Which Surfboards Work Best in Kelly Slater's Abu Dhabi Wavepool? (Video)

Surfboards come in all different shapes and sizes.

Usually, those nuanced alterations – be it length, width, thickness, volume, or materials to make the board – are correlated to two things: 1) type of wave, and 2) the skill level of the surfer to maximize their wave-riding experience with appropriate equipment.

But what about wavepools? Should different types of boards be used in synthetic surf spots to accommodate the wave, particularly Kelly Slater’s newest addition to the wavepool catalogue, Surf Abu Dhabi? Short answer: yes.

Maybe a little less rocker, something that can put you in that often tight pocket, maybe a quad setup for extra speed, perhaps a little less (or more?) volume.

Dan Mann, a shaper for Slater Designs, has this breakdown:

“The Sweet Potato - The shortest, fattest and flattest shape you'll ever ride, the Firewire Surfboards Sweet Potato in Helium Technology by Dan Mann is Dan's ultimate groveler. Waves Shin high to head high, there isn't a faster board for higher trim lines, easy takes offs and unrivaled speed in open faced waves. The swallow tail and hip bump enable uncommon turning ability for a shape so flat, wide and fast, and Helium Technology enables better speed generation than any other board build at Surf Shops today.

“The Mashup - Surfboard designing minds combined, the Firewire Surfboards Mashup in Helium Technology is the best of Dan Mann's Dominator and Rob Machado's Seaside combined into the ultimate performance hybrid.

“The FRK - Kelly Slater's performance round tail, the Slater Designs FRK in I-Bolic Technology has three separate point software flex control for powerful surfing in powerful waves. An I-Beam down center gives unrivaled break strength and high density foam at the rails enable flex and springbuck during turns. Kelly's favorite shape from Surf Ranch to J Bay and Beyond, Dan Mann designed the FRK to hold in round pocketed waves, waist high to well over head.

“The FRK+ - A squash tailed update to Kelly's popular FRK, The Slater Designs FRK+ in I-Bolic Technology is optimized for versatility across all high performance conditions. If you're looking for an everyday shortboard for performance surfing in California, the FRK+ is your one board quiver this Winter.”

So, when you book your surf trip to the UAE, what boards you gonna bring?

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