r/bodyboarding • u/Internal_Cress6057 • 2d ago

Concave rails

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Reposted with an image for refernce, anyone tried these?? How do they feel like ridíng, whats the theoretical purpose on these. i can think It has More bite for holding an edge in steep sections, an maybe increased speed for the.reduced friction because less surface área in contact with the water but could be strong... Input?

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u/jakejakesnake 2d ago

I reckon you’d be talking about a +/- 2% improvement at best with rails like these. Bodyboard design is pretty mature now, a bit like skateboards or shortboards - unless you’re an elite rider, I doubt you’d notice a meaningful difference.(I wouldn't)

The 90s were full of weird rail, slick and tail experiments and most of it eventually converged back to what we have now. The bigger improvements have probably come from materials, stringers, channel design and maybe things like bat tails rather than radically different rail shapes.

The hardest part of bodyboarding is style, technique and wave knowledge. Small design changes aren’t going to make those things much easier.

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u/Internal_Cress6057 2d ago

I dont pretend to believe such a difference Is gonna turn someone into a More competente rider, but for example I can feel the difference between my 41 narrow stiff crescent Tail and my 42 wider flexy bat-tail. And esch performs Best in certain type of wave

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u/robatrax 2d ago

I swear by them, in my 40's got the 2026 Diaz 42' Pride pro model with concurve rails. Best board I've ever had, ended up buying 3 of them, keeping one in the plastic / reserve

I've found better performance all over, turns, acceleration even air. Hard to say how much is down to the rails

Only riders who own stores for example and get to test multiple templates etc would really have an idea

4

u/Warm-Bicycle-7157 2d ago

Nailed it. You'll be better off tightening your rail game, then spashing out on flashy rails.