There are 3 different types of rockers - the Nose, Tail & Banana Rocker.
Each rocker has a deliberate characteristic given to board design for specific performance enhancements and is a desired element in a high-performance SUP board.
Nose Rocker
Nose rocker helps the board's front edge to stay above water when encountering waves, chop or any other kind of ripples. All SUP boards have some nose rocker. What varies between them is the degree and location of the upward curvature.
On all-around boards, meant for use in flat water with activities such as ocean paddling, paddleboard yoga and fishing, a moderate level of nose rocker can be found. This profile can also be used in white-water too! The most versatile shape for an all-around board is that with a moderate nose rocker, suitable for surfing purposes too. A high nose rocker is a feature of boards designed for specific conditions where an additional vertical clearance at the nose is needed. In activities such as white-water river running and river surfing it's important to channel water under the board without submerging it in. The downside, however, to a high nose rocker is that it’s not as much fun on flat water because it creates more air resistance and less surface contact. This means that these types of boards are mostly reserved for those who do lots of white-water runs.
A low nose rocker can typically be seen on racing or touring boards as this type will create smoother rides with increased glide (due to there being more board in contact with the water).
Tail Rocker
A smaller percentage of boards have rocker at the tail, usually a very slight upturn that starts less than 1 foot from the end. A little bit of tail rocker can make a board turn with much less resistance in certain conditions. The downside to this is it can also make it slower- which is why most touring and all-around boards are made with straight tails and no tail rocker.
Nose rocker helps the board's front edge to stay above water when encountering waves, chop or any other kind of ripples. All SUP boards have some nose rocker. What varies between them is the degree and location of the upward curvature.
On all-around boards, meant for use in flat water with activities such as ocean paddling, paddleboard yoga and fishing, a moderate level of nose rocker can be found. This profile can also be used in white-water too! The most versatile shape for an all-around board is that with a moderate nose rocker, suitable for surfing purposes too. A high nose rocker is a feature of boards designed for specific conditions where an additional vertical clearance at the nose is needed. In activities such as white-water river running and river surfing it's important to channel water under the board without submerging it in. The downside, however, to a high nose rocker is that it’s not as much fun on flat water because it creates more air resistance and less surface contact. This means that these types of boards are mostly reserved for those who do lots of white-water runs.
A low nose rocker can typically be seen on racing or touring boards as this type will create smoother rides with increased glide (due to there being more board in contact with the water).
Tail Rocker
A smaller percentage of boards have rocker at the tail, usually a very slight upturn that starts less than 1 foot from the end. A little bit of tail rocker can make a board turn with much less resistance in certain conditions. The downside to this is it can also make it slower- which is why most touring and all-around boards are made with straight tails and no tail rocker.
Banana Rocker
Banana rocker is a continuous board curvature. This is found mainly on specialised boards that are for white-water. If you'e looking to buy a board, it's helpful to examine the side view to consider its rocker profile and suitability to the waterways you plan on paddling.
