This is for reference sake only. I've been reading on the different types of tails and noticed theirs not to many that combine a round, swallow and a squash. couldnt you combine the 3 and get a pretty functional board out of it? like I said, I was just wondering.
it would be impossible to combine all three. A swallow tail is basically a squash tail with a V cut out of it. A round tail is a squash with the corners cut off. There are tail shapes that combine elements of two tail shapes. The Rocket tail, by Matt Biolos, is an example that's basically a rounded diamond tail with "fangs" that create some bite of a square tail (I thought it rode more like a rounded pin that anything). Robert Weiner has quite a few diamond tail variations in his line-up. The "bat" tail was popular with quads several years ago, but seems to have faded. imo, you're better off sticking with the tried & true basic tail shapes. Pick the one that's best for the waves in your area...or start a quiver with multiple tails for different conditions.
The function of any tail design on conventional surfboards is primarily about surface area and rail line. There are other factors, like release points (wings, hips, bumps...), rocker "kick" at the tail, and fin cluster placement, that combine with tail shape to further effect performance. But the two most fundamental properties of tail design are the increasing and decreasing of surface area to balance speed with control, and how the tail shape effects the rail line from the widepoint back by increasing or decreasing the amount of curve in the tail.
yeah, there's one like that called the "butt tail". First designed by Peter Schroff, it's supposed to have the decreased surface area of a swallow w/ smooth turns of a round tail.
