Bodyboard
Construction and Parts
Just before we go on, people keep asking what is
the difference between a boogie board and a bodyboard. The answer is nothing they
are the same thing.
The term boogie comes from the original Morey Boogie
Boards that were around in the 70's. The term has taken hold in Australia and
New Zealand and is still used there. So usually if someone calls it a boogie board
you can take a good guess that they are from Australia or New Zealand.
So now for the parts of a bodyboard and construction
types of a Boogie Board :)
-
Deck
-
The top of the bodyboard where you lay
- Slick bottom
- The bottom of the bodyboard that has a smooth or slick
material such as Surlyn or HDPE.
- Nose
- The front of the bodyboard where you hold on
- Rail
- The side of the bodyboard. The rail of a bodyboard is expressed
as a ratio such as 50/50 or 60/40, etc. The theory is that a 50/50 rail is faster
and more stable but a 60/40 offers more control and makes some maneuvers easier
to do. Most bodyboards use 60/40.
- Tail
- The back end of the bodyboard.
- Channels
- Gouged-out areas on the bottom that reduce drag and channel
the water under your board, therefore increasing speed , it is also acting as
"small skegs" improving control
- Stringer
- It's a straight rod inserted into the bodyboard to maintain
the stiffness of the board. Stringers do not stop a board from creasing. The purpose
of a stringer is create stiffness and give more projection out of your turns and
manouvers.
- Mesh
- A wire-like plastic material inserted into the core of a bodyboard
to enhance projection and durability. This is only used by a couple manufacturers
as an alternative to stringers (Example : Morey Mach 7 X which was an enhanced
version of the original Mach 7-7 ; X means Mesh)
- Template
- This term refers to the overall shape
- Rocker
- the rocker refers to how flat a bodyboard is. Normally, the
nose curve is going to keep the nose off the sea level, but the tail should be
flat and the board shouldn't "rock" more than just a little bit. Too much rocker
will decrease the speed.
the rocker of a bodyboard will change mainly due
to the difference of material used between deck , core and bottom. It is unfortunately
a normal process and most bodyboards will end up with a reverse rocker causing
the nose to dive into the curl of a wave ( especially while Drop Knee riding )
. To delay this , always keep your bodyboard in a cool place (heat will accelerate
this process) and store your board on the nose , not the tail.
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Tails : 2 main
types
-
Bat Tail
-
Looks like the wingspan of a bat. There are points
at either end of the tail, with some form of rounded or pointed area in the center
.Bat tails provide lots of maneuverability. Most prone riders preferred bat tails
as it is very efficient for doing maneuvers in the critical part of the wave.
- Crescent Tail
- The type of tail has square corners on either side of the tail,
and a "U" shape connecting them. Crescent tails are mainly used by drop knee riders
and prone riders into tube riding. It provides maximum stability but doesn't release
quite as easily as a bat tail if you like to execute a 360.
Cores,
Foam Types and Bottom Skins
Crosslink- A type of foam
characterized by it's denser, more compact feel, and unwillingness to absorb water.
Very durable deck and rail foam material also named Green Cell or Dura Deck
Polypropylene-
Polypro is light, springy, and strong. There are two types : Extruded polypro
is made from strands of polypropylene and offers very good projection and durability.Beaded
polypro is extremely lightweight, durable, water-resistant, but also very expensive.
Dow or Polyethylene-
Used since the 70's, it's still the standard foam. It's compact ( there are different
densities ), and has excellent projection and performance, but it does not last
long , compared to polypro, unless combined with mesh or stringer, it is also
a bit heavier than Polypro. It's used on the deck and rails of most bodyboards
as well.
Surlyn- it is
the material used in most bottoms of bodyboard ( golf balls are also using it
) ; it's slick and durable, has great speed and projection.
HDPE - High Density Polyethylene
looks very similar to Surlyn, but it's not as flexible.
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