A Basic Guide to Surfboard Volume

Cover image: @tokorosurfboards / instagram

Surfboard volume determines how much your board floats, which in turn is super important for choosing the right board for your skill level, size, and local break. Here is a guide to everything you need to know about surfboard volume.

What is Volume

The volume of your surfboard, technically speaking, is the amount of space occupied by your surfboard. It is measured in cubic liters and is dependent on three elements; width (rail to rail), length (nose to tail), and thickness. Unlike a box, you can’t simply multiply these three elements together to get the exact volume of your board. Surfboards have concave shapes and curves that make things a bit more difficult. Today many shapers easily calculate the volume of a board with computer modeling however, in the past, shapers would submerge boards in water and use the difference of displaced water to calculate exact volumes.

Here are some examples of board types and usual volumes in liters:

Shortboard: 22L – 35 L

Fish: 25L – 45 L

Funboard: 40 L – 60 L

Longboard: 60 L – 100 L

Volume to Buoyancy

Volume determines how much your board floats, and therefore the best volume for a person is heavily dependent on size. Buoyancy directly affects paddle speed, maneuverability, speed in weaker waves, and ultimately how many waves you catch.

Simply speaking, the more volume = more float, less volume = less float.

Higher volume boards, like a longboard or funboard, travel faster and make catching waves and speeding down the line easier. With added flotation, however, maneuvers like turns are more difficult.

Lower volume boards, like performance shortboards, are slower and harder to catch waves on. These boards are best for experienced surfers who have mastered the timing of taking off on a steeper wave and are working on maneuvers that need sharp, powerful turns.

Volume and Board Dimensions

The dimensions of a board (length, width, and thickness) don’t always determine volume. You could have a 6’2 shortboard with less volume than a 5’2 fish made for surfing smaller, mushier waves. Boards with similar dimensions can have drastically different shapes, so it is super important to pay attention to how the dimensions and shapes work together and how that might differ for the best board for you.

Volume and Weight

Your size (weight and height) is important when determining the correct volume board for you. Weight and buoyancy work against each other, so a rule of thumb is a lighter surfer needs less volume, and a heavier surfer needs more volume.

Note skill, local conditions, and the type of board you ride, in addition to weight, are all important to find the perfect ride.

Volume for Different Surf Conditions

The general rule is small waves need more volume, bigger waves need less volume, and XXL waves need more volume.

When surfing small waves, one needs as much speed as possible to make up for the lack of power of the waves. This is why longboarders or fish boards dominate the lineup in smaller conditions.

Bigger waves are fast and have steep drops. Less volume gives surfers more maneuverability, like tight turns, and opportunities to do advanced moves on good-sized faces.

In XXL waves, without a tow that is, surfers opt for guns or step-up boards. These boards have more volume to help catch big waves by giving more paddle power and offering more stability and control when riding down the face.

Volume for Your Skill Level

Beginner and intermediate riders can’t go wrong with more volume. The added floatation helps catch waves for more practice and teaches proper turning techniques.

The worst thing a surfer can do for their progression is move to a small board too soon.

Resources

Thankfully our lovely internet is host to many helpful tips and tricks to understand what volume is right for you. Here are some of our favorite volume calculators and YouTube videos to help understand choosing the best board for you.

FireWire Surfboard Volume Calculator

NullTuul Sliding Volume Calculator

Now that you understand surfboard volume it’s time to get in the waves. Check out the Jamie O’Brien Surf App here for anytime, anywhere surf coaching.