Boats with planing hulls are designed to rise up and glide on top of the water when enough power is supplied. ... Boats with planing hulls can skim along at high speed, riding almost on top of the water rather than pushing it aside. Flat-bottomed and vee-bottomed hull shapes act as planing hulls.

What does it mean when a boat is planing?

When any boat is at rest, the weight of the boat is supported entirely by the water in which it's sitting, known as "static buoyancy." As the boat starts to move forward through the water, speed creates hydrodynamic lift. ... At this point, the boat is said to be "on a plane" or simply "planing."

What is a planing hull surfboard?

Planing Hull

Planing hulls are designed to run on top of the water at high speeds. To achieve this they typically are very flat at the tail. The hull design (shape) does not limit the maximum attainable speed but does affect the power required for it to get on plane (on top of the water).