front and back foot surfboards?

[surfsc77]

i was reading some in the forums here and i heard a couple different people talking about a surfboard either being front or back foot oriented. whats the difference between the two and how do i figure out which i use when im surfing? i think i use my front foot the most in turns in such but i never payed that much attention.

[dougirwin13]

It's about a custom board designed for where your weight is primarily placed when surfing. Most people place their weight more on one foot or the other, tho some are pretty even. To further complicate things the weight placement differs somewhat from person to person.

Boards for back-footed surfers tend to have more volume in the back of the board and often have the wide point back of centre. And the opposite applies to front footed surfers.

Obviously that mostly applies to shortboards or high performance longboards. With classic style mals it doesn't really matter.

-doug