A handplane or handboard is used by bodysurfers to enhance their speed, lift and control whilst riding a wave.[1]
A handplane is generally worn on a bodysurfer's leading hand.
Materials
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Wood
Handplanes have traditionally been made out of wood. To preserve the handplanes' lifetime, a number of manufacturers tend to prefer Paulownia or White Cedar.
Fiberglass
A number of handplane makers upcycle old broken surfboards to create handplanes out of foam with a fiberglass coating.[2] Foam handplanes tend to have more buoyancy than ones made of wood or plastic.
Plastic
Plastic offers durability in the event of a dropped handplane or hitting rocks on entry/exit of a reef break. Some companies are now making handplanes from recycled ocean plastics.
History
Bodysurfers would use any item with a flat surface, such as fast food trays, clipboards, or flip flops, to aid their ride.[3] The first modern handboard, The Hand Surfa hardboard, was produced by an Australian company in the 1960s.[4] In the 1990s, many new handboard manufacturers entered the market including Slyde Handboards, who created handboards from foam.[5] and WAW Handplanes, who create handplanes from recycled plastics.