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Dewey Weber Surfboards Article
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from: Short History Of Surfboards
The first records of surfing are documented as have been done by Lieutenant James King who was rewriting Captain James Cook’s journal in 1779. Like surfing the surfboards were originally developed in Hawaii.
Precursors of surfboards were initially made from Hawaii’s local Koa tree and lengths 16 feet long. The Koa tree is used as the wood for the surfboard because of the buoyancy that it can make when in water. Yet the wood is extremely heavy compared to its modern types. As an example, a 14-foot board can weigh as heavy as 150 pounds. Today you can rarely or not at all find this type since modern surfboards uses polyurethane or polystyrene as the main material and are covered in fibreglass sheets and coated with epoxy resin. These materials have been utilized to create a much lighter and more buoyant, maneuverable board typical for good water surfing.
The surfboards of today are also shorter than the initial 16-foot board. Modern types range from five to seven feet and have a more pointed nose than the original rounded nose of the earlier long boards. The shorter width also made the modern prototypes to be more manageable. The short board is the one commonly used by professionals during competitions.
The additional development of having fins is also one of the new features in surfboards. The fins help the board to have more contact with the water and serves as a stabilizing strut fixed to the rear of the surfboard to prevent it from sliding sideways. Depending on the preferences of the rider, the placement of the fin may vary.
The most common placement is called the Thruster. This is named by Simon Anderson and it consists of three fins. One is placed nearest the tail and the other two slightly forward towards the nose. The idea behind the placement is to have the maneuverability of a twin fin and the stability of a single fin board. Nowadays, surfboards often still use the same arrangement with its fame arising from the combined ability for carving turns and providing control and drive.
Throughout the years, surfboards continue to evolve from the basic and original material to additional add-ons to improve its performance in speed and easy boarding of the waves. Whatever kind of surfboard that you prefer whether a shortboard or a longboard, it will still continue its essence that is to have a fun and exciting sports to indulge in.
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