Flat to Vee

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At Bruce Jones Surfboards®, we embrace the idea that simplicity in surfboard design will lead to the purest sensation in wave riding.

If there is one feature that can be followed and understood throughout the entirety of the Bruce Jones Surfboards story, it is undoubtedly “flat to vee”: a bottom contour beginning with flat entry extending to a subtle vee in the tail. This can be seen in Bruce’s work from the early 70s, to the fish and hybrids he made in the 90s and to the Modern Longboards we still make today. Flat to Vee is found in countless other board brands but is a mainstay in the Bruce Jones lineup. Why?

A flat entry does not refer to the board’s lengthwise rocker, but rather to a flat section in the contours between the rails.  This creates a planing hull and translates into immediate momentum. It is the foundation upon which we build and subtly blend the tail’s vee. And what exactly is vee? Vee is an increase in the board’s rocker at the rail that helps the surfer “roll” the board from rail to rail as he/she goes through the turns that make wave riding so much fun.

In longboard design, this feature can also be subtly blended with a shallow nose concave to enhance noseriding. The Bruce Jones Modern Longboard and Team Round Pin are good examples of this; finely tuned, all-around longboards that will operate in a wide variety of conditions.

Rails on flat to vee boards, especially longboards, have to be finely tuned so that edges aren’t too hard/sharp: one of Bruce’s fortes. As with any board, rocker should be a facet of any conversation you have with a shaper when ordering a new board. If your bottom contours consist of a flat entry, it is very important that you set your rocker either a little higher or strictly according to your ability and target waves.

Matt Steuck, Team Round Pin - Photo: Leo Hetzel