The Deck is the top of the surfboard. This is the part where the rider lays down to paddle, stands to surf and also sits while waiting for waves. Due to the amount of stress the deck undergoes, it is built with an extra layer of fibre glass.

The weight of a rider as he or she moves along the wave bouncing, bumping around and performing manoeuvre's can snap a board from impacts if the right amount of deck strength for the rider is not engineered. The deck is often covered in designs and images to suite a surfers aesthetic appeal.

The deck is slippery in the water, so surfers cover the deck in a substance called wax. This helps the surfer stay on the board. There are many different preferences in wax choice and how to apply the wax. Some boardriders option to fit grip pads to their boards. Although now days it is not common for grip tape to cover the entire deck, in the seventies and eighty's it was common practice. Now days people fit a single pad to the tail of the board. These pads are sturdy and hold the back foot into place. Some surfers opt not to fit any grip tape to their board. In this instance the board is coated in wax in the areas where the surfer lays and stands. Generally the front foot moves around a lot so more wax is applied to this area as it also doubles for the surfers chest when paddling.

Cool Deck Design's

Decks are the first area to wear on a surfboard. Pressure dints may become noticeable after only a few surfs. The section around the bottom of the board near where the knee's rest when paddling is always damaged. When a surfer duckdives the knee may leave impressions on the deck. This highlights the reasons why it is important to check the board has a thicker layer of fibre glass / resin, especially when learning as these areas will take on serious damage and the board will soon degrade to the point it takes on water and becomes waterlogged and damaged.