The Complete Handbook of Skimboards

Chapter 1: Understanding Skimboards

A skimboard is not a smaller surfboard, nor is it a type of boogie board. It is a purpose-built, planing craft designed for a very specific sequence of movements: dropping it onto a thin film of water, running and stepping onto it, and then using that film to ride. To be precise, the motion is to lay the board flat on a wet, hard surface - usually sand or a shallow slope of water - and then to accelerate across it and onto a wave, a process called "skimming." The board works not by floating like a boat, but by hydroplaning. This is the single most important concept to understand when evaluating, riding, or repairing any skimboard.

Hydroplaning occurs because the board is moving forward at speed across a surface of water. This forward motion pushes water underneath the board faster than it can escape out the sides. This creates a wedge of water that exerts an upward pressure, lifting the board and the rider above the water's surface. The reason a skimboard is so thin and flat, compared to a surfboard, is not a matter of aesthetic choice. The thin profile reduces the leading edge catching on the sand and minimizes drag. The flat bottom is the critical factor; it acts as the surface upon which the water pressure acts. If you look at a skimboard, the bottom is smooth, with a very subtle concavity near the nose on some models. This concave shape acts