I recently had a custom board built by a very well known shaper.It is a 10’single fin with a bit more nose-rocker than one might find on a classic noserider.It paddles well and on bigger days in steeper waves I don’t pearl but out of the bottom turn it stutters(chatters) and a few times it seemed like it just plain stopped.What causes this? Is it the shape, the blank, or the fin?Has anyone else had this kind of experience?The shaper (who will go nameless)is a legend,has been very generous to my family and this board was built at cost-I feel like I can’t complain.It would seem as tho’ there is a dead spot in the board.
There are so many inter-related design components in a board. At this point you have the board and fine-tuning is pretty much limited to fin switching and placement. I hope you have a box type fin? Try something smaller than what you have. A board that is “over-finned” may exhibit the characteristics you describe. Mo Fins = Mo Bettah!
Very well could be a rocker issue. Try turning from a slightly diffrent spot on the board. aloha
I have a 11.5 noserider fin in it now,I have 10 greenough fin I’ll try-thanks!
If you have a single finbox design, try a 9" to 10" Harbour fin. It has a funky design with a lot of rake. Or another performance fin should do too. I’m using a 9" Harbour fin on my 9’7" single fin board (shaped by me) and like the improved turning ability.>>> I recently had a custom board built by a very well known shaper.It is a > 10’single fin with a bit more nose-rocker than one might find on a classic > noserider.It paddles well and on bigger days in steeper waves I don’t > pearl but out of the bottom turn it stutters(chatters) and a few times it > seemed like it just plain stopped.What causes this? Is it the shape, the > blank, or the fin?Has anyone else had this kind of experience?The shaper > (who will go nameless)is a legend,has been very generous to my family and > this board was built at cost-I feel like I can’t complain.It would seem as > tho’ there is a dead spot in the board.
its been my experience with classic noserider type boards that they arent especially meant for steeper waves. i’ve encountered the problem you speak of myself and noticed that with a classic, longer, soft railed board, turns are all about timing. if you wait too long on a bottom turn you will get that chattering and hit that dead spot, you lose all your speed because you went too deep into the wave before turning and then tried to turn too hard. i think what’s happening is that when you try a bottom turn with that type of board in steeper waves the chattering is your find dropping out and catching and dropping out and catching… also, softer rails dont grip the wave like hard rails do, so it kind of spins out on a late bottom turn. if you turn off the top you shouldn’t encounter that problem. otherwise dont wait quite so long for your bottom turn and if you apply just the right amount of pressure it should be smooth. -steve
I recently had a custom board built by a very well known shaper.It is a > 10’single fin with a bit more nose-rocker than one might find on a classic > noserider.It paddles well and on bigger days in steeper waves I don’t > pearl but out of the bottom turn it stutters(chatters) and a few times it > seemed like it just plain stopped.What causes this? Is it the shape, the > blank, or the fin?Has anyone else had this kind of experience?The shaper > (who will go nameless)is a legend,has been very generous to my family and > this board was built at cost-I feel like I can’t complain.It would seem as > tho’ there is a dead spot in the board. If youre board is a displacement hull you should ride en turn it more from the front, I have a 9.6 wich is a displacement hull with a 10.5 fin rounded pinched rails on wich I had to adjust my riding style. Don’t put a lot of pressure on the fin with that bottom turn, turn more from the rail, more forward on the board and just lean into youre turns. If you do this you might find out how fast this is. Different fin types (if your’es isn’t glassed on) makes a lot of difference to, it just what you prefer turning, noseriding just try what might work best for you. But some boards have to be surfed differently, you can’t go around that. Peter Rijk
its been my experience with classic noserider type boards that they arent > especially meant for steeper waves. i’ve encountered the problem you speak > of myself and noticed that with a classic, longer, soft railed board, > turns are all about timing. if you wait too long on a bottom turn you will > get that chattering and hit that dead spot, you lose all your speed > because you went too deep into the wave before turning and then tried to > turn too hard. i think what’s happening is that when you try a bottom turn > with that type of board in steeper waves the chattering is your find > dropping out and catching and dropping out and catching… also, softer > rails dont grip the wave like hard rails do, so it kind of spins out on a > late bottom turn. if you turn off the top you shouldn’t encounter that > problem. otherwise dont wait quite so long for your bottom turn and if you > apply just the right amount of pressure it should be smooth.>>> -steve I’ll second ya Steve. Noserider boards are excellent at teaching a surfer to turn from the top in every throwing wave. I learned how to pop uP before catching the wave on my first board. It was a noserider with reverse concave (curved up tail rails). That thing wouldn’t bottom turn. Period.
What is turning from the top? I am still rather new to longboarding and not yet hip to all the lingo. Thanks, scott
If youre board is a displacement hull you should ride en turn it more from > the front, I have a 9.6 wich is a displacement hull with a 10.5 fin > rounded pinched rails on wich I had to adjust my riding style. Don’t put a > lot of pressure on the fin with that bottom turn, turn more from the rail, > more forward on the board and just lean into youre turns. If you do this > you might find out how fast this is. Different fin types (if your’es isn’t > glassed on) makes a lot of difference to, it just what you prefer turning, > noseriding just try what might work best for you. But some boards have to > be surfed differently, you can’t go around that.>>> Peter Rijk I’ve read this though several times & carefully digested all the answears and I tend to believe you have a major fin problem—bottom line is most single fin longbds don’t work that well on really steep surf or in late-takeoff situations. The one answear about the Harbour cutaway fin might be your best bet unless you have side bite options. You are expieriencing for lack of a better term --the dragging a refrigerator effect—the fin is weighting down the tail with its pull hence the drag–you can’t set a rail into a turn cause the fin is stearing the board differently—solution a smaller more raked fin perferably cutaway type and use more rail less fin and you will be amazed at the results—I’ve ridden my noserider up to 8’ hollow bowling tubes with mandatory late takeoffs ,but the same fin that worked so well in 4’ surf was nothing but a drag in this surf --trip to the car & switched fins and its a whole new ball game —try it you"ll like it!
i know smaller fins will turn better than big fins. but how did your smaller fin hold in when surfing 8’ hollow waves? i would think that without the aid of sidebiters it would drop out
bottom turn is turning at the bottom of the wave, turning off the top is turning right at the top of the wave the second you stand up.>>> What is turning from the top? I am still rather new to longboarding and > not yet hip to all the lingo. Thanks, scott
That’s the dilemma… freedom and looseness or stability and stiffness? Multiple fin options allow changes to fit conditions. My small vertically oriented flex fin that allows for looseness in small waves would be a big mistake in 8’+ hollow conditions.
It’s not that I have a problem with riding this board, I adjusted my riding style and I like the board and the fin. Best nose riding ever. I know a fin can make or brake a boards performance, but a big heavy single fin rides differently as the new performance longboards, you have to adjust. On a old type board you have to surf the old way is my opinion and for myself there’s nothing wrong with that. I just love switching boards riding a different way and adjusting to the shape and the conditions, I think it helps making me a better surfer. Peter Rijk