Optimizing Metabolic Efficiency through Manipulation of Surfboard Design

This project worked in conjunction with the Kinesiology Department’s Surf Research initiative to investigate the effects of volume distribution of a surfboard on metabolic efficiency for the avid surfer. There are large populations of surfers in the U.S. alone, and data on the health advantages of surfing in terms of surfboard design and dynamics is scarce. This investigation analyzed if a surfboard’s distribution of volume can have an effect on metabolic efficiency. Boards may have the volume evenly distributed or asymmetrically distributed to try to change board performance. Whether those differences elicit different cardiac and pulmonary outputs was the focus of this particular study. The goal was to reverse engineer the design of a surfboard in order to optimize metabolic efficiency during paddling. This project tested twenty five male experienced surfers and used the data to form a conclusion on the effects of volume distribution on metabolic efficiency. The question being posed in this investigation is: Can surfboards be designed to increase metabolic efficiency? Yes, because surfers interact with their equipment and the more consistent the equipment, the more efficient activity. The hypothesis posed for this project was that there will be a statistically significant difference in metabolic efficiency of paddling based on variations in volume distribution. The purpose of this study was to understand how surfboard design can impact energy expenditure during the paddling phase of surfing. The result indicated that there is not a significant difference in heart rates between boards while paddling in terms of metabolic efficiency.