Bob McTavish talks about board design
Thanks. He has forgotten more than I will ever know about board design but, I am not able to buy into the engine concept. Boards don’t create energy. There is no engine. I’m an engineer. It is all about harnessing potential energy. Probably. Ha. I just wish my boards worked as well as his.
I think he uses the term engine to indicate that’s where you get your power. I would agree. How you push on the back of the board where the fins are determines how much energy the board returns. He does mention that it may be different for single fin boards, like hulls and longboards.
I thought he had some interesting info for surfboard builders.
There have been a coouple of threads about what makes boards go, but Bob’s first comments really say it all. There are so many variables in waves and where the board is on a wave, it is very complex.
Cool! Thanx 4 posting.
That kid knows a thing or two about surfboard construction.
He might have a future in the surfboard business.
Just remember, he’s the guy that brought you the V-Bottom.
Bob McTavish riding his ultra vee bottom board. Looks like he’s having a good time. Notice how far up he is when he turns off the bottom.
Really like his footwork. Not just fore and aft, but really working off centerline.
About 1970? I had a Gary Propper Hobie vee bottom that was a copy of that. I only had it a few days before it was stolen off the beach. The thief died in a fiery car crash later that day. Or so I had hoped.
All the best
I rode my first McTavish, 9’1" Original Surftech a few years back and really enjoyed it. A nice combination of turning ability, glide and paddling. I recently been thinking about design since I am working on my first board. The wave is dynamic, the rider is dynamic, the surfboard is static in comparison. I remember the first time I rode a flex skateboard as a kid and realized I could use the stored returned energy to push me forward, make quicker turns, etc. I started experimenting with making my own flex boards, laminating plywoood, cutting down old water skis. I loved the dynamics I could produce in the board. Has there been any true flex tail surfboard produced? Bob said in the video you want to have the least amount of rocker in the tail. If the tail was flat or even cambered and could flex a few inches, this would seem benefical to performance.
bobs a good friend of mine… i didnt watch the video… but board design is all about control… eg speed, speed recovery and direction
After reading more about hydrodynamics, hydroplaning and other posts about board flex; it seems if I design flex in the tail of the board I could be losing speed. I want a low tail rocker but I also want the 8’6" I am designing to turn moderatly well.