Board
There are a number of varieties to choose from:
Freeride: Boards meant for comfortable recreational cruising, mainly in flat waters or in light to moderate swell. The so-called freeride sailing movement diverged from course racing as more recreational sailors chose to sail freely without being constrained to sailing on courses around buoys.
Formula Windsurfing Class: Shorter boards up to one meter in width, for use in Formula Windsurfing races.
Wave boards: Smaller, lighter, more maneuverable boards for use in breaking waves. Characteristically, sailors on wave boards perform high jumps while sailing against waves. Wave boards usually a length between 230-260cms, and 50-60cms in width. A general rule is for a sailor to use a wave board whose volume in liters is about the same as the sailor's weight in kilograms - more volume providing additional flotation for sailing in light winds, and less for high winds. In recent years, the average width of wave boards has increased slightly, as the length has shrunk - according to board designers this makes wave boards easier to use under a wider range of conditions by sailors of different abilities.
Freestyle boards: Related to wave boards in terms of maneuverability, these are wider, higher volume boards geared specifically at performing acrobatic on flat water. Usually about 240-250cms in length, with widths frequently in excess of 60cms.
Slalom boards: Shortboards aimed at top speed, rather than maneuverability or ease of use.
Beginner boards: (sometimes called funboards) these often have a daggerboard, are almost as wide as Formula board and more stable.
Racing longboards: Mistral One Design, or the Olympic RS:X class race boards.
Most boards made today have an expanded polystyrene foam core reinforced with a composite sandwich shell. Racing and wave boards are normally very light, but are also very brittle and veneer is sometimes used to make them more shock-resistant. Boards for beginners are heavier, more robust and have an indestructible molded plastic shell.