Incredible how many surfers, even top surfers, have no idea what the scribble on
their stringer means. It's not some strange doodle you shaper writes there in a moment of boredom, or his personal stats. Each measurement has a meaning.
6'1 " x 18,1/2" x 2,1/8" x 11,3/8 x 14,1/4"
The first and most important is the length of the surf board. Some people are under the misconception that this is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. This is not quite the case because the length of the board includes the curve. Pythagoras will be able to help you a bit more with this one, but since the shaper is taking into account the curve, a 6,1" board would only stand about 6,1/2" feet if you measured it on a wall chart.
6'1" x 18,1/2" x 2,1/8" x 11,3/8 x 14,1/4"
Next come the wide point, via rail-to-rail width. Once again, the common misconception is that this is the measurement from the middle of your surf board. On most modern short boards the widepointis slightly back of centre.
6'1" x 18,1/2" x 2,1/8" x 11,3/8 x 14,1/4"
The thickness of you board is measured on you stringer using a calliper (wooden thing that looks like a crab pincer). This measurement can be misleading, because it takes into account how doomed the deck is. In other words a board with thick, boxy rails or a board with thin pinched rails could be 2,1/8" inches thick on the stringer, even though the boards have a significantly different volume of foam.
6'1" x 18,1/2" x 2,1/8" x 11,3/8 x 14,1/4"
Occasionally a shaper will include nose and tail widths. Nose width is indicated first, and it is measured 12" back from the top.
6'1" x 18,1/2" x 2,1/8" x 11,3/8 x 14,1/4"
Tail width, likewise is measured 12" forward (along the stringer) from where you tail chops off. Swallowtails are the exception. Here the shaper will draw an imaginary line between the tips of the swallow wings, and measure the 12" mark from here. The tail measurements are more or less in line with were you'd place your back foot, which is why shapers may ask you your shoe size.
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