best rails in a learners board

[alakaboo]

Learners don't turn.

[Nick Carroll]

just my thoughts, soft forward rails tend to drag and dull a board's responses; they're pretty shit no matter what really. good forward rails you want to catch the water and pull a board into a turn, ie actually surf off 'em, which means an edge.

but for an early stage surfer it doesn't make much diff either way, it's all about catching as many waves as possible. Early stage boards are best designed around that idea -- catching lots of waves, pretty stable once you're on 'em, a good mix of easy paddling yet easy to handle in whitewater etc.

there's heaps of good beginner boards around right now, softboards are amazing compared with what used to be around.

[Beanpole]

McTavish puts a bevel on the front rails of his mid range boards. Like a chine I guess. This makes it almost impossible to catch a rail.

As for softies I actually bought a softtop a couple of years ago to surf in the flags. Got rid of it because it was such a dog. I had an old MacT I bought second hand that had a far superior rocker and planshape but it was on its last legs. A lot of the new fish quad type plan shapes seem to go like the clappers and eliminate the problems with the flat rocker and boxy rails on most softies.

[Davros]

Soft rails with a bit of tail rocker and V...good learners.About rails though, I have a medium railed board that turns better than my low railed board as the rocker is lower and wider on the lower railed board.