* “This one goes to 11!”
Well. Right off the start, let’s just ensure everyone knows we’re not referring to the loudness of sound. No. It’s not that kind of volume, compadres. So if you’ve somehow stumbled onto this website thinking it’s a pop music site, or an online whistling community, or a competitive yodelling website – or has anything to do at all with sound whatsoever… you, Sir and/or Ma’am – are entirely in the wrong corner of the interwebs.
Surfboard volume remains a buzzword.
It feels kinda silly explaining what surfboard volume is, as we all kinda know it in the back of our minds. It’s kinda like what most people think of the Internet. Everyone knows it. Everyone uses it. It’s ubiquitous, it’s all around us – people talk about it all the time, but what the hell is it really? What is surfboard volume, what is the Internet? What is the point of our insignificant existence in the grand scheme of time and the vastness of the universe? All questions Trident strives to answer.
In scientific terms, volume is the space occupied by, er, well um – something. Surfboard shapers measure volume in litres. The opposite of volume is a vacuum. Which funnily enough, when switched on to clean carpets, makes an infuriatingly loud noise which can be described as high volume.
Just our little joke, haha. You know, coz, how we were talking about volume as sound earlier? Ah, forget it. Moving on.
“Everyone floats down here.” Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
Over the last decade or so, volume has become an important buzzword in surfing. Yet, very few surfers understand it correctly. Yes, the bigger and heavier you are, the more volume you may require to float your ass. However, like Animal Farm’s pigs – not all volume is created equally.
We’re not gonna even wade into what the average surfboard volume is, but for some reason we’re gonna go with 35 litres. (Ed’s note: don’t forget to explain how Americans, who flat out refuse the metric system, somehow use litres with delight when measuring surfboard volume.) Anyhow, 35 litres can be a dustbin-shaped wide, fat surfboard of 4 foot by 35 inches, or a long thin lance of 7 foot by 12 inches. Neither surfboard has even the slightest resemblance to each other, yet each board has identical volume. What?
So what now, oh purveyors of “you need more volume bru, then you’ll catch more waves”? It sounds simple. More volume – ie: more surfboard foam, makes it easier to surf waves. The board is more buoyant, more forgiving and so on. Well… yes and no. Volume is indeed important – for buoyancy, easy paddling and easing yourself into waves, but that massive lump of foam ain’t gonna make you surf that much better once you’re up and riding.
Volume helps. Unless you’re really kak.
Therein lies the irony. Volume helps, but only to an extent. The important thing is where that volume is situated on the surfboard. Around mid way to 2 thirds of the board is where you’ll be doing most of your paddling.
Also, let’s not forget the thickness of the board either. We live in three dimensions after all. Surfboards have width, length and thickness. Where must all this foam go, dear shaper? Enough to make someone mad ekse. Foam. Volume. More volume. Less volume. Easy paddling. Forgiving. But try duck diving a huge wave on a surfboard with extra volume. You may as well be trying to duck dive with a submarine. And shredding on a decent wave on a board with extra foam? You may as well be surfing with a piece of corrugated iron. But they’ll float you easier.
Surfboard volume. We may need a follow-up article.
- * This is from the classic movie, Spinal Tap. Go watch it if you haven’t’ seen it yet.
- ** Incidentally, Kelly Slater has won 11 World titles. Guaranteed Trident is the only entity on the planet to make this bizarre connection.
