Dolphin Nose back on deck in Byron

In the 90s, Surfrider Foundation Australia promoted and endorsed the use of the Dolphin Nose – a standard 75mm (3 inches) minimum curve nose to help prevent injuries in the surf.

In 2010, surfboard design fashion of most surfboards includes an extreme pointed nose.

Fin chop

Although this design of surfboards might look aesthetically pleasing, their danger factor has to date caused many unnecessary serious injuries, including pierced limbs and rib cages, head fractures and eye loss.

In consultation with surfers and shapers around the world we have found that the pointed nose style contributes no advantage in the functional aspects of surfboard performance.

Together with respected surfing identities, concerned doctors and surfers, Surfrider Foundation Australia Byron Bay is promoting the minimum curve nose (the Dolphin Nose) standard to help save all water users from unnecessary injuries.

The 75mm (3inches) minimum nose curve standard is a voluntary pact surfers can choose to use. Hopefully the current fashion of pointed noses will change into a friendlier shape which will result in less injuries to water users in the future.

We ask all surfers to help out by carefully considering the logic of this standard and request retailers and manufactures to promote surfboards with rounded noses.

Dolphin Nose instructions from 1990s

Help Prevent injuries ~

Smoothing the trailing Edges of Surfboard Fins

One of the most common types of injury in surfing is from lacerations caused by the back or ‘trailing’ sharp edges of surfboard fins.

Hydrodynamic principles relate that the trailing edges of surfboard fins cause least drag (resistance) when the backside or trailing edge is blunt, not sharp. Often surfers catch a leg or foot on an unnecessary sharp trailing edge of the standard 3 fin thruster.

We appeal to surfboard owners, manufactures and retailers concern for all water users by asking that the edges of any and all fins be sanded or surformed back to the thickness of 2 to 3 millimetres.

Surfrider Foundation wishes you safe, fun surfing.

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