Can't make up my mind...need your help on design

General Discussion
1

Hello all,

I lurked this site for more than a year before finally joining, and read what seems like 10000 posts.  I need your help in designing me a small wave board.  Im 6ft 4inches tall and 210lbs, pretty strong with a huge wing span and great balance. Ive been surfing...or attempting to...for the past ten years off an on, but being in southwest florida we only get a few good swells each year. I previously rode a 9ft bill stewart hydro-hull, but i was 30 pounds lighter then. 

Waves will be small 2-4ft cold front swell.  see the link to the youtube video as this is right by home break.  It will be very uncrowded where I surf, on a good day maybe 5 to 10 people out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEoV6Onvb1Y . Please note this would be considered a good clean wave day here haha. 

My style is basically just trim and smile, but I would like to improve upon that eventually...the problem is I only have an 8'8 x 27" x 4" block of EPS. And yes I'm too poor to buy a new surfboard (college student), and hoping to use this surfboard project for a fluid dynamics design project coming up.

I would love a mini simmons style board...to just trim and scream down the line, but worried im too big and not good enough yet to ride one.  I like the look of the ACE squish boards and thinking an 8'6" would be okay, but what do I know.  Im not afraid of going wide 24 even 25 inches would be okay.  Rocker is the biggest thing I am having trouble with.

So any information you surfing legends can provide me would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post and if you need any other info just let me know.  Thanks and I love the help you swaylockers provide to all who love the water.

Thanks, Andrew

 

2

Sounds like a good idea to me. I am 6’3" 230lbs and I would ride my 8’ Squish all day in those waves. But what do I know.

3

Thanks for the reply Ace! All of your boards are works of art, I think I've gone through your albums 100 times. Your input is greatly appreciated.

I am really having trouble deciding rocker dimensions for these small waves.  Some say more tail flip at the end, some say less tail rocker. I was thinking 4"at nose, 2 to 2.5" tail on a 8'6". Thanks again

4

I like to use flattened panel v’s off the tail. Actually they almost form concave pods, a whole other issue. Go with 2" at the stringer 2.5" at the rail. 24" wide will not hurt if those waves have the “flat spots” that they look like they have. The panels will allow you to lay the board on rail and have acceleration in turns.  Roll the bottom a little dome the deck some to “hide” the thickness. Flattish continues rocker with a little flip in the nose seems to work pretty good. Good luck.