8'4" gun ...need any help and suggestions i can get!

General Discussion
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longtime lurker, first time poster with some questions on gun design. I have decided to try my hand at building gun for the upcoming el niño winter and i need any all help i can get. i talked to the guys at fiberglass hawaii and they were very helpful but i still need some help on specifics. after many many searches on here i have deduced a few facts, one being that not many gun type boards are built in 8 to 9 foot range. because of this, some of my confidence in my my original ideas are being tested and i would appreciate any and all input. with all the intro out of the way, ill give some specifics now.

I am 5’10" 150#, 23 years old and surfing all my life, but now looking to push into the real bigger stuff for the first time. i have also shaped a good number of boards(about 20, everything from 5ft mini simmons to 10ft longboards, but no guns!)

the board is intended for California bigger waves: 10-25 foot mav’s, ocean beach, steamer lane, lunada, La jolla, ventura overhead etc.

8’4" x 12"nose x19" x 13"tail x 3"

thruster and quad boxes installed

rounded vee in first third, very slight panel vee in the middle, deepening panel vee through the fins

thicker rounder rails, tapering to thin in nose and tail

6" nose rocker 3" tail rocker

3x 6oz e glass on the deck 2x 6oz on bottom

starting with a US blanks 8’5" pat rawson blank

is this about right? most of the information i could find here and around the net was for hawaiian guns in 10 foot range.

should the rail have a hard chine?

am i out of line to put a carbon strip down the center to help against breaking?

what should fin placement look like?

this is my first go at a board like this so i grateful for all the help i can get! a pre-emptive thank you to all!

 

 

 

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  You have much to learn, and there is much I can teach you…BUT…You seem to have your mind made up, and are determined to go in a direction that will not allow you to reach your intended goal.    As they say on Shark Tank, ‘‘for that reason I’m out.’’     

IF you come to your senses, and can have an open mind, call me.

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1st BT knows

Stop and listen and by God take him up on this.

You only go around once, do it right!

IMHO

The spec of the Rawson 8-5A, reads

Overall Bottom Length: 8’ 6 3 /8" (260.03 cm) Tip-to-tip Deck Length: 8’ 5 1 /2" (257.81 cm) Maximum Width: 22" (55.88 cm) Maximum Thickness: 3 3 /8" (8.57 cm) Displacement: 2.70 ft³ (76.5 L) Introduced: September 2006 Available Rockers: Designer Comments: The 8’5’’A blank easily nets an 8’4’’ bottom length. The natural rocker is good for vee in the tail and contoured bottom designs. The Hawaii Rocker to be used for hi-performance styles. 

Eh, you could discount this but 6" nose - 3" tail Cali?

Hum.

Also I would recommend losing the forward vee.

As my experience in choppy large waves = a hell of a ride.

As in ricochet Biscuit.

One last thing, again IMHO

(EDIT) you may want to entertain the idea of a 9-6 back up as 8-4 may very well become “just a little” short.

BTW, wider tail (vs. Nose) is most interesting…

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Suggest that regardless of what you end up building, focus primarily on your conditioning.  Lotta pool laps including held breath sprints, ocean swim whenever possible, and a quality jump rope can be your best friend for intense interval training.

The Lane is a relatively easy bigger wave to surf at TOH.  OB is not, much in part due to the challenge at that size to make it into the line-up through the inside.  If you can consistently surf TOH OB you’re ready for Mav’s.

At which point, after spending some time up on the cliff watching the surfers and noting their equipment, you will be building yet another board, adding 2’ to your 8’4.

Good luck, and keep these words in mind while out there in real size.

You’re either the hunter, or the hunted…

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Andrew,

Check the Gun for Dungeons thread.

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To the OP, Andrew:

Andrew, your age, physical size, and board count, closely approximates my own experience, just prior to stepping into ‘‘real waves’’ on the North Shore many years ago, in my quest to ride those epic waves.      That’s why I offered to guide you in the persuit of your big wave riding goals.      Beside being prepared to disclose many of my design principles, and nuances, that I use in creating big wave guns.     I was prepared to also give you access to my proven big wave gun templates.    After giving you my personal phone number, I expected to hear from you.      I did not expect to hear crickets!         Your silence tells me that you see no value in, or have any respect for, the offer of that I’ve held out to you.      My enthusiasum to guide and help you, in your desire to make big wave guns, is now gone.      Never to return, I might add.     My hope is that some day you understand the opportunity that you threw away.

 

 

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Ah, to be 23 again…

 

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well, Bill, another example of being too dumb to not know what you don’t know…

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8’4" x 21" x 3 1/4" Heavy water machine 

Photo taken in my old yard at Sunset Point 

Shaping room shot in Waialua 

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8’4" circa 1992 when we were doing them sorta racy. 10" nose, 18 3/4" wp, 11" tail. 

For the OP, if you use that 8’5" Rawson blank you should have a great start. If you want a 12" nose and 13" tail, you might want to push that wp out to 19 1/2" or 20".

648×1526 394 KB

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your points await you.

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El Nino is about over but I hope you had a chance to build that board and push your limits.  Always more than one way to skin a cat… check these videos for reference on modern gun designs:

https://vimeo.com/143691615

https://vimeo.com/155979526