WIDE Squash vs Swallow

my experience with wide squash tails they loosen up the board, tight snappy turns very easily and create speed in mush.

Same board with a swallow tail will have more drawn out turns, and the twin tips will provide a bit more hold and stability on a steeper drop or bottom turn.

True groveling in weak waves will probably favor the wide flat squash tail.

 

I see it like scotty... Think of the two tails in terms of planing surface area. The squash has more planing surface, and more volume. So the tail will plane higher at lower speeds... which translates into more speed and "square-er" turns. The reason why you see swallows on small wave boards is because those boards tend to have wider tails at a foot up... like a fish. Tails that wide need some relief, or they tend to spin out... I call it the "skipping stone" effect. Removing some surface area behind the fins gives you the best of both worlds... a longer, straighter rail line and wide tail under your back foot for speed, and reduced surface area for control.

 

I'm anti swallow tails all day. I don't like wings in the rail by the tail either. That sh*t just weirds me out.

 

I agree with scotty as well squash looser more stable and swallow more bite in wave maybe with a broader range, higher top end in wave size you can use it in..

 

I like swallow tails. My go to board for the past year has been a Lost RNF for most conditions. Wider up front getting into small summer waves but the pulled in swallow still holds well in winter barrels. What don't you like about them, just the look?

 

i have an ashton version of a lost rnf that really works good on smaller waves. I've ridden a fishcuit and found that to be very sluggish.

 

yup...as much as i liked my fishcuit, i liked my bing puck a whole lot more. i've got something in the works w/ brian wynn that will bridge the gap...not as wide as the puck overall, but wider in the nose & more refined in the rail than the fishcuit.
the rails on the fishcuit are super chunky...can be very hard to set if the board is at all over-sized for you.

 

I just started using a Firewire El Fuego. Been out on it about a half dozen times. It gets on almost any wave and performs well when conditions get up to head high. I have been really impressed with it so far.

 

i mainly surf a 5'8 WRV twin fish, basically a RNF copy, maybe a little less foam in the nose. great for 70-80% of the east coast waves, but i have a hard time when it gets steeper and more critical. definitely thinking of looking at some more traditional shortboards. seems like everyone likes squash tails the most, what about round tails? id like a board with a loose feel like my fish has but has the potential to hold and ride bigger more fun waves