Nose – The nose of a bodyboard is the front tip. Riders hold one hand on the nose to help guide the board.
Deck – The deck of a bodyboard is the top section. It’s the surface where the rider lies.
Tail – The tail of the bodyboard is the rear section of the board. Different tails can affect the ride of the board. Riders can order boards with different tails to tailor the ride to their performance preferences. Tails come in two standard shapes: the crescent and bat tail. The crescent tail is shaped like a hail-moon and offers maximum stability (like a round or pin tail on a surfboard). Bat tails (like the surfboard swallow tail) offers more release for radical maneuvers like barrel rolls (el rollos) and 360 spinners.
Rails – The rails of a bodyboard are the side edges. Rails are normally either 50/50 or 60/40. Since most bodyboards are built without fins (or skegs), riders rely on the outer rails to “dig” into the water and secure their boards on the vertical face of the wave. 50/50 rails offer more speed while 60/40 rails offer more control.
Stringer – A bodyboard stringer is a solid rod that rune the length of the board and helps maintain stiffness, while still retaining enough flex to contour to the curvature of the wave face. The stringer does strengthen the board, but large waves can still crease a board. Some manufacturers may employ a string mesh in place of a stringer.
Bottom – The bottom of a bodyboard is the (just as the name says) the bottom of the board. Unlike a surfboard, bodyboards are covered with a slick hard plastic on the bottom that is different from the rest of the board. This adds both strength and speed to the board. On the bottom, some bodyboards have “channels” which act as pseudo-fins that help guide the board and add control and precision to the ride. Bottoms are generally made of two materials. One is high density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is a hard plastic coating. Surlyn is a softer material than HDPE and is the most popular material for bodyboard bottoms.
Rocker – The bottom of a bodyboard had a certain curve or flatness. This is the board’s rocker. Like a surfboard, too much rocker will slow a board down and not enough rocker with dig and not fit properly into the curvature of the wave itself.
In addition to shape and basic bodyboarding parts, there is also the foam core itself that makes up the bulk of the board’s mass. Bodyboards are made of such substances as Polythylene, Crosslink, or Polypropylene. Polyethylene is the most common and longest used material. It has been used since Tom Morey invented the Boogie Board and is still used because of its cost, performance and response. However, Polypropylene (Polypro) is stronger and lighter but costs more to use. This is a deciding factor in most board production decisions. Finally, Crosslink is water-tight and strong foam used in many bodyboard designs.
In summary, bodyboarders must take many aspects of the board into consideration before purchasing a new board. But one rule of thumb exists (more so with bodyboards than surfboards): You get what you pay for. Getting a cheap board is the worst mistake you can make. More expensive boards tend to be made with better materials and are shaped and constructed with a goal in mind. Just like you don’t want to buy a Batman skateboard from Target to ride a half-pipe, a bodyboard bought from Walmart will probably leave you looking for more.
