My restored Jacobs 1963 9’0" 21.5" 3.5" weighs 29.25 lbs. I was told by the guy who restored it that that’s normal- or maybe a little lighter than when new. True?
Reason I’m curious: I like older boards (but not the weight), and am looking to buy another one (maybe not restored)- wondered if they’re all that way.
29 lbs for a 9’0" is actually a bit heavy. Weights ranged around 25 to 30 lbs for typical 60s boards, depending on who glassed it. Standard glass jobs were double 10 oz back then.
A few years ago, I scored an original 1965 Hobie Noserider in really good condition. It was 10’2" and really thick with very fat rails. It weighed 32 lbs.
Photos would help. Any knowledge of the glassing? A typical board of the 63 period would have two layers of 10oz. (volan) cloth top and bottom. Considering any adjustments during restore the weight will never be as original. You did not mention stringer (s).
And if I may, Talk about heavy, I had a 9’-0” 1963 Jacobs I got from Al Beach back in the day and he told me it was a "show board" I was a kook and didn't care. I'll attach some photos. The “Surf a Rama” photo the 9ft’r is to the left of the North Shore boards. Note the center of the board is all stringers and for a 13 year old was a SOB to surf, hold on to and lug!
extra weight was prefered for surfing bigger waves
additional full pigment and double ten ounce layups
were the call for heavy offshore winds , like in those
pictures of sunset in the bi-monthly,and for smoothing
out herky jerky style lapses.At least that was the rumor
around the beach fires.Surfboards started gettin’ lighter
once they started using a ten oz and an 8oz in combination
instead of double ten,thats both sides.Maybe like 1966
the weight came in closer to 20 with the boards called
‘lightweight’ every mfg.had one - bing had the nuuhiwa,
hansen had the superlight or some such , G&S had a
stringerless,so did hobie…the race to light was on and
durability was off the design table no t-bands no 3/4’’
redwood,want it light? You got it and how …
try to find an old one now a days good luck.
so you wanna try ride an old style boad?
make em’ and break em’ if they are light.
nuuhiwa lightweight
midget farrely stringerless
hansen superlight
step decks were also llight every one
greek eliminator,harbor cheaters,hansen 50/50’s,
The preeminent yater spoon all hovered around twenty
and were mostly surfed to death by the turn of the century…
greek eliminator
rick ufo,dru harrison improviser,and the list goes on…
…ambrose…
Yeah, heavy was the norm back then. Weight helps with glide and the inertia of those big boards helped with that style of surfing back then. Why not make a replica of one of those old boards and get the best of both worlds? Same design, modern materials and about 5-8 pounds lighter depending on construction. Think about it. A lot of those Newport guys like Gato Heroi, Alex Knost, Tanner Prarie, and SD guys like Ryan Burch, Tyler Warren etc…enjoy shaping/riding retro boards.
Right: actually, that’s what I’m doing. This project is a little off beaten path- rocker is popular with shapers- and blanks reflect that. Even a relatively flat blank like US Blanks Yater 9-8 has is steering away from 60’s rocker, thickness, belly/roll. Are there other blanks that are already closer to the older designs? In a way, doesn’t matter: shaper would get oversized blank and/or specify negative rocker when ordering. Added work and time. I don’t know how many people know this, but you can specify rocker at US BLanks when ordering- any rocker! (no extra charge). Different rocker can be established by flexing the blank when it’s being glued up with the stringer. Shapers I’ve talked to didn’t seem interested in this option.
It takes time to make a board (not the best time of year to order a board)- and money. So I was thinking of getting an old beater while working on the new retro project. I’ll just take a scale with me if I go to look at some old boards for sale. Another thing I like about your idea: when the board gets hurt, it’s not such a big as when you ding a classic. My Jacobs is not a gem (was kinda tore up before restoration), but still, I worry when I take it out. I’ll probably sell it.
Your list of names helps a lot: I will contact them. I’ve already talked to Taner (he’s about a block from where I live!)
Thanks so much, Kip…
[quote=“$1”]
Photos would help. Any knowledge of the glassing? A typical board of the 63 period would have two layers of 10oz. (volan) cloth top and bottom. Considering any adjustments during restore the weight will never be as original. You did not mention stringer (s).
And if I may, Talk about
heavy, I had a 9’-0” 1963 Jacobs I got from Al Beach back in the day and he
told me it was a “show board” I was a kook and didn’t care. I’ll
attach some photos. The “Surf a Rama” photo the 9ft’r is to the left of the
North Shore boards. Note the center of the board is all stringers and
for a 13 year old was a SOB to surf, hold on to and lug!
Sounds like a great time you had. Love the boards.
1" old growth “straight heart” redwood stringer. My neighbor carpenter was impressed.
The board was pretty beat up before restoration, and still shows discoloration, wear, etc. Not even sure if it’s '63. Wayne Rich said he thought it was older. I bought it to ride- not as a collector’s item. Thinking of getting a new board made like it- one reason is that I don’t want to hurt it.
For the restoration, all the glass and fin were removed. That’s why he thinks it might be lighter now. I guess I need to find out glassing specifics for the new glass job it got. I still have his number I hope.
Here’s some pics.
[img_assist|nid=1075877|title=63 Jacobs 9-0 top|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=640|height=167]
[img_assist|nid=1075876|title=63 Jacobs 9-0 side|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=640|height=148]
[img_assist|nid=1074673|title=1963 Jacobs 9-0top angle|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=480|height=640]
There is a story about how the nose rider came to be. Apparently the stringer was put in backward and it wasn’t sold but kept by the shaper as this was realised when the board went to the shop.
