Surfing is back for its second Olympics at the 2024 Paris Games. Read on to learn about all the unique equipment the surfers use to catch the biggest waves.

Surfboards can be made out of a variety of materials depending on the surfer's skill level and the specific waves in which the board will be used. For the Olympians in Teahupo'o though, their shortboards will generally follow a similar format. They are often made with a Polyurethan foam core, which provides the board with its buoyancy in the water. That is surrounded by fiberglass or resin, which waterproofs the board and improves its overall strength. The fins attached on the bottom, towards the rear of the board can be made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or plastic.

Most surfers will smother the deck of their surfboard with wax to make the surface tacky, giving them better grip with their feet on the board. Without wax, the top surface of the board can become extremely slippery in the water, making it very difficult for surfers to stay standing up and causing them to wipe out.

Viewers watching the 2024 Paris Olympics will notice surfers have a small strap around one of their ankles, connecting back to their surfboards. These straps are called surfboard leashes, and they make sure surfers do not lose their boards in the heat of a wipeout. Falls, especially at a monstrous surf break like Teahupo'o, can send surfers and their boards flying through the air and tumbling underneath crashing swells. Leashes keep the surfers connected to their boards so they can quickly mount up and paddle back out to the takeoff zone, avoiding further oncoming sets. 

Protective equipment is entirely optional for surfers, as you'll see many riding their boards wearing nothing but their wetsuits. However, many of the surfers in the Olympics will be wearing helmets to protect them from the shallow depths of Teahupo'o. The Tahitian reef pass can get as shallow as one inch and surfers face treacherous wipeouts if they get carried in too far by the raging swells. 

There are two types of helmets, soft shell and hard shell, and they are exactly as the names would indicate. Soft-shell helmets are made of a softer material. They are more lightweight and comfortable to wear, but only provide limited protection. Hard-shell helmets on the other hand have a solid outer casing, giving the surfer much more protection against head injuries.