ABOUT VOLUME CALCULATOR
In reality, the thing that volume really tells us, is how “buoyant” the surfboard will be, and therefore how well the board will float you in the water. This matters because the higher a board floats you out of the water, the less drag your body will make when you paddle, and so the faster you’ll be able to move. The faster you can paddle, the more waves you can catch, and the less steep those waves need to be in order to catch them. However, the volume of the board is only half the equation, the other part is the weight of the surfer, as a heavier surfer will need more volume to float him. Imagine a 1L bottle of water being submerged into water, it will displace 1L of volume and the same theory applies to a surfboard.
What Kind of Volume do I Need?
Surfboards metrics used to be given in length, width, thickness, and maybe rocker. But few years ago volume started creeping into specifications. Which is a good thing, volume is the main thing that makes or breaks the decision if one particular board is right for you. That is because the required volume is directly connected to your actual abilities and physique. Not just your wishes and imagination. Why do you want just the right volume?
Too little volume – catching waves will be hard and catching waves is the main purpose of surfing, isn’t it?:)
Too much volume – a surfboard will feel clumsy, and hard to turn once you are riding it.
Small Wave Surfboard Volume
Small wave boards are a bit of an exception when it comes to volume. Why? Small shitty waves require boards with lots of volume. So if your regular shortboard is around 26 liters, a small wave surfboard for sure needs more. Take that into consideration when the volume calculator spits out 26 liters as your ideal number.
Factors
Needed surfboard volume depends on:
Your weight – the heavier you are the more volume you will need, obviously! If you’re wearing a wetsuit or not or even planning on eating a few extra pies!
Your surfing level – better surfers need less volume. Why? Because better surfer paddles better and more efficiently, knows and predicts the waves better, has better positioning, and knows how to get more speed from the wave
Your fitness level – stronger surfers, people in good shape will paddle easier and faster, so they need less volume to help them. Plus how agile you are or any injuries you might be carrying are important factors to consider as well.
Age – this one is mostly related to the fitness level. When you get older and you have less time for yourself your fitness level drops. Because of the age it also get harder to maintain it. Otherwise it has no direct connection to the volume, just try telling Kelly Slater he should be riding more volume because of his age
One more thing before we go to calculators – most of the calculators online are made by surfboard manufacturers to help you choose their boards. But you shouldn’t let that bother you, given volume number can be used for any surfboard you are buying/ordering. Also for comparison try 2-3 different calculators.
Over the years many different shapers and surfboard manufacturers have attempted to create the perfect board calculator, however it is still yet to be done. Below is a volume guide we recommend using, and the links below are calculators by other popular board companies. We recommend you try the test on a few of these to get a general idea of what volume is right for you.
Below is a table with recommended volumes. Get a rough idea of what you need by using it to gauge a good volume.
| Weight (Kg) | Pro | Advance + | Advance | Inter. / Adv | Intermediate | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 & Under | 14.00 | 15.05 | 15.75 | 21.00 | 25.90 | 27.05 |
| 40 | 15.60 | 16.40 | 17.20 | 18.80 | 23.60 | 29.20 |
| 45 | 17.10 | 18.00 | 18.90 | 20.70 | 26.10 | 32.40 |
| 50 | 18.00 | 19.00 | 20.50 | 22.50 | 28.50 | 35.50 |
| 55 | 18.70 | 19.80 | 21.45 | 23.65 | 30.25 | 37.95 |
| 60 | 19.80 | 21.00 | 22.80 | 25.20 | 32.40 | 40.80 |
| 65 | 21.45 | 22.75 | 24.70 | 27.30 | 35.10 | 44.20 |
| 70 | 23.10 | 24.50 | 26.60 | 29.40 | 37.80 | 47.60 |
| 75 | 24.75 | 26.25 | 28.50 | 31.50 | 40.50 | 51.00 |
| 80 | 26.40 | 28.00 | 30.40 | 33.60 | 43.20 | 54.40 |
| 85 | 28.05 | 29.75 | 32.30 | 35.70 | 45.90 | 57.80 |
| 90 | 29.70 | 31.50 | 34.20 | 37.80 | 48.60 | 61.20 |
| 95 | 31.35 | 33.25 | 36.10 | 39.90 | 51.30 | 64.60 |
| 100 | 33.00 | 35.00 | 38.00 | 42.00 | 54.00 | 68.00 |
| 105 | 34.65 | 36.75 | 39.90 | 44.10 | 56.70 | 71.40 |
| 110 | 36.30 | 38.50 | 41.80 | 46.20 | 59.40 | 74.80 |