Hi. Is a single fin 6’2 ". This is a single fin surfboard inspired70 years, with modern lines of the planks. I would like to hear from you on this surfboard.
[img_assist|nid=1058552|title=Single 6'2"|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=640|height=300]
Most 70s single fins had the wide point ahead of center and a nose that was wider than the tail by a good bit.
It would ride good as a single-fin, I think.
So yeah, 2 thumbs up for ya!
I am looking forward to shaping some very similar boards to this one, but the fin set-up would be “fin-festival” (FCS plugs optional for 5 fins, Kelly Slater- style), so it can be ridden as a thruster or as a quad or as a twinnie.
This shape is you put up here is, I believe, the latest hi-performance hull in the evolutionary history of the modern surfboard. It eliminates an often unnecessary foot of pointy-nose, and uses the outline curve towards the nose much better while surfing the wave.
I couldn’t see the numbers clearly, but for my size & weight I think I’d go with 19" to 19.5" wide, and about 2.5" thick. Somewhere between 5’10" to 6’2" would be a good length.
I haven’t ridden one yet, but that’s the plan.
10-4
also consider moving some of the thickness in the foil forward
I’ve made a bunch of short singles based on 70’s outlines in the last 5 years. Your board is similar to a couple I’ve done. 2 comments.
The outline is not what older 70’s style singles had. The tail is too wide, and the widest part is not forward of center. SammyA is correct.
From my experience a single works best if the tail is narrow and the wide point is forward of center by a couple of inches minimum. They also work better if there is a straighter line in the tail section. These design aspects aid in the drive you get from the single fin.
A board with your length and outline would work better as a 3 or 4 fin. I know because I have converted 5 singles ranging from 5-10 to 6-6 and they all worked better with the side fins. See my thread on “Single fin to Quad” and you’ll see a similar shape that went from slightly dead to amazing when I converted it to a quad.
I think single fins work well if they are over 7’ and get better as you hit the mid to long board lengths. The shorter boards work better with more fins and that’s why the thruster and now the quads are so popular.
If you chose to make this a single, I strongly suggest placing a long box about 3 inches from the tail. This will allow you to later add 2 side fins and convert the board to a thruster or quad.
I started surfing in the mid 60’s when all boards were single fin. The first 5 or 6 boards I made since 2005 were all single fins but they were all over 7’ and most were 8’. I wanted to try and see if I could make boards that would give me a retro feel, but it’s hard to go backwards. It’s fun to surf singles, but if you want to get the more performance, you won’t be happy. Right now I am so happy with the way quads work, and I will probably only make quad from now on. The single box on my converted boards is just extra weight and in hindsight a mistake.
This is the photo of the board which served as a model for the board.
[img_assist|nid=1058574|title=Retro single fin|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=427|height=640]
Filipe, it look like the board in the photo has the wide point forward of center, and the nose is wider than the tail. The tail also looks a bit narrower than the board you are drawing.
I have a 6-4 board with a similar shape to the one in your photo. It started life as a single, but I found that it was better as a thruster. It used to be my go to board when the waves were solid overhead and bigger. I think that if the tail was narrower, it might have worked OK as a single.
I agree with what has been posted up to now. If it’s gonna be a single, some shape adjustments would make the thing go better.
For that, I would start by checking out Al Merrick & Rob Machado’s retro single-fins, which have been very popular for about 8 years I believe.
Now, for that shape you put up, I believe it would work better as a multi-fin, if left “as is”. Check out the board pictured in the link below…
http://fourthsurfboards.com/boards/teardrop/
Let us know what you end up shaping please.
Twanys mae!
Well following the advice this is version 2. I put the point more wide
forward.
values
6’2" x 19"
Tail @12 = 12 9/32"
Nose @12 = 14 5/16"
[img_assist|nid=1058588|title=6'2" '9" x 19"|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=640|height=295]
That looks like an old single fin.
One more aspect of the older singles is a really thin tail with a hard edge. The tip would be less than a half inch. They also kept a lot of thickness up front, but thickness up front is not needed these days.
If this board is for you, I’d plan where you want to be when you paddle. I’m only 5-6, so I have about a foot of board in front of me. Figure out where you think you’ll be then move the thickest part of your board so that it will be under your upper chest and torso. Looks like you might be able to add just a little thickness just forward of your center point.
New boards work so much differently than the older singles. I hope you are not wasting your time. That first design looked like a really nice board.
I also think that some added thickness towards the nose would help in version2. I’ve found that it helps me to “ride the nose” of the board if there’s meat under there. Also, as mentioned, it gives one plenty of flotation when paddling.
I’ve made about 3 of these single fins. The first one has too thin a nose (like in your version2) and I just wish I could put some more thickness in there…
I like this style of surfboard very much. It’s a whole different feeling when surfing them. Somewhat “cleaner”, somehow…
Just a general question/idea with regards to wide points and foil. I presume that if a wide point is shifted foward or back, the foil thicknes HAS to follow. As in the boards thickest point has to correspond with its widest point. Yay or Nay?
I think that if the wide point is at a different spot to with respect to the foil, the compound curve would have "kinks" in it. Unseen when looking at the profile or the outline.
Felipe, I presume you use the free Shape 3d software. Im no expert by a long shot, but I'd say check the curve acceleration graph (the red line that follows the stringer in the "Design" feature of the program). The more kinks the red graph has, the less fluid the transtitions in the curves are.
I've made about 3 of these single fins. I like this style of surfboard very much.
You may have just given yourself the best advice in this case. If its working, keep doing it
Version 2.1 of the board following the advice. More area of the nose. I’ve attached aphoto of the shaper 3d. I would like to thank everyone for the help. I’m learning a lot.
[img_assist|nid=1058626|title=62 x 19 v 2.1|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=167]