Yes they did. Now surf boards are shorter. They have leashes. There are also more fins. On our paipo boards we just had one big fin.
Boards now are also lighter, they have less fiberglass so they are lighter and also weaker.
If someone else in the water saw a shark usually everyone got out of the water. I like surfing when no one else is in the water. Or just a few people. That means you have to surf early in the morning or when everyone is at work or in school. I made mostly short boards.