surfboard blog title

What’s a Fish Surfboard Anyway & Why Would I Want One of Those Funny Shapes?

September 16th, 2009 by Luc Stokes

Fish surfboards or swallowtail surfboards refer to the tail setup of the surfboard. There are different types of fish surfboards from hybrid fish to retro fish and more. You could even have a fish tail on a longboard and you could still call it a fish surfboard.

Fish surfboards became popular back in the seventies as the world of surfing transitioned from 1 center fin to the world of more-than-one. The fish in today’s terms could have 2, 3, or 4 fins.

Fish Surfboard Tail

Fish Surfboard Tail

What makes a fish surfboard so fun and unique is that it combines a few elements. It combines the tail width and stability of a squash tail and the rail control of a pintail.

This makes the fish surfboard really easy to catch waves in small wave situations because of the wide template at the tail, but also provides great drive down line, which is very important when the waves are small. Because of this unique combination the fish surfboard makes an incredible transition surfboard for those wanting to transition from a longboard to a shorter surfboard.

Overall the fish surfboard is a blast in ankle to head high surf but lacks the hold-ability for overhead waves.




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