Bodyboarding

A bodyboard, known in surfing slang as a 'sponge' or an 'Esky lid', is a form of wave riding consisting of a small roughly rectangular piece of foam, shaped to a hydrodynamic form. The bodyboard is ridden predominantly lying down, (or 'prone'). It can also be ridden in a half-standing stance (known as 'dropknee') or can even be ridden standing up.

The vast majority of bodyboarders usually wear swimfins on both feet to aid in paddling out and taking off.

The bodyboard differs from a surfboard in that it is much shorter. Typically they are 42 inches (1.1m) in length, with a squared off nose and angular rails. They are designed to be flexible, and bodyboarders as a whole are more experimental with various materials than their stand-up cousins. The board is made up of a 'core', made from polypropylene, dow/polyethylene, or arcel. These types of plastic each give the bodyboard a different amount of flex and control for the rider.

Glued, or more currently, heat-bonded, to this core is a thick plastic bottom (known as the 'slick') which gives the board strength and speed. The top of the board (the deck) is made from softer plastic to give grip and cushioning to the rider. Unlike a surfboard, there is no fin or skegs allowing the rider to rotate the board, although a skeg can be purchased and installed quickly. However, the installation of such can minimise the looseness that is required for many tricks.

Although bodyboarding is seen as surfing's easier cousin, beyond the beginner level they are equal in the time and dedication it takes to become proficient. However, the sport differs somewhat in attitude; bodyboarding is far more trick oriented than surfing, and there are hundreds of variations of manoeuvres possible. It is considered rather bad form to simply ride along in a straight line. Bodyboarders regularly go for 'lip moves' which involve riding up to the lip of the wave with as much speed as possible, and then taking to the air and performing very gymnastic manoeuvres high above the surface, before slamming back down.

Bodyboarding is arguably the earliest form of surfing, and is ultimately derived from the ancient Hawaiian Paipo board, which was ridden lying down. The modern invention of the bodyboard is credited to Tom Morey, who sold very basic bodyboards, (known then as Boogie Boards) by mail order. They were very crude by today's standard, but were easy to ride and became popular. Incidentally, it is bad form to call a bodyboard a "BoogieBoard" unless the bodyboard is actually a Boogie brand bodyboard.