Tips on how to choose the perfect board for you.

[Strange 1]

Board Sizes

Many manufacturers offer their boards in different sizes. I am often asked what the best size is for a rider of a given weight and height. Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question. The general rule of thumb would be to get the smallest board that still allows you to reach the waves you want. This would provide the rider with the best turning ability while still providing enough carrying power. Of course this doesn't answer the question, it only rephrases it. The right size board depends on a riders weight, style, athletic ability, and experience. Let's look at them individually.

Weight

Your weight may be the most significant factor in determining what size board you should ride. Big guys like to skim too, and they usually need bigger boards to do it. A heavier rider will be able to turn a large board more easily and often need the extra carry to get out to the waves. Small guys can often get away with a smaller board. Many board manufacturers offer weight recommendations for their different models. This is a good starting point, but the other factors can matter just as much, or more.

Style

Bigger boards turn slower but go faster, its a fact. Some riders have very fluid & smooth styles while others like to bust airs and tricks. Naturally, the smooth riders will generally prefer larger boards which allow them to reach bigger waves and charge down the line. Likewise a 'new school' rider will often prefer a smaller board which gives them more control when attempting difficult tricks.

Athletic Ability

Obviously, the faster you can run the less you need the the extra carry that a larger board provides. Conversely, if you run really slowly then you probably need a bigger board to help you reach the waves you want to ride.

Experience

Advanced riders know how to read the waves. They can see which waves will be the fastest and which ones to let go. Because of this they often don't need a big board to help them reach the "hard to reach waves". They are too busy going for the "easy to reach" waves. Likewise a beginner needs all the help he can get reaching and turning off of waves. A big board can be a real help to a beginning skimboarder.

Conclusion

So what is the moral of the story? Know what a board manufacturers size and weight recommendations are, but also consider the other factors. A manufacturers recommendations are just that, a recommendation. It is frequently the case that a rider prefers to ride a smaller or larger board than the manufacturer recommends for his weight. Keep this in mind when choosing a board.

Victoria Skimboards' Size Chart

Extra Small Under 50 lbs.
Small 50 - 80 lbs.
Medium 80 - 180 lbs
Medium/Large 120 - 200 lbs.
Large 170 - 240
Extra Large Over 200

The Properties of a Skimboard

There are five main aspects to skimboard design; shape, thickness, rocker, rails and weight. All of these however only make a huge difference when you ride on the water. If you are only riding on the sand then none of these are extremely important.

Size & Shape

Obviously a bigger skimboard is going to float better than a smaller skimboard but there are also other considerations. You want make sure and match the size of the board with your weight and athletic ability (i.e. how fast you can run). Boards that are narrow tend to turn quicker but do not carry as far over the water. Likewise boards that are wider in the middle tend to go far out in the water but not turn very well. Also boards that are shorter tend to offer more front to back control. More important than the boards shape however is it's overall size. A larger board will turn slower but go further and faster. Likewise a smaller board will turn on a dime but you may have trouble reaching the wave!

Thickness

Thickness also contributes to how far a board travels over the water. Thick boards travel further but remember that added thickness also contributes to added weight. Also thick boards do not turn as well as thin ones. They tend to be less responsive. Time proven thicknesses are 5/8 of an inch and 3/4 of an inch.

Rocker

Rocker is the amount of curvature in the nose of the board. The purpose of rocker is to help you make the transition from the sand to the water as smoothly as possible. Obviously a lot of rocker would be desirable for this purpose but unfortunately too much rocker makes a board slow. Rocker is one of those things that varies a lot from rider to rider. Its all personal preference. On the east coast 2 inches is common while on the west coast 3 inches is common. This is because the beaches on the west coast tend to be steeper therefore requiring more rocker.

Weight

The weight of the board is pretty easy to figure out, lighter is better. It is possible to get a board that is too light especially if you live in a windy area but in general just get the lightest board that you can. One other consideration is that in extreme cases the board may be light due to the fact that the fiberglass is not saturated enough, if your making your own board be sure and use enough resin.

Tail Shape

Skimboards have many different tail shapes. The one pictured above is one of the most common, a pintail. Pintails help a skimboard to be very stable in the water. Other common tail designs are swallow (W shaped) and square tails. Both of these tails give a board more manueverability in the water. By using one of these tails, you effectively shorten the board. This gives the board a twitchy feel because front-back mobility is less constrained. One benefit of swallow and especially square tails is that they throw a much bigger spray.


*credits www.skimonline.com

[awtkas983]

nece info bro...haba basahin but very informative, thanks for the enlightenment

[sk8punk]

addtional info from exile skimboards

HYBRID ROCKER
Our standard rocker also happens to be the most versatile. It excels in both heavy and light shorebreak. Hybrid rockers feature very gradual nose rocker and are almost completely flat in the tail. They are preferred by our team riders on both the east and west coast, and with good reason!

TRADITIONAL ROCKER
With nearly 3/4 of the board completely flat, this specialty rocker is built for speed. These boards excel on flatter beaches with smaller waves. For a given size, these boards will travel further than any other board on the market. Beware however, the large flat spot that gives the boards their drive also makes them less forgiving. Beginning, intermediate and unsure riders should consider the hybrid instead.

CONSTANT ROCKER
This specialty rocker is designed to handle the largest and most powerful shorebreak with ease. The rocker on this board curves continuously from nose to tail resulting in a board that turns on a dime and sits comfortably in the pit of the sickest waves. But purchase with caution, this specialty rocker requires at least shoulder high waves to really shine.

