I have picked out several different tail shapes to chat about, mainly from my own personal experiences in riding them. Also I will add what is in the bottom going out from all these different tails…

Round Tail

Excellent all-rounder.  The last 18″ of the plan shape curves into a nice round tail. Around 17″ wide, 12″ up is normal with either a flat or rolled vee through the tail.

Rounded Pintail

Similar to Round Tail but with the Pin. I have found I just pulled it in a little bit more after tail width 17″ or whatever needed. Great in suckier type of surf. Rolled vee/flat vee.

Pintail

Really holds your rail in close and tight in the tube and drives long and hard out of the bottom turns. A Pin was for special occasions (for those days when it is just take off, pull in, hang on and go!) with slightly more tail lift and flat vee.

Swallow

I can confess I am a big fan. I like the straight rail after 18″ up for drive and you can put concave vee, channels  or flat vee through swallow with great effect. Change direction quickly have a unique feel.

Fish tail

A wider deeper swallow, no wings, is a classic tail for the full-nose models, simply ballistic off the bottom, holds in tubes, flows in cutbacks… lots of fun! A heavy vee, with a pronounce apex, concave vee, flat vee or channels all run nicely out of these tails.

Diamond tail

A very popular tail these days and also you can have a nice straight rail for drive and you can have it narrow or full. Changes direction quickly, holds its line, and you can run channels, vees, concaves out through it or just leave it a flat vee, a great tail to put a large apex vee.

Asymmetrical tail

Interesting as in Round tail on one side and single flyer Diamond on the other. The single flyer Diamond for hold and drive, and the Round tail for flow down the line and round house cutbacks. Normally made as a one break board.

Bat tail

Similar feel to a Swallow I used it with exaggerated tail lift, two scooped concaves running out through it. Fun hotdog board!

Rounded-Square tail

Very popular. Stock standed all-rounder, can go curvy through tail or straight plan-shape wide or narrow 12″ up depending on your requirement, channels, concaves or flat vee. 

Wings/Flyers

Also with the straight rail you can add one or two wings so you can break it out of your turn and go straight up if required, helps with flow from rail to rail, you can locate your wings in conjunction with your weight distribution. (ie. where you kneel on the board)