This Surfboard Photo Could Be the Next "The Dress" Debate: Do You See Bumps or Grooves?

When a fellow POPSUGAR employee was texting with a group of his surf buddies about this Craigslist ad for a used surfboard, he mentioned to the group that based on this up-close photo of the board, it must be damaged, because it looks like something had eaten away at the surface. He quickly sparked a debate with his friends, who either saw wax bumps or wax-filled grooves. We brought the debate to the office, and the photo created a divide: team bumps or team grooves. And yes, the great dress color debate of 2015 was brought up.

Keep reading for the hilarious group text convo that started it all plus the explanation straight from the guy who posted the ad!

The Initial Confusion
POPSUGAR Photography | Bjorn Pave

The Initial Confusion

The Early Debate and Reference to "The Dress"
POPSUGAR Photography | Bjorn Pave

The Early Debate and Reference to "The Dress"

Things Are Getting Heated . . . All Caps Are Happening
POPSUGAR Photography | Bjorn Pave

Things Are Getting Heated . . . All Caps Are Happening

Is It the Dress? Is It a Magic Eye Book From the '90s?
POPSUGAR Photography | Bjorn Pave

Is It the Dress? Is It a Magic Eye Book From the '90s?

The Debate Continues . . .
POPSUGAR Photography | Bjorn Pave

The Debate Continues . . .

Here's a Photo From Farther Away

Here's a Photo From Farther Away

What Do You See?

What Do You See?

So here's what Adolfo, who is selling the surfboard, told POPSUGAR in an email.

"It's kind of a combination, to my understanding of the process. When the final coat is applied to the board, the pattern is created in the resin, so the wax is filling in some depressions, but the wax is also protruding as it's layered on. I'm not really an expert, but this is the way I've understood it as it's been explained to me."

For those nonsurfers out there, you wax the deck of the surfboard to create bumps for better traction for your feet when you're standing on the board, and over time the wax accumulates on the board, creating bumps. But in this case, it's . . . both? Regardless of what it actually is, it's still pretty trippy that they either look distinctly like bumps or like grooves. The investigation continues!