E-GLASS is the most common fiber reinforcement used in the composites world. It is popular because it offers very good performance for how much it costs. It is not as strong or stiff as the higher priced Sglass and Carbon, but is still a high quality material. Our Eglass boards are constructed exactly like the end Sglass and Carbon but with this more inexpensive material. They are also glassed a little heavier to compensate for some of the loss of strength and stiffness.

S-GLASS stands for structural fiberglass. It is 30% stronger than regular fiberglass and about 15% stiffer. It also costs more than twice as much! But when you are buying a high end product it is important to pay a little extra for the things that will make it last. Our S-Glass skimboards have multiple layers of S-Glass on each side. This makes the board a little stronger than an eglass board of the same weight and a little bit stiffer too.

CARBON FIBER is practically synonymous with top of the line in any industry. This fabric is highly coveted in skimboards for its extreme strength and stiffness. Carbon fiber fabrics are about twice as strong and stiff as E-Glass. Boards made with this material come out a little stronger, a little lighter and a whole lot stiffer than S-Glass boards.

[sk8punk]

if you just notice mas maliit ang size chart ng victoria boards from exile boards...

[Phat]

kaya pala ang laki ng board ko dahil sa exile boards kinopya.. now i know

[sk8punk]

Chart Size Of Victoria Skimboards


Foamie
Your Weight Board Size Dimensions
85-120 lbs. S 47" x 18.5"
120-145 lbs. M 48" x 19.75"
145-170 lbs. L 49" x 20.5"


Woody
Your Weight Board Size Dimensions
30-75 lbs. XS 35.75" x 15.7"
75 - 100 lbs. S 37.5" x 16.5"
100 - 130 lbs. M 41" x 18"
130 - 160 lbs. ML 43.12" x 19"
160 - 190 lbs. L 45.5" x 20"
190 + lbs. XL 48.5" x 21.31"


Speeder
Your Weight Board Size Dimensions
40 to 80 lbs. S 35.75" x 15.7"
80 to 120 lbs. M 39.5" x 17.25"
120 to 180 lbs. L 43.12" x 19"


Poly Vac
Your Weight Board Size Dimensions
80-100 lbs. XS 50.5" x 19"
100-120 lbs. S 51.5" x 19.5"
120-140 lbs. M 52.75" x 20"
140-160 lbs. ML 54" x 20.5"
160-180 lbs. L 55.25" x 21"
180-200 lbs. XL 56.75" x 21.5"
200-220 lbs. XXL 57.34" x 22.5"


Ultra-Vac
Your Weight Board Size Dimensions
80-100 lbs. XS 50.5" x 19"
100-120 lbs. S 51.5" x 19.5"
120-140 lbs. M 52.75" x 20"
140-160 lbs. ML 54" x 20.5"
160-180 lbs. L 55.25" x 21"
180-200 lbs. XL 56.75" x 21.5"
200-220 lbs. XXL 57.34" x 22.5"

[woosa!]

uy! ang ganda naman nung hawaiian inspired na vic foamie!!! gusto ko nun!!! wahahahaha!!

[dearjuanmiguel]

parang sa stoked trinoma nalang meron niyan, tska ung surf shop sa power plant..

[Phat]

parang sa stoked trinoma nalang meron niyan, tska ung surf shop sa power plant..

hindi lang don meron bro.. meron din sa J&S, fiveforty and Aloha at kung saan saan pa

[dearjuanmiguel]

kaw bro ano ginagamit mo na board?foamie or wood?

[Phat]

kaw bro ano ginagamit mo na board?foamie or wood?

o.t. na tayo hehe..woodie sakin men..beginner/noob pa ako

[dearjuanmiguel]

o.t. na tayo hehe..woodie sakin men..beginner/noob pa ako

haha,di nga?bka magaling ka na magskim? ako beginner tlga..hehe

[woosa!]

dearjuanmiguel, meron nyan sa cabinet ko at sa kama ni rebelsk8punk, wahahahaha! seryoso bro

[dearjuanmiguel]

dearjuanmiguel, meron nyan sa cabinet ko at sa kama ni rebelsk8punk, wahahahaha! seryoso bro

haha nakita ko nga eh, ung blue? may mga pangbili kayo, kami wala!

[woosa!]

bro, di ko binili ung sa akin, sponsored un.

[dearjuanmiguel]

bro, di ko binili ung sa akin, sponsored un.

yun ang mas maganda dun! btw ang gaganda pala ng mga boards na binebenta mo, irefer kita dun sa kaibgan ko n naghahanap..naadd naman n kita s multiply.

[woosa!]

yeah!!! thanks brother!!!! hehehehe, kikiss kita jan eh!!!! wehehehehe!!!

[dearjuanmiguel]

unahan na kita mwahh! wahahaha

[sk8punk]

get on the topic guys...

[jaro man]

goodz... tnx for the info...

[woosa!]

pero bro, may problema dito kase sometimes, a person's weight is not the only basis for choosing your board size, importante din ang height... un lang... bow...

[seacielo]

amen. amen. not to mention the beach you are using it. flatter beaches don't need a lot of rocker.

[cali_JUDITH]

nice info. for beginners...

[sk8punk]

dont buy boards that is for sale on TOBY's

[jepoykolokoy]

sir ger bakit po?...

[Sponsored content]