There is a break by my house, lets call it Pt. Lookout. It is a relatively fun beach break that gets somewhat meaty at hi tide. Now the deal with the place is that in the summer you can not surf between 9-6 pm, you guys thought black ball was bad, NY has that beat, and the waves are crappier. My thought is that if I could make myself a bodyboard or paipo I could probably score some good uncrowded surf. I have checked out some old posts and went to Vagabond and the other site MY PAIPO RULZ.com or something like that. Now, I have a beat to shit 63 Hobie longboard glass on fin intact but chunks out of the glass and foam at both the nose and tail the deck is sunkin but the bottom is intact. If I was to make it into a bellyboard/paipo where would I want to cut the board, the front 1/2, back 1/2? Also, since I know crap about proper paipo bellyboard rail designs any pointers would be good. I guess you want significant belly in the bottom. Is the deck flat or do you concave it. If you do try to concave the deck where do you start the concave and how deep should it be. Do I keep the original fin and reshape it or whack it out and start all over. Comments appreciated, criticisms not, i.e. Fat Penguin(I don’t want to get lambasted like that sap, I just have an idea). I will keep you posted on the progress. Thanks for all the input, even with a two month flat spell Swaylocks has been the saving grace. At least I think about what I will do the next time they are waves. http://www.surfli.com/images/ea1jpg.JPG
a new forum where you wont get accused, abused, defused or refused. welcome to paipoworld! http://www.rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/index.php 
Maybe I am Naive, but at least I’m honest, I have know Idea what I am looking at and since I have no experience, it certainly does not look like something I want to attempt on the first go out. Although sure is Real cool looking http://www.surfli.com/images/ea1jpg.JPG
You saw the link he posted, right? http://www.rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/index.php give me a call about the pr trip…
I saw, where do I begin that sight seems pretty hi tech, everyone knows I’m low tech or even No tech. I’m looking for simpler plan, I hope. Any guidance or pointers is greatly appreciated. Rod your sight is awsome, I’m pretty sure you seem like the ultimate paipo resource, well done. Hopefully you can point me in the right direction. http://www.surfli.com/images/ea1jpg.JPG
cool lookin’ machine!
Oooooooo tell us more, tell us more.
YThanks for the respectful request…1st order a mat from dale…2ndtake off all the glass off the Hobie save the lam and any signature panel…cut off ahead of fin …your primary mission is to save as much material as possible symetry is not the whole world an off set stringer would be a revolution in itself make template avoid major dings unless entirely un avoidable… good first day take off all glass cut off fin 6’ is too long anyway …look at the raw materials for a couple days…the spirit of the new board resides within the limits of the materials…ambrose…you should have the paipo done by the time the mat is delivered
one fin, I might get flamed for this but for your situation why not consider a black ball beater? A couple diffrent companies make them… it is pretty much an elongated boogie with flexable fins that is made to stand up on. They are super fun and within the rules for blackballed areas(no hard boards, no boards over so many feet and no hard fins). Nothing against paipo boards or mats… cheers
I might get flamed for this but for your situation why not consider a black ball beater? A good quick point here…check your local beach regulations to make sure they will even let you take a foam/fiberglass or wood paipo out during restricted times. A lot of places don’t. That said, go with Ambrose and have fun with it. Even if it’s still blackballed you can use it other times, leave it in the car and catch surprise waves etc. Blackball beaters - these are just starting to get looked at although they have been around a couple of years (and around as mini surfboards a few decades ago). Sometimes the plastic fins can still get you in trouble, but you can just take them off.