Use this tool if you have a Soft Top Surfboard and would like to calculate the approximate surfboard volume.
- Select the surfboard shape
- Shortboards have the least volume with sharp nose and tails
- Funboards often have an egg shape with a round nose
- Longboards have a large round nose and tail
- Input the surfboard dimensions
- You need to know the Length, Width and Thickness. These are usually written in the middle on the bottom of the board in inches
What is Surfboard volume
Volume refers to the size of the total area of a surfboard. The greater the volume, the greater the amount of water that is displaced when trying to submerse the surfboard. As surfboards float, this means that more volume = more buoyancy.
Why is volume so important
Surfboard volume is a major factor to consider when choosing your next surfboard and comparing the volume of similar shape and length surfboards is one of the best ways to understand really how much difference there is as it summarises all the measurements.
It is however crucial to understand that volume on it’s own does not dictate the performance of a surfboard, and the shape has a major role. Two surfboards can share identical volume but feel quite different in the water due to where that volume is located in the board. Imagine two copies of the same board, but one with the fins mounted at the other end and how different these would be to surf!
A surfboard with higher volume will typically be easier to paddle and to catch waves, however it will usually be slower to turn and harder to duck-dive under waves. Surfboards that are too bouyant can also feel less stable as you feel like you are balancing on top of the water, rather than in the water.
how is surfboard volume measured
To accurately measure the volume of a surfboard you need to use software to measure it from the CAD drawings or use a submersion technique. Even the simple submersion method is still quite complex, as you need to submerge the surfboard into a vessel of water with a known quantity, and then measure how much is dispersed. E.g. dunk your surfboard into a giant bathtub then measure how much is spilled onto the floor!
There are alternate methods such as measuring the weight required to completely submerse the board, but this becomes tricky with Soft Top Surfboards and the variable boyancy.
How does the calculator work
The calculator takes a much more simple approach to provide an approximate value. The logic is derived from comparing a large amount of data of known surfboard dimensions and volumes, and then building a formula based on this data. We have made some assumptions about the average size and shape of various surfboard styles, and used this to categorise the formula into the three surfboard shapes available in the calculator.