Volume: How important is it? This is from a blog post Rusty wrote a few seasons ago but still hold up. It’s a hot take for all those who live and die by the Volume number in a board. Buckle up. “If you are a competitive surfer you probably couldn’t tell the difference in a half of a liter. That’s a half of a beer or a modest morning piss. A liter…yes. And that is on a short, low volume board that’s for a top level pro. “If you are not a top level competitive surfer, I would suggest being a little more flexible. For short boards the multiple of your weight in liters is between 33% and 35%. As the weight of the surfer goes up and the rider is reasonably fit the multiple creeps up. And as he/she gets older the multiple increases significantly.” THE EQUATION The equation for performance shortboards is fairly simple. Take your weight in pounds example; 160 Convert to kilos; divide by 2.2 equals 72.73 Multiply by .35 Equals 25.45 liters The multiple comes from thousands of shortboards for average to advanced surfers. As the ability level decreases, the multiple increases. With age, the multiple increases. I get quite a few surfers that obsess on .2 to .4 of a liter. They read it on the internet. Forget it. You won’t feel it. The charts and tables are guidelines, not gospel. The shaper has to find a balance between the two. You need to choose between volume and thickness; which number do you want your shaper to focus on. Once again, TRUST YOUR SHAPER.” Read more on the Rusty Masterclass Blog on the website. #rustysurfboards #sandiego #surfboards #customsurfboards #handmadesurfboards