what if build threads - you know, the threads where someone posts the whole process of creating a new surfboard - ran for the life of the board. In other words, they didn’t end when the board was finished. They continued, with ride reports in a variety of conditions, dings and ding repairs, etc, up until the death of the board.
the problem for me is that build threads typically have a lot of valuable details about the shape, but then die off when the life of the surfboard is just beginning. There is a lot of valuable information about a surfboard’s longevity and performance that can only be known after some time, but typically, this type of info doesn’t get posted in the build thread, where all the construction details are. A lot of questions about the strength and longevity of various methods could be answered. A lot of questions about how design facets affect performance could be answered, even if somewhat subjectively. I think we could all benefit from this type of follow-up.
So my suggestion, to anyone and everyone, is if you have an older build thread on a board that is still in service, dig it up if you can find it and post up some current pics, dings and all, and tell us about the good / bad / whatever that you have observed over the life of the board, what you would change, etc.
I would love it if build threads just ran on, and on, and on… And I bet I’m not the only one!
(and OK, before anyone brings it up, yes I am guilty too, so note to self: dig up those old build threads of mine, and post up on the current state of affairs!!!)
I don’t have a build thread for my #2 build, but I just had a session on thursday that assured me that it’s actually a decnt board. Maybe I’ll make one. The board’s 1 and half years old now.
Cool. I’m guessing you’re referring to the Coil thread? - all that happened before I was a member here, but hey, that’s a lot of free exposure! So I guess this is a special thanks to the moderator who moved it where its now prospering?
Anyway, why not post up a build thread on one of the Coil boards - construction details, measurements for fin layout, etc. Then continue the thread with ride reports, ding repairs, etc. I think it’d be awesome.
Hi Grasshopper, love that shaping shack! Is there a build thread for these boards where you discuss stuff like which blank was used, thickness and width of the finished board, rail profile, bottom configuration, fin system and layout, glassing schedule, resin used, and all the usual stuff? Followed up with ride reports in various conditions, etc, would be way cool.
ALL the boards I made , photographed , rode , reported on , and sometimes photographed other swaylockians riding over the last 10 years … are all either sold or given away , or with friends … 3000 miles west of here .
it’s something I always thought was a good idea for a thread , though , mate !
yellow one was a 7’1A US blanks i think in blue density. poly resin future fins.
narrow and thin rails but with some thicknes salong the stringer. in the range of 18" at widepoint with 12" tail and under an 11" nose. 2-5/8" or maybe a tad thicker. some subtle concaves with suble V off the tail. all 6 oz glass and gloss coat. the template i used was one that i brought back from hawaii from my fav north shore board. i got to surf this board only one session at outside rio nexpa - really paddled like a dream and felt solid on some decent sized bumpy drops. Pasquales was either too big or not big enough for this board when i was there. some friends borrowed it and put it through its paces at Pasquales the next year and then it was broken at an outer reef in Nicaragua.
blue and white one is pretty standard small wave thruster. 5’10 x 19-1/2 x 2-1/4. eps blank was made by me. it was glassed super light which it why it broke pretty easily when a hurricane bertha lip cut me down. 4 oz bottom and 4 oz deck with 3/4 length 4 oz deck patch resin research. bottom is single to double concave with spiral vee out the back. this board was kind of too light sometimes (no momentum) but had kind of a spongy deck which stuck to your feet really well. made it a great board for real wedgy waves. unfortunately real wedgy waves like to break lightly glassed boards…
I still have quite a few of the boards I’ve made. Of the boards in this photo,I still have 001, 002, 004, Bonzer and the Gemini. I really only use 001, and only on the smaller days. My daughter’s favorite board is 004, but she nevers surfs these days. I have a lot of boards going back to 2005 that I still use, but I keep making boards and I prefer the newer boards because I’ve become a much better builder. The older boards up to about 2008 were mostly single fins of vaorius sizes from 8’ to 6’. I recently used a 6’ board that I made about 2007 that was based on my fascination with Michael Peterson and what he rode in Morning of the Earth. It was OK, but I think I’ve come a long way since 2007 and I think the newer boards are much better.
The older boards are holding up OK. Some of the compsands have water intrusion from bad glass jobs (pin holes), but other than discoloration, they are holding up. I am really enjoying the XPS boards I’ve made recently. Easy to make, light, and modern designs that ride well. The PU boards I made from about 2007 on show the most wear, bit some of the compsands also have a few nicks along the rails. A few of the compsands with extra light cores feel a little soft under the back foot, but they are watertight.
I never rode a single board for any extended period, so it’s hard to guage how they have held up. I used to ride a different board every time went surfing. Right now, I’ve been riding my newest board quite a bit, but it’s a marko blank with 2x 6oz on the deck and 1x 6oz on the bottom. She’s holding up pretty good and I ride it in overhead waves quite a bit.
