I say ...Do over. Sell it, get rid of it, make a better one. Life's too short to try to make a marginally good board out of a POS board. That's what Craigslist is for.
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I say ...Do over. Sell it, get rid of it, make a better one. Life's too short to try to make a marginally good board out of a POS board. That's what Craigslist is for.
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Agreed. I had the board pro glassed so I'm not going to cut it up. I think it would be a lot more fun for someone 40-50 pounds heavier than me.
I wouldn't imagine I'd be able to get enough for it to make it worth selling, though. It's tough enough selling name boards on Craigslist for very much.
I am guessing most people go through the process of building a surfboard ( and hang out at Swaylock’s ) because they are curious about the shapes they ride - otherwise they would buy the standard 6’2"x 18.375"x 2.375" thruster off the shelf at the local board shop. As an amatuer board builder, making the relatively simple change helped me understand how different the tail can affect the board when the other 95% percent of the board is exactly the same. Personally, I am not interested in how shiny or colorful my boards are, I am curious how they facilitate the experience of wave riding.
I should be clear, I don't hate the board. The novelty hasn't worn off for me yet, and I feel like I still have some things to learn by riding it. There have been times during the last few sessions when I wished I was riding board #1, my 6'4" quad, but frankly the conditions have been better than what I designed the stubby board for. It's essentially a longboard substitute, for riding knee high waves on mushy days. For that purpose, it ain't bad so far
What about installing a center single fin box and riding it as a single, maybe with the side bites? I need the practice installing the box anyway...
It would be a good one to practice a center box install, and riding it as a single or single/w/side bites will give you more data points re effects of fin combos (on this board, don't extrapolate too far).
What do I win for suggesting the twins in rear boxes?:)
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What do I win for suggesting the twins in rear boxes?:)
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I'm not really sure yet, although it seemed better than the quad setup. Thanks to the fact that Futures make no twin fin setups for 1/2 depth boxes, I had to experiment by hacking up my front fins.
I would try a set of the future 375 quad rears they should be less than $20, just get the plastic ones. Yes there’re higher than the sb1 but less base. The reduction in base should loosen it up quite a bit. Future also has the 340 rear set but they may be to small. I just tried the 375’s with AM2 glass fronts and was amazed how much looser they were than the 400 quad rears.
I thought the Sb1 was only available in the 3/4" box unless they were cut down. Above it looks like you said thats what they gave you for the rear 1/2" box.
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I would try a set of the future 375 quad rears they should be less than $20, just get the plastic ones. Yes there're higher than the sb1 but less base. The reduction in base should loosen it up quite a bit. Future also has the 340 rear set but they may be to small. I just tried the 375's with AM2 glass fronts and was amazed how much looser they were than the 400 quad rears.
I thought the Sb1 was only available in the 3/4" box unless they were cut down. Above it looks like you said thats what they gave you for the rear 1/2" box.
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I will probably do that. You can get plastic SB1s and SB3s in 1/2" base, but not fiberglass. Weird.
Rode the board again today with the 475 fins in the rear boxes and nothing else. This is the first day I've had it out in the conditions I designed it for - waves that I would have otherwise had to longboard in. It was pretty fun! All the volume means it can plane easily on a knee-high wave, make some sections and generally putt around. Honestly, it rides like a 5'10" longboard. Weird description, I know, but it moves fastest in a straight line, and responds well to trimming. Get it in the pocket and you can make adjustments from the middle of the board. Pretty unique ride, really.
I may be more convinced to route in a single fin box for it after today, since it seems like a good way to get my feet wet (sorry for the bad pun) with fin box installs.
PS - any suggestions on which single fin to get? I'm thinking either 4.5 inch or 6.5 cutaway. I'm not going to use the sidebites with it.
With no sidebites, I'd advise a high-aspect flex fin, something like a Liddle or PG. You might be able to go smaller than 8'', but I doubt it. With a really small cutaway, you'll be sliding all over the place due to the wide tail.
Thanks Mike. I was thinking flex fin myself.
And thanks for recommending the twins in the rear boxes, definite improvement.
You're welcome. That's why they pay me the big bucks.....
Experiments continue. I rode the board this morning with 5 1/4 inch Twins in the front boxes, nothing in the rears. The board was more responsive again, but felt a bit slidey in the small surf. I was thinking a small trailer fin would be nice. At least I could kind of get it down the line with this setup. I'm not up to the task of installing a Futures box in the center position, particularly after glassing. I'd have to buy the templates and all, and it's cost prohibitive.
If I don't install some sort of center box, whether a standard or a Future, I think the board is going to be put out to pasture. After five sessions I'm thinking it ain't going to work for someone my weight. Craigslist beckons, but with the volume of stuff on there already, I may have to price the thing under $75 to move it. Seems hardly worth it.