BOARDS...

TAIL>   the tail of your board should  be suited for your riding style. If you ride dropknee, the tail should be crescent or half-crescent becaue these tails offer stability,  which is essential in dropknee riding. These tails also offer good speed and projection.   For prone riding  all types of tails will work. From here you should determine the type of tail you want by matching it to your style of tricks or riding style. A bat-tail is very loose and releases quickly for doing 360's and related tricks. A bat-tail has many downsides including unstability, and inability to hold an edge  in sharp bottom turns.  These downsides mainly effect beginners ; when combined with *channels an expierienced surfer can turn a bat-tailed board into a ripping machine.

NOSE> the nose of your board affects turning. A wide nose is harder to turn than a narrow nose but is more stable. A narrow nose turns sharper and faster( a narrow nose is commonly used on DK boards because it helps make cutbacks and hard snaps easier).

*TEMPLATE>The overall template of your board can make a big difference in the way it rides. A round shape is usually very maneuverable but is slightly slower. A sleek, narrow board is faster.

CORE MATERIALS>1.DOW(polyethylene)---this is the original bodyboard core. This core has good flex and strength in cooler waters( 50F-70F)but,can become too soft in warm water.
2.ARCEL---this is a very stiff core. Arcel is probably the call for the warm water bodyboarder. Very fast.
3.POLYPRO.---Basically arcel but waterproof and more$$$. Most companies have their own names for this core. Ex. Majikore, fusion core, Zero-G,etc.