NATURAL CURVES SURFBOARDS
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  ROCKER IS IT MAGIC ?
   
  ROCKER is a dimensional curve measured along the bottom, top, and rails of the surfboard generally referenced from nose to tail.

BOTTOM ROCKER is a curve following a straight line along the stringer or center of the bottom of a surfboard. Bottom rocker is the foundation of a well designed surfboard.

DECK ROCKER is a curve following a straight line along the stringer or center of the deck of a surfboard. The area defined by plotting bottom and deck rocker from nose to tail defines the distribution of volume referred to as the profile and foil of a surfboard.

RAIL ROCKER is a curve along the rail of a surfboard. This curve follows the outline and the bottom of a surfboard's rails. The juxtaposition of a surfboard's bottom rocker and rail rocker helps define the bottom contours of a surfboard.
 
   
  Rocker is arguably the most significant and critical component in the design of a surfboard. Bottom rocker is generally the first design element a shaper puts into a surfboard. Once bottom rocker is established a shaper will create deck rocker and proceed to foil the profile of a board from nose to tail and rail to rail, add bottom contours, and rails all in relation to the bottom rocker. It's essential that these additional variables compliment the bottom rocker of the board. If these design variables are not in sync, they risk working against each other. A well designed and well executed bottom rocker is the foundation of a magic surfboard.

There are three primary varieties of bottom rockers in surfboard design: SPEED BOX rockers, CONTINUOUS rockers, and RELAXED rockers. All three rockers have important features in common, entry rocker, mid board rocker, and tail rocker. They all share these fundamental features - more curve in entry, less curve mid board and more curve in the tail. The curves accelerate in the nose and tail and are reduced mid board. All these rockers may be applied to any surfboard design - shortboards including stepups, semiguns, XXL guns, tow boards, mid legths, longboards, retro, and specialty shortboards, - as shapers design the performance characteristics into a surfboard. However, each of these bottom rockers is generally best suited for specific surfboard designs and classes.

SPEED BOX ROCKER is a bottom curve that features relatively flat curves through the mid section of the surboard referred to as a speed box with accelerated curves in the entry and tail. Speed Box rockers share this feature with continuous and relaxed rockers with the rocker mid board reduced to dial up the acceleration, projection, speed, and control of a shortboard out of it's turns. The speed box can vary moderately in length and position. The manner that these reduced and accelerated curves transition into each other is critical to the successful application of this design. Smooth transitions allow the board to maximize performance. Poorly placed, abrupt, or interrupted transitions will cause the board push water, drag and lose speed.

Speed Box rockers are used primarily in shortboards, semiguns, and XXL guns. Decreasing the curve and extending these relative flatter curves of the mid section yield greater acceleration, projection, and planning speed with longer natural arcs out of the turns. Increasing the curve and shortening the flatter mid section yields less projection, tighter turning radius, and shorter arcs out of the turns, without loss of acceleration and speed. Surfers with the skill to ride these boards will be able to generate and maintain speed no matter the natural arc or turning radius of the board. Shapers use these fundamental principles with moderate variations to maximize a boards performance in a variety of conditions.

CONTINUOUS ROCKER is a bottom curve with no flat spots or notable staged transitions. They excel in the critical sections of high quality, hollow, barreling waves. The curves flow from accelerated curve in the nose and entry, to less curve in the mid board, to accelerated curve in the tail. Continuous rocker curves keep boards loose and rails clean in the tight sections of critical waves. These smooth and continuous curves allow a surfboard to turn with ease and accelerate, project, and create speed with complete control in critical sections.

Continuous rocker in shortboards, step ups, semiguns, and XXL guns, allows a surfboard to transition from rail to rail, turn in a variety of arcs, and project out of turns with acceleration, speed, and control. Shapers may dial up or down performance features by varying the degree of these curves. A relatively greater continuous rocker will have a tighter turning radius offering greater manuverability. A relatively flatter continuous rocker will offer more projection and a longer natural turning radius.

Continuous rocker in mid length designs, eggs and longboards allows a surfboard to glide or trim at speed and turn with ease. Shapers may dial up or down these performance features, as they do in other types of designs by varying the curves. Mid length designs will have rocker patterns similar to shortboards designed to turn and accelerate when the opportunity presents itself yet glide and trim in marginal waves with less energy and power. Contemporary longboards will have rocker patterns that are flatter throughout, particularly in the nose. They are still characterized by clean continuous curves with no flat areas. The flatter nose and entry rocker of longboards creates the trim and nose riding features of the design. The greater accelerating curves from wide point to tail in longboards creates the turning features of the design.

RELAXED ROCKER is a Speed Box or a Continuous rocker with reduced entry and tail rocker. The lower rockers profiles in the nose and tail offer performance characteristics of Speed Box and Continuous rockers in small and marginal conditions. Relaxed rockers are designed to help a surfboard carve and accelerate through turns and hold speed and power through transitions in marginal smaller waves.
   
 
 ROCKER OPTION ILLUSTRATIONS
 
  
 
 SPEED BOX ROCKERS These designs feature an area of flatter rocker under the surfer's torso and hips when paddling and under the surfer's stance when surfing. The Speed Box can vary moderately in length. The integrated tail and entry rockers are tuned to surfer's requirements. This rocker profile can be fine tuned to a wide variety of conditions.
 
 
 SPEED BOX ROCKER - note the area of flatter rocker through the mid section of the board
 
  
 
 CONTINUOUS ROCKERS These designs feature continuous rocker from nose to tail. They excel in crisp and hollow waves. These conditions generally provide all the speed and power required for solid performance surfing. The continuous rocker profile keeps the board free and loose in the pocket and in the tight transitions experienced in challenging - quality waves without compromising acceleration, speed and projection.
 
 
 CONTINUOUS ROCKER - note the constant curve from nose to tail
 
  
 
 RELAXED ROCKERS These designs feature low tail rocker and relaxed entry rocker. This rocker profile excels in marginal and moderate conditions by generating and carrying speed in and out of the pocket without sacrificing control in powerful surf.
 
 
 RELAXED ROCKER - note the relaxed lower rocker in the nose and tail
 
  



 
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