Forums > Surfing Shortboards

Why do surfboards have pointy noses?

Reply
Created by Surfstarved > 9 months ago, 29 Dec 2014
Surfstarved
78 posts
29 Dec 2014 8:02AM
Thumbs Up

This may be the most beginner of questions but it is something I've never thought about. Have been recently reading about people being hospitalised after the nose has hit them causing lacerations etc so it dawned on me. Why? Can't you still achieve the same performance with a nose that is more rounded?

Ted the Kiwi
NSW, 14256 posts
29 Dec 2014 1:02PM
Thumbs Up

They look nicer are easier to duck dive and also help to add more curve to the rail / overall bottom curve of the board. People have experimented with cut off noses before - Nat Young rode boards like that for a while. Lots of new shapes like the Nano do not have a pointed nose. Lots of longboards do not have them as the nose works as a functional part of the board for standing on - hence its designed to hold the volume of a person.

There are loads of diff nose shapes out there with lots of diff reasons for them. But do the last few inches need to be pointy - I reckon not on 99% of them.

Legion
WA, 2222 posts
29 Dec 2014 11:03AM
Thumbs Up

Very occasionally I use every inch of the nose rail of my board. And on those occasions I'm generally thankful for the pointy nose.

Buster fin
WA, 2568 posts
29 Dec 2014 8:45PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Legion said..
Very occasionally I use every inch of the nose rail of my board. And on those occasions I'm generally thankful for the pointy nose.


Yeah, nah. I challenge you. Remove 2inches from the nose and round to suit the profile. You won't miss it in the waves I know you're talking about.
Except on a gun. And then only if you surf like Legion.

Cuttlefish
QLD, 1332 posts
29 Dec 2014 10:59PM
Thumbs Up

Cut off your nose to save your face.
Only a few weeks ago the nose of my board sprang back into my face as I surfaced.
Nose hit me in the eye socket. I say eye socket because luckily it was a fish I was riding with a blunt enough nose to not take my eye out and leaving me with a shiner instead.

jbshack
WA, 6913 posts
29 Dec 2014 10:44PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Cuttlefish said..
Cut off your nose to save your face.
Only a few weeks ago the nose of my board sprang back into my face as I surfaced.
Nose hit me in the eye socket. I say eye socket because luckily it was a fish I was riding with a blunt enough nose to not take my eye out and leaving me with a shiner instead.


In Hawaii i wa surprised at just how many boards have plastic "Nose guards" on..

My Vanguard doesn't have a pointy nose, but then i could only ever dream of surfing like Legion

GPA
WA, 2519 posts
30 Dec 2014 1:41PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Cuttlefish said..
Cut off your nose to save your face.
Only a few weeks ago the nose of my board sprang back into my face as I surfaced.
Nose hit me in the eye socket. I say eye socket because luckily it was a fish I was riding with a blunt enough nose to not take my eye out and leaving me with a shiner instead.



Yeah - I have a 'tired' right eye from that sort of injury. Many years ago surfing Trigg Pt and someone dropped in and nose dived. I wore their board in the face... only 6 stitches, but my right eye tends to half close now when I get tired. Must be either muscle or nerve damage... After that I used to use the rubber nose guards (that you never see any more). These days I ride boards with a different nose profile...

Prawnhead
NSW, 1317 posts
30 Dec 2014 4:46PM
Thumbs Up

We used to "dream" of pointy noses ,i was too poor to afford a pointy nose on my fence paling!

Surfstarved
78 posts
30 Dec 2014 4:35PM
Thumbs Up

Ahhh understandable. Yeah guys, I've had a few close shave with the pointy end and sometimes wonder with my next board what a shaper would think if I asked him to simply round out a HPSB. After all, I'm no Kelly Slater

IFocus
WA, 582 posts
30 Dec 2014 7:22PM
Thumbs Up

Guy I work with lost an eye and I got centre punched just below the nose stitches hurt more than the injury.

One problem I have had is the nose guards come off pain in the ar$e

LordKuz
NSW, 260 posts
27 Jan 2015 7:50PM
Thumbs Up

What Ted said.... plus.... not all shortboards do have pointed noses. Performance wise.. may not make a lot of difference...but some just wont bring themselves to try or buy a stick with a blunt front end....



thedrip
WA, 2351 posts
27 Jan 2015 11:27PM
Thumbs Up

I agree with Legion. I have looked at my nose while dropping into a 10 footer late on a 7'8". I was wondering why I wasn't nose diving as I was way late. Turns out I had done everything right and had that thing on rail and committed to an extended bottom turn. I literally had about an inch of nose rail NOT buried and was so thankful for that little kick at the end.

Conversely I have looked back at my tail tail as I was skating down a 10-12' wave with a nor-Easter sending 1-2' ribs up the face. On the 7'8" only about the last foot and a half of tail was in the water. Did I need the other 6' of board?

The late drop was not typical of me btw. More typical would be nose dive cartwheel into the pit as the 10 footer went top to bottom on top of me and ragdolled me onto the inside ledge before letting me get a breath.

Buster fin
WA, 2568 posts
28 Jan 2015 6:17AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
IFocus said..


One problem I have had is the nose guards come off pain in the ar$e


Prepping the board properly before application is key. Then if it does come off, Sikaflex.

thedrip
WA, 2351 posts
28 Jan 2015 10:02AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Buster fin said...
IFocus said..


One problem I have had is the nose guards come off pain in the ar$e


Prepping the board properly before application is key. Then if it does come off, Sikaflex.


Just go with Sikaflex. You could build a house with that stuff.

jbshack
WA, 6913 posts
28 Jan 2015 10:26AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
thedrip said..


Buster fin said...


IFocus said..


One problem I have had is the nose guards come off pain in the ar$e




Prepping the board properly before application is key. Then if it does come off, Sikaflex.




Just go with Sikaflex. You could build a house with that stuff.



But it may be cheaper to use bricks and mortar..

Sika is crazy priced and always goes off after you open it, no matter what you try



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Surfing Shortboards


"Why do surfboards have pointy noses?" started by Surfstarved