Conversions

You'll find all sorts of surfboard conversions on the page below. It's just a handy tool to have so you can get on with making your board quicker! 

Thickness of a Surfboard

Out of all the measurement dimensions of a surfboard, the thickness is probably the most argued about when it comes to performance. For example, take 2 boards that are the same length and same width but if one is thicker than the other they will perform differently for the same person.  The normal measurements in surfboards are of the finished shaped blank, before the outer skin (usually fibreglass) is laminated on.

How to measure the thickness of a Surfboard: The best way is with calipers in the middle of the board at the thickest part of the deck.

Below is how much difference there is between the normal measurement increments we go up with.

Thickness

1 inch = 25.4mm

1 inch = 2.54 cm

Thickness of a surfboard

CONVERSION CHART

inch

mm

cm

2

50.8

5.1

2  1/8

54.0

5.4

2  1/4

57.2

5.7

2  1/3

59.3

5.9

2  1/2

63.5

6.4

2  5/8

66.7

6.7

2  2/3

67.7

6.8

2  3/4

69.9

7.0

2 7/8

73.0

7.3

3

76.2

7.6


Click here
to download a PDF Thickness Measurements Chart

 

Width of a Surfboard

Width in a surfboard this is the distance across the widest part of the board. Other width measurements that are used are the tail and nose width which is usually measured in about 300mm in from the ends of the board.

How to measure the width: at the widest part of the board measure from rail to rail.

1 inch = 25.4mm

1 foot =304.8mm

Width of a Surfboard

CONVERSION CHART 

inch

mm

cm

18

457.2

45.7

18 1/8

460.4

46.0

18  1/4

463.6

46.4

18  5/16

465.1

45.5

18  1/3

467.5

46.8

18  1/2

469.9

47.0

18  9/16

471.5

47.2

18  2/3

474.1

47.4

18  3/4

476.3

47.6

19

482.6

48.3

19 1/8

485.8

48.6

19  1/4

489.0

48.9

19  1/3

491.1

49.1

19  1/2

495.3

49.5

19  9/16

486.9

48.7

19  2/3

499.5

50.0

19 3/4

501.6

50.2

20

508

50.8


Click here
 to download a Width Conversion Chart

 

Length of a surfboard

Length of the board is measured from the tip of the nose to the tail of the board. The age old question…. Do I measure the deck of the board or the rocker to get the length?? Well we can’t avoid the different thoughts and arguments on this…. But generally it’s the rocker measurement.  

How to measure the length:  Measure the bottom of the board from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail.

Whichever way you measure it, the table below will help you with the conversions:

1 inch = 25.4mm

1 foot = 304.8mm

1 meter = 3.281 ft

Length of a surfboard

CONVERSION CHART

 

Foot ‘ inches”

mm

Metres

6’0”

1828.8

1.83

6’1”

1854.2

1.85

6’2”

1879.6

1.88

6’3”

1905.0

1.91

6’4”

1930.4

1.93

6’5”

1955.8

1.96

6’6”

1981.2

1.98

6’8”

2032.0

2.03

6’10”

2082.8

2.08

7’0”

2133.6

2.13

7’2”

2184.4

2.18

7’6”

2286.0

2.29

8’0”

2438.4

2.44

8’6”

2590.8

2.59

9’0

2743.2

2.74

9’6”

2895.6

2.90

10’

3048.0

3.05


Click here to download a Length Conversion Chart

 

Weights


Fabric weights

New fabrics are being used in surfboard manufacturing, which are mostly in metric weights so understanding how to convert measurements will be more important in the future.

To make this easier consider this:-

1 metre (m) does not equal 1 yard, so you can't directly convert them. To get the proper conversion you need to take into account that 1 metre equals 1.09 yards.

Here is how to convert Ounce (oz)/Yard2 to Gram (g)/m2

1oz/yard2 = 33.9g/m2

33.9 x oz = gsm weight (grams per square metre)

Here is a quick conversion guide for you:-

Grams per square metre 
(GSM)

Ounces 
(Oz)

140

4

170

5

203

6

237

7

254

7.5

271

8

289

8.5

305

9

322

9.5

339

10


Click here to download a Fabric Weights Conversion Chart



Volume of resins

With Epoxy and Vinylester resins becoming more popular in surfboard manufacturing, measuring volume is now more important when mixing your resin and hardeners together. Too much or too little you will find it might not set hard.

Most shapers are now buying scales and go by the weight, but if you are a backyard/hobbie surfboard maker you may not want to spend the expense on the scales and most measurements can be done with measuring cups. If so here’s a quick guide on liquid ounces and millilitres, pints/quarts and litres. 

1 Fluid Ounce  = 29.57 millilitres, 0.029 litres

1 Pint            = 473.18 millilitres, 0.473 litres

1 Quart         = 946.35 millilitres, 0.9463 litres

1 Gallon         = 3785.41 millilitres, 3.785 litres

 

Volume of Resins/Liquids (Measuring Cups)

CONVERSION CHART

 

Measuring  Cups

Fluid Ounces

Millilitres

Litres

1 teaspoon

0.170 oz

5 ml

0.005 L

1 tablespoon

0.507 oz

15 ml

0.015 L

1/8 of a cup

1.014 oz

30 ml

0.030 L

¼ of a cup

2.028 oz

60 ml

0.060 L

1/3 of a cup

2.705 oz

80 ml

0.080 L

½ of a cup

4.227 oz

125 ml

0.125 L

1 cup

8.454 oz

250 ml

0.250 L

Download a PDF here of the Volume of Resin Conversion Chart

 


Weight of a Surfboard

This page is to help convert the metric/imperial measurements and in turn help you understand what measurements help a shaper. Most surfboards are still measured in ounces and pounds though it is getting harder to find scales which have these details.

Weight in grams converted to ounces

1 ounce         = 28.35 grams

1 pound         = 453.59 grams

1 gram          = 0.35 ounces

1 kilogram      = 35.27ounces, 2.205 pounds

 

          Weight of a Surfboard

          CONVERSION CHART

Grams

Kilograms

Ounces

Pounds

2000 g

2.00 kg

70.55 oz

4.409 pd

2250 g

2.20 kg

79.37 oz

4.960 pd

2500 g

2.50 kg

88.18 oz

5.512 pd

2750 g

2.75 kg

97.00 oz

6.063 pd

3000 g

3.00 kg

105.82 oz

6.614 pd

3500 g

3.50 kg

123.46 oz

7.716 pd

4000 g

4.00 kg

141.09 oz

8.818 pd

Download a PDF here of the Weight of a surfboard Conversion Chart 

What fabrics are being used in surfboard skins?

Are any surfboard skins Eco friendly?

Tell me more about Epoxy Resin

 

Things getting a bit heavyGet help!