Surfboard Tail Shapes
34 commentsIf you have had a look around a surf shop, you'll already have seen that there is a wide range of different surfboard tail shapes to choose from. In this section, we take a quick look at some of the most common shapes and the surf conditions that they are best suited to. If you're thinking about getting a custom board shaped, you may not have considered the different choices of surfboard tail shape. Make sure you have a chat with your shaper about what suits your surfing best.
Squashtail
The squashtail is probably the most common tail shape on modern surfboards. There are no prizes for guessing why it got its name. The design offers a stable ride but enables the surfboard to still remain loose. The squashtail is a great tail shape for any standard of surfer and can be used in both small and overhead waves.
Squaretail
The squaretail's shape is, well, squared off at the end. It's really the pre-runner to the squashtail and is not so common on new boards these days. The rails meet the tail at sharp corners giving the surfboard good maneuverability. It's best used in small to head high waves.
Thumbtail
A more rounded version of the squashtail, the design of the thumbtail results in more stability for the board. This shape has no hard edge that you find in the squash and squaretail. A thumbnail is great for rail-to-rail surfing and big old turns! It's most effective in medium to very large surf.
Rounded Pintail
Very similar to the thumbtail, the rounded pintail is slightly more "pinched" toward the tail. This tail was very popular in the single-fin days and is the tightest-holding rail. Like the thumbtail and the regular pintail, there is no interruption in the flow from the rail directly through to the tail. The rounded pintail is a great tail for medium to large waves and ideal for powerful hollow surf.
Pintail
The pintail is the next step down from the rounded pintail. The pintail comes to much more of a point than the rounded tail and finishes in a sharper, thinner pin. This is the tail shape for surfing large, powerful, hollow waves. This is the tube rider special!
Baby Swallowtail
The baby swallowtail is the smaller of the swallowtail shapes. This tail combines the rail drive shape of the squaretail with the sensitivity of the pintail, making this a great tail shape for big wave surfers. The baby swallowtail can be used in small to large surf.
Swallowtail
The swallowtail, like the baby version, combines the rail drive of the squaretail and the sensitivity of the pintail. The swallowtail is an easy one to spot for the novice! This is the tail shape used on fish surfboards. The wider tail gives better paddling power and increased drive in smaller waves.
Battail
The battail performs like a swallowtail. Its two outer pivot points and the addition of the central point of the wing provide greater stability. The battail is good in smallish to overhead waves and is one of the more modern surfboard tail designs.
Wing
The wing is really not a tail shape but more of a rail shape. It can be seen as the bump in the rails just in front of the front fins. Don't be confused and think that this is a different tail shape. The tail shown on the left is still a swallowtail. Just remember that the board also has a wing.
This made it very easy to understand excelent :)
this was realy helpfull for a talk i had to do for school
What about Rocket tails?
thx nice info
It looks like the rocket tail has been missed from the list. We'll get it added soon.
Thanks for the heads up!
What about the diamond tail?
very useful....
Also, How about halfmoon/Hook tail?
what about the rat tail?
This is very useful. Thank you.
good info
this is excelent but wht are the benefits of a wing tail?
PLEASE MORE INFO ABOUT THE WING TAIL ??????? but thank you for the other stuff
What about the half-moon tail shape?
What abou the diamond tail?
More info on wing tail and what about the fish
but still good info for my home work
And the winged pintail? One of the finest and most versatile tails I have ever surfed, and seems to have lapsed into ... ? Of course, I am more traditional in my tastes ...
And let's not forget the diamond tail ...
it made it easy for me to pick my board
whats a bump tail ?
sooo...where's the DIAMOND tail???
wheres the fish tail?? ha
What's the benefit of a 'wing'? You define what it is, but not what it does..
Hi I am from hawaii I need some information in replaceing the tail of a surf board we bought one in a grarage sale for 5 dollar I am thing of fixing it for my grandaughter any opinons anyone? I always was amazed by Roxy?
Lunnasol - I would just invest in another board, maybe a longboard if she is just starting out?
Forgot the Fish!
u forgot a lot
What about the monkey tail? Critical when making big gorilla turns!
what about the pony tail? oh sorry that went out twenty years ago"
Thanks, I love this website
it gave me a good idea for my science fair this year
good help
thanks for the handy info...
thankyou
Thank you for explaining the benefits of different tail shapes. I am considering getting a custom surfboard. I think it would be smart to discuss this project with a specialist so I can get the best surfboard for me.