The board was then ridden by the crew around at the time to great review the board was copied.
The surfers nose rode it to make it go because it was slow but instead it sucked back onto the pocket and lifted the surfer high out of the water then ‘’hang time’’ the boys had a new trick and everyone at the time wanted one.
Or the shaper stuffed it up and put the outline back to front. Cant remember who the shaper was
probably some one famous the story was told to me by a very close friend of micky dora.
Im sure the story has been around for along time so some one will elaborate
Oh and stick with the heavy glass it will help the board it’s there to help glide as mentiond so it still carries speed because of the belly tail and strange rocker slowing it down you have to follow the board not throw it around or steer it instead of turning it that’s the big difference between no style and style on those old slugs. Nice board mate stay cool n stylish
Tom Morey had a nose riding contest. As I recall it was a to be a timed event whoever could ride the nose longest would be the winner . All manner of contraption and ideas were used to see what would aid someone to stay on the nose longer. Bricks were glassed onto the tail a 2x4 glassed on the back extending over the tail and smilier odd things were done to make a board better on the nose. preform. One of the Boards had a concave nose. and this was the one that in the end made for the best over all performing board. I do not recall who built the board or even who should get credit for coming up with a concave nose. This could be a little bit of surf history that needs to be explored. Any of my fellow silver backs have any input on the contest and the concave nose?
1965 was the first Morey Invitational, held in Ventura. Munoz won it. The board was built at Hobie’s and was a collaboration between Munoz and Edwards, as far as I know. There may well have been other boards with concave noses before that, but Hobie was the first to offer it as a specific noseriding model.
Scans from a 1962 Hobie ad. Weights and sizes range from a 24lb 8’5" to a
27 lb 9’5". Note L J Richards rode an 8’6" a good six years before
boards went “short”.
Shoot, I’m finishing off an 8.2 x 22 x 3 piggy slug in PU/Epoxy with a moderate volan glass job and I was stressing out over a 14# weight.
The clear, 9’4", G&S with a 1-1/2" balsa stringer I ordered new from their Dana Point shop in 1963 weighed 24 pounds. That was considered a light board at the time.
In addition to the heavier glassing schedule (single 20-oz. or double 10-oz. on both sides with a deck patch) the foam was denser and there was often a separate color coat of resin between the hot coat and gloss. I don’t know when tints came in, but most of the color I saw back then was opaque: either rails, stripes, “panels” or the entire board with only the logo taped off. Then “competition bands” became a big fad. Stock stringers were usually 3/4" redwood or 1-1/2" or 2" balsa. Noses and tails were thicker. All that added weight.
Many of my buddies went overboard with extra stringers and T-bands: their boards weighed 30-35 pounds.
Somebody here who worked in the industry back then will probably know for sure, but I think Harbour may have been one of the earliest shops to start lightening up on the glassing schedule (8-oz.?).
Just got this G & S off local Craigslist. 9’ 6" x 22" x 3 3/8". Weighs 26lbs 7oz. Serial number 68097 (1968?). Fin missing (actually, it has a fin- just a bad one that needs to be replaced).
Based on excellent info in this thread, looks like the Jacobs IS heavy- but now I have a better idea of the advantages of the weight.
Gonna start new thread looking for fin advice- probably D-fin.[img_assist|nid=1075902|title=1968 ? G & S 9-6 top|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=640|height=160]
Neat.............are you currently riding a surfboard with a D fin?
Like the fin on the board you posted......I love old surfboards...there's a reason why surfboards no longer have D fins......
Your latest Craigslist find looks really cool....I do not like "restored" surfboards. Fix the dings and go surfing!
Stingray
When I was living in Encinitas You would often see LJ out at Swamis. This was about 15 years ago He was retired from The Fire Department and he still had style. Really nice guy happy a full of stoke.
Stingray:
Yes. I ride the Jacobs and also another newer board. The Jacobs needs a little bit larger wave to move the way it was made to. But then, it’s real STABLE: can walk around on it like no other board. I don’t do fast turns, so the board turns about the speed I do anyway. Bigest problem for me with D-fin is not when riding: when your’e waiting for a wave and wanna do a 180 to catch it, takes forever to rotate the board. I’m not wild about getting another board with the D-fin. Turns out the G&S probably didn’t have one- I think it came with a glass cutaway style fin mounted forward. Trying to find out for sure, and where to buy one. I started another thread in Discussion looking for info from guys who might remember what they came with. G&S boards I,ve seen pictures of from then didn’t have wood fins.
I don’t do well on modern longboards, so these olds boards for me are just better boards. Would like one around 23lbs or under though. Totally agree with you about riding vs restoring. If I like the G&S better, I’ll get rid of the Jacobs- one of the reasons being that I don’t like worrying about hurting it.
What are your thoughts about D-fins? Also, ever surfed a board with volume so far back? Lotta boards are widest-behind-center, but their outline and volume distribution are still pretty symetrical. But this is a whole different deal: front half of the board is narrow, board outline not symetrical. Always wanted to try one out.
I recently rode a borrowed G&S of a similar vintage to yours. Still had the stock fin on it:
How did you like it?
Also- that’s the closest I’ve gotten to seeing what I think was on my board. If the board is still around, it would be a huge favor If you could take another picture in good light (flip it on its back) looking directly straight at it from the side (profile), I could figure out all the dimensions if I knew how tall it was vertically. I’m gonna post this pic to the other thread I started about finding out what fin should go on the board.
Thanks a bunch, Kip…
