/

[3] Surfboard Rails Tails and Noses. (November 11, 2018) Boardcave. Retrieved from:

https://www.boardcave.com/the-surfers-corner/surfboard-shapes-tails-rails-and-noses#:~:
text=Surf%20board%20shapes%20mainly%20come,most%20common%20found%20on%20surf
boards.

[4] The Physics of Surfing. (September 13, 2019) Let’s Talk Science. Retrieved from:

https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-explained/physics-surfing

[5] The effects of surfboard design on wave performance. SurferToday. Retrieved from:

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-effects-of-surfboard-design-in-wave-performanc
e

[6] The Physics Behind Surfing. (May 15, 2019) Surf Skate Science. Retrieved from:

https://www.surfskatescience.com/post/manage-your-blog-from-your-live-site
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Appendix

Link to YouTube Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Analitical Graphs and Charts From YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 & 14

https://youtu.be/qZ_UgPt0CzE?si=3IBqIc3zYVbUAXOs
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