This board is a modified version of a 10’4" that I sold to a friend…The board is designed to be a mid length, high volume surfboard that could also be used as a SUP occasionally if the conditions are right (no one else out)…The high volume will let it knee paddle easily and given the enormous plying field our ocean is up here, it will paddle fast…The 27.5" width is just right given my wingspan of 75"…No alligator arm paddling for me…
To shrink it down to the 8’ range the spacing of the ribs was taken from 12" to 9"… To me it seems more balanced this way…To keep the volume high and keep the rail thin so it surfs good, the deck has generous deck doming… The rails also have definitive chine in the nose and tail to create a harder edge than simply rounding over the rails…
The woods for the skins are 1/8" thick Cedar and Basswood…
To keep the weight down, blue Dow foam and cork are used for the rails… Water based contact cement was used to attach the rails…It takes a bit longer to dry, but works as well as solvent based cement…
The glassing schedule is 4 oz. E-cloth on the inside of both the bottom and deck skins…Additionally there is a full width x 50" long carbon fiber cloth panel on the underside of the deck skin, and a 4" wide CF strip down the center of the inside of the bottom skin…The exterior is also 4 oz. cloth with a 3/4 length deck patch…The rails have 6 oz. volan tape on both the deck and bottom edges…Resin Research Quick Kick resin is the only resin I use…
The hand hold box in the deck allows fingers to curl in and under and easily lift the 22 # board straight up…Carrying the board on edge it is super comfortable even over a long distance…Curling the fingers inside make the difference…
The vent is a one of a kind made by a friend in Australia…It has an integral rubber O ring machined into the screw and the vent hole is drilled into the brass screw so the board can be vented with a few turns of the screw…It does not need to be fully removed to work…The vent assembly fits flush with the deck and any coin can be used as a screwdriver…
The leash loop is through the fin box with a brass grommet finishing off the deckside hole…
Nice wood work! I’m still trying to get myself motivated to make sum keel fins…
Rail iidea for you! On say another board. Slightly round edges, but leave edges harder from a bit in front of fin back…my idea: make a med/hard soft rail - that way you got a more forgiving rail that can drive / plow on through -even massive white wash!
Why still use cork? seems like a straight foam rail would be lighter and have more uniform density for shaping. If using cork for resiliency…why not have it as the outer layer on the rail? Not that the alternating colors don’t look great…but you usually have multiple reasons behind your designs. Thought about finding other color foam (ala speedneedle)?
Also,I’m curious as why you are choosing carbon vs something like kevlar or even s-glass for interior reinforcement? Is is because you are using really thin plywood and need the stiffness? Seems like most wood boards are plenty stiff, which carbon might exacerbate. Plus, carbon has more of a tendency towards shear failure (even compared to S-glass). Personaly, the only issues I’ve had with deck strength is damage from a big fall onto an unsupported section of deck (I do 4 oz inside, 2x 4oz on the outside top deck and have had some minor wood cracking on the top deck)…I’m thinking it might make more sense (from a wood board perspective) to do the 2x4oz on the inside and just a single layer of 4 on the outside deck. I’ve also thought about going to a kevlar inside deck patch to eliminate those “pressure dings” that are somewhat problematic with more brittle woods like reclaimed redwood. Thoughts?
Why still use cork? seems like a straight foam rail would be lighter and have more uniform density for shaping. If using cork for resiliency…why not have it as the outer layer on the rail? Not that the alternating colors don’t look great…but you usually have multiple reasons behind your designs. ?
On the SUP thatwas built in the workshop, colored paper was layered int the cork / cedar rail for the ultimate fine pinline effect…You really got to look for it…
Basically, yeah…I got mine at Lowe’s, HD didn’t have it… Lowe’s only had 2" thick…I ripped it on the tablesaw to make 1/2" thick rail layers…I had the planer out so it all got a pass through for consistency…
I’ve done Kevlar under decks before and it makes for too much flex that can damage the frame…Carbon is better to reduce that potential problem…I’ve never been too concerned about point impact breakage with CF under the skin…The rib spacing is more important…If I’m really trying to build a stiff deck, I’ll put in two stringers, spaced equally apart in width, to make a board almost bombproof…
Interesting info about S glass vs. CF…I’ll look into that more, thanks…
Wow Paul, beautiful board. Never thought of using that Dow foam board as attachment to rails. I might have to try that on a EPS/epoxy build. That board blows all other SUP’s out of the water. Too nice to put wax on it, a wall hanger for sure.
Beautiful boards. For me I think I would have more control with a paddle to help turn better. Surfing large volume boards can be just as or more dangerous than SUP boards in lineups in regards to control.
Don’t be shamed out of calling it a SUP board that you can also prone paddle. You live in the land of uncrowded breaks and all the SUP haters live in most crowded spots on earth.
When I put SUP handles in wide surfboards I call them Trekk Handles to make everyone feel better about things.
Great pics and I understand the beautiful fin process enough now I think I could try it.
