I need some advice in respect to having a 12’ longboard shaped for me. I want it for the small summer waves we have here in New england and for a couple of breaks where the wave just kinda gets a face and the top just mushes over a bit. I am primarily interested in early wave entry and glide more than nose riding. I weigh about 220. Here are the parameters I’ve come up with so far but I am seeking advice from others based on experience with 12’ boards
Length 12’
Width 25"
Rails 50/50 with turned down rails the last 1/3 of the board
Rocker 4" nose 2" rear ( this is where I really need advice)
Square or Pin? Combine them both a get a wide Diamond tail. Or you could try something crazy like a MP Fang tail but yeah a Diamond tail would do well.
I’d add 2" of tail rocker, move the wide point back from center about 10" and keep the tail width around 15 1/2" Maybe put a 15" finbox in it. Keep it simple and do a square.
It’ll turn OK with the above dimensions but still won’t be a hot dogger.
I’ll second the part about adding tail rocker and moving the wide point aft. I’d also put some belly in the bottom, almost through the whole board. A square tail will definitely help it turn. Baby, though, like 15.5" at 12" up and then only 6" or so across the actual end.
Unless you have really long arms, 25 inches wide is too much.
If you’re going from a 12’3" Clark blank, you’ll have PLENTY of foam to work with.
I’d go narrower and leave it thick if you’re worried about float (but, don’t be…) Thin out the nose so it’s not too heavy up there; not too flat either because pearling a 12 footer is no picnic.
A little V in the tail section will help with turning, so you’ll have some hope of not running people over.
I am now surfing a 11’6" nose rider, at 230lbs it will catch spit on the sidewalk. Here are the numbers on my board. 3 7/8 thick, 24 inches not a wide point but a wide area. Nose 20 inches, tail 17 1/4, 12 inches up and a 7 1/4 sq. tail. The board has belly through out but not a great amount. There is no V in the board at all. I surf this board in reef breaks, and point breaks, rideing waves from 2 foot to chest high. I have my fin right on the tail with the tip of the fin hanging over the tail, I use a very big Lance Carson classic fin you can see the fin on www.lancecarson.com, it is the really big 11" fin. I was out Sun with no less then 50 people setting cloging up the break. I got my 5 waves and I was gone, I have todate not ran over anyone. Good luck and send pics.
stop by the house an we can load a few 12’ boards on the car and go ride a few waves and you can get a glimmer of what you are about to do I’ve a couple to make soon that are smaller 12; boards out of the 12’3’’ that are narrower…albeit a far cry from N.E. the offer is open…further,get the board shaped by some one who has done many if you choose to do it yourself or allow someone to stretch their wings and shape their first one make it bigger enough that you can reasonably strip and reshape it to exactatude after a year or so as your understanding will evolve…the effort and expense are daunting but persevere in this quest as it may lead to the most satisfying sessions of your surfing life as well as appreciate all that other alternative surfing forms have to offer…at 220lbs this board is just your size… ambrose…take a template off the blank draw it 3’’ narrower cutit out turn the rails and glass IT! -strong deck floater that velzy downing blank is inspired
Many of the really long (over 11 feet) boards are in the 23"-25"+ range. After a certain length, adding width is the only way to get adequate outline curve. Just plan on carrying on top of your head rather than under your arm. (unless you have really long arms)
the 12’3" blank is 27 1/4" wide at the widest. If you make it 3 inches narrower (as Ambrose suggests) you’ll end up at 24 1/4". I made my 12 foot (tandem) board 26" wide and it feels like an inch off each side would be an improvement…
I suggested a bit of V in the tail but maybe guys at 220-230 lbs. don’t need it. That’s 60 lbs more than me so I need a little more help getting a board of that size to change directions.
I only made the “running guys over” comment because there are a few “surfers” in my neck of the woods that ride boards in this size range and are generally feared by others as HAZNAVs. When Skip Frye paddles by on a 12 footer nobody has that reaction…hopefully you are closer to the latter in terms of surfing ability, grace, and style.
At 12 feet long, and riding small barely breaking mush, NOTHING much will overcome the general massiveness of this stick. ERGO… the tail shape don’t make shit difference.
Also suggest the board need not be that wide. Why so wide? You aren’t gonna add enough width to give you sufficient curvature in the rail to make squat difference. The template will just not have the curve to permit it. Also, a narrower board (other things being equal) tend to paddle faster.
Thickness? Again, at 12 feet, you don’t need it for flotation. Suggest that unless you think you’re going tandem, 3" will be enough. If there were strength considerations resulting from more powerful waves, okay, thickness is a big factor in the bending strength; but we’re not there.
Glassing suggestion (I weight 235, a little more than you…) I would go single six on the bottom and top with a 2/3 length deck patch. If you kneepaddle (and who wouldn’t at that thickness) you’ll need an additional 6 ounces, maybe more, under your knees. For my boards, I put a stomp patch (6 oz) under my rear foot.
My current 7’10" with single six oz top and bottom, 1/2 length deck patch plus stomp patch, is 4-1/2 years old with only minor deck crush; it’s good for years more surf in Honolulu, West Side, North Shore, Mokuleia and select locations on the East side.
Nothing said about the density or crush strength of the foam, which must be considered, or the number of stringers…
trying out the 1 ‘’ incremental width alternatives on boards over ten feet in real time is worth a hundred thousand words taking the pictureis worth a thousand the direct experience is easy 100000…ambrose…I raise you two sides ten and six w/ a six deck patch and a stomp
Don’t forget to put a transom or a bracket of some sort on the rear end. The perfect set up for a 15 hp 4 stroke Honda outboard, heck who need to paddle. Just put a really long tiller and you could reek total havoc on the New England Summer line up. Wait a minute, Rupps or Lee make these really cool fishing pole holders, if you keep the shape thick enough they wont even stick out the bottom much.
I got to ask you, why a bigger board than 10 ft? ok maybe 11ft for a really really small day. But 12 ft, wow! Attached is a pic of my 11 ft. Brewer
once you percieve the upper limits of the 11’ dimension you can fantasise ,if you wish,what understanding awaits you in the next dimension …just an additional cubic foot or two should blow your narrowed oncepts…the importance of leaving old preconceptions as well as stagnant wavelines behind in the shorebreak with childhood memories and adolescent minded friends is of the greatest concern to be heady on the topic of greater boards is#1 imperitive as well as open minded Humility then we all can learn of that which remains lost in the unspoken legacy that is our surfing birthright…or like res said go back to the petro moto crutch and perpetuate the overt spew of oil with yer N-Gine and let the body atrophy allbut for the throttle hand…ambrose…II’ er 1976 for me was a three year board but it wasnt big enough for the seven foot paddle
I have been on the 12’8" and the 12’4". No one will ever make a better board for the wave…Would I want the board for my wave no? That is not what is being said here. What is being asked is what about a 12 footer. I surf 11’6" nose rider, I would never want to take this board out to Ambrose’s break? No. You must make your board for your break. Once we have learned this we will not talk down to Roy, or Me, or Ambrose. We must surf the board for the wave not the wave for the board.
agreed, we all have different conditions, different shorelines,and bottom contours. All i know is that i desire to spend the remainder of my life in the water catching waves regardless if their 1’ and crumbling or 6’ and glassy walls. life is too short for all we have to do that is worthwhile. thats why i have different boards from 6’8" to 11". ask any one who lives on fla’s east coast whos been out surfing flat conditions the past two summers…it wasn’t 6’ long potatoe chips(unless you’re a 40# grom)
