After trying surfing, wind surfing and wave skiing I eventually settled for body boarding. Yes, that makes me a "Grommet" The fact that body boards are easier to transport when on holiday was probably one of the most appealing factors that made this water sport a personal preference of mine. No rigging is required, no roof racks you just pop the board in the boot and off you go! Today its a water sport I have enjoyed for over 20 years.

I have often noticed many aspiring body boarders staring at the huge choice of body boards at surf shops and not knowing where to start and what to look for when buying a body board. Here are some personal tips I hope will help you get the right gear.

As a general rule, if you stand upright, the body board's tip should be level with your navel when the board is placed in front of you with the tail of the board on the floor.

BODY BOARD SIZE RECOMMENDATIONS

BODY BOARD DESIGNS

A. Nose width. Important for speed and maneuverability. Narrow nose designs give you more speed, allowing gentle flow down the side of the board. The wider the nose - the more maneuverable the board is and gives you a greater pivot areas to spin the board. So find a medium depending on your preference of stance and body boarding style.

B-C. Nose-to-wide-point. Ideally the wide point of your body board should sit just behind your elbows. This gives you correct water displacement. If the wide point of your board is forward of your elbows the board's nose will tend to dip creating water spray and this impairs your forward view on the wave.

D. The Tail. A wide tail gives your board a solid edge and better wave-hugging ability. A narrower tail is better for tube riding, but you will find that it also slides or skates off the edge easier. Ideally the body board's tail corner should be halfway between the nose corner and the widest point on the rail (side).

E. Length. There's an important relationship between your height and weight, and this impacts maneuverability. The taller you are the longer the board should be. The board should at least reach your navel, if you are a heavier rider then you should pick a slightly longer board, but remember that the longer the board the more difficult it will be to turn the board on the water.

F. Nose Kick. This determines speed and maneuverability. Generally the nose of the board should start pitching upward about one third down from the nose. If the board has a high nose pitch it will cut through chop easier, but won't be very fast, if the nose kick is at a lower angle, the board glide through the water faster.

G. Tail kick. The more the tail lifts up at the end, the slower the body board will be. High tail kick actually produces drag by forming an air pocket, this disrupts the flow of water down and around the rail (side). On the upside a tail kick allows you to do more critical spins where a flat tails will generally catch an edge about 180 degrees into a spin if hollow waves.

H. Rail configuration. 60/40 rails give body boards better edge control for directional changes, a 50/50 rail makes side to side movement easier. Concave rails tend to suck in water toward the board.

I. Bottom design. Channels allow better wave holding, while tunnel tails create the best wave holding ability. Standard channels are the most popular choice.

When buying a body board, it's important to think about what you will be using the board for most, and the surfing conditions you prefer using the board in. Make sure the board has a good strong core and that the board is well fused all round.

Keep in mind that the board will only keep it's shape if you take good care of it...Enjoy :)

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