Editing Surfboard (section)

===Rocker===
This refers to the vertical curve of the board between nose and tail.  Rockers may be described as either heavy (steeply curved) or relaxed (less curved) and may be either continuous (a single curve between tip of nose and end of tail) or staged (distinct flat section in middle portion of board). The ''nose rocker'' or ''flip'' is the curve between the front tip and the middle or flattest portion of the board, and the ''tail rocker'' or ''kick'' is that between the tail and the middle/ flattest portion. An increase in flip helps keep the board from "pearling"; larger boards often require a greater flip.  A larger kick adds maneuverability and lift to the tail at speed and provides tail sensitivity in critical turns.  More relaxed rockers help the board to handle better on flatter sections of water, while heavy rockers increase the board's overall [[form drag]] but also give true [[Lift (force)|lift]] when reaching [[planing (boat)|planing speed]] and have a smaller turning radius.

The board's rails and deck may also be referred to as having rocker.  A board with a v-shaped tail, for example, has had the lower/ outer portion of its rear rails reduced, increasing its tail rail rocker.  Having a flat, even deck rocker will increase a board's flexibility, while a convex deck rocker creates a board that is thicker along the board's stringer and stiffer in the water.