Skim Boards

Yes, this is Skim Boarding. Exile Skim Boards will take you from the sand to the surf where you have high speed and massive fun

Skim Boards and Skim Boarding open up another great way for you to enjoy the ocean and beach. The original use of a Skim Board is to ride the water washed up by a wave as it recedes over the sand. This is super fun in itself. This original use has expanded to include riding on the sand then scooting out into the shore break doing incredible high speed surf-skate moves.

Still further, Skim Boards can be used like Wakeboards, doing your surfing moves behind a boat. Also, some riders have taken their Skim Boards out into the biggest ocean waves where they’ve excelled. With this versatile range of use Skim Boards are a great addition to your surfing quiver.

Skim Boards

A Skim Board with a classic extended egg oval outline. This  EX0 model beautifully crafted by Exile Skimboards

Unlike a surfboard that can be paddelled, Skim Boards are very thin. They do not have the volume to float you in the surf so they’re not meant to be paddled. They’re also very short, about the size of a Bodyboard.

In this image check the line of the wake left by the Skim Board. You can see it started on the sand where the water is receding, goes up into the wave, then the rider’s done a massive turn back to the beach. Yew!

The way Skim Boards originally work incorporates running and timing. You wait till you see a wave wash up onto the sand and start running toward it. Before the water disappears into the sand you throw your Skim Board down and jump on. The board allows you to glide over the water at high speed.

As there’s no paddling Skim Boards are less than an inch thick in the middle, even finer toward the nose and tail. Original construction was of wood, ply wood,  5 ply. The outline shape tends to be a type of egg shape oval. The wider tail giving you the area to spread your bodyweight over the thin layer of water.

Shapes have modified over time to include surfboard features. The Exile Blairaccuda model incorporates a decent size swallow tail, along with carbon fibre construction

Over time modifications have been introduced mainly in the tail with the odd swallow, diamond tail and flyers being used. These tails can give more response and bite when turning. The different feels giving you an option to match your personal preference.

The rocker is usually very flat. There is a slight lift in the nose and tail. The front lift entry stops your nose from digging in and crashing. The tail flip gives release so you can change direction and spin. Other refinements in Skim Boards includes a rounding of the rails so they don’t catch.

Skim Boards Evolution

Evolving constructions include fibreglass, foam cores, epoxy and carbon allowing you to take on whatever you want

While the shape has remained consistent over time, Skim Board construction has been evolving with the application of new materials.

Foam core Skim Boards give you super light weight, along with flex. The flex can be used both on the sand and out in the surf. On the sand, pushing down with your backfoot will flex the nose of your board up, stopping you from stacking in the sand. Pushing front foot down you’ll lift up the back for spins and crazy nose turns.

This same backfoot flex works great as you leave the sand and head into the shorebreak. You can jam massive turns in super sucky waves with the flex helping your Skim Board fit in the wave. With the light weight you can also do a heap of skate tricks, the board almost like a feather in the air. The fibreglass flex properties mean when you land the board takes the impact, flexing, not breaking.

Most recently, carbon has been used over the foam core. This gives Skim Boards less flex overall, but the flex that is obtained gives a super recoil. So as you load up and put your backfoot down going into a turn, the carbon boosts you out with massive recoil.

Accessories For Skim Boards

Specialised accessories are used for Skim Boards. These include pads to fit the Skim Board outline. Larger and higher arch bars to support a wider range of foot movement, and more

Skim Boards come with their own range of accessories. These include grip in the form of front and rear pads. Both these pads can have special raised arch bars. These are handy as with Skim Boarding you tend to move your feet around more than surfing. There’s not just one sweet spot where you plant your back foot.

Also when doing skate-style moves both feet leave the board. On landing the extra sized arch bars help locate your foot position and ground your landing.

Your Skim Board

So much fun

If you’re a smaller lighter size then you can go a smaller board. If you’re bigger, go a bigger board with the area to distribute your weight . From there you can Begin with a ply Skim Board model or go straight to a fibreglass and foam, or carbon model. Skim Boarding’s a great aspect of surfing. As much as you put in you’ll get heaps of buzz back in return.

We’ve a wide range of Skim Boards in-store along with the expertise to help get you skimming fast.