If anyone has seen the most recent Surfer’s Journal (Vol 14, Num 2) there is a spread (pp 14-15) of Jeff Johnson surfing a 5’5" ‘disc’. For those who know, I have a few questions:
Is a disc typically set up as a single fin, a twin, a thruster, a quad, a twinzer, or something else?
This board is apparently only 5’5" in length. What would the approximate other dimensions be?
I’m assuming a domed deck for extra foam, correct?
Soft rails leading to hard near the tail or different?
Does this type of board typically have a bottom contour of ‘slight belly’ - ‘flat’ - ‘modest V’?
Tail looks like a round, not even a round pin. The tail is right at the binding fold, any input?
It doesn’t seem to have a lot of tail or nose rocker… looking for help!
I really like this board and would like to shape a sub-6’ version before summer hits. Has anyone in Swaylocks land ever shaped a similar board?
I did a 6’0" disc a few months ago… round pin, flat to a slight V in the tail, beak nose, down rails the whole way, round pin (more round than pin). Wide point is about 1.5" front of center, 21 inches wide. I used a similar fish for inspiration. Using an 8" skip frye flex fin dead center in the box (love it). Natural rocker from a 6’2"C.
Mine is very similar to a fish, especially in the front half. I love it, super fast, turns on a dime, catches waves, can go pretty big (6-8 ft. swamis, sunset cliffs, etc.).
In my experience, discs are typically single fins, although I have seen quads. They seem similar to fish–I’d just get a piece of paper, a pencil, a few pics for inspiration, and get creative.
i can get you exact dimensions from that very board.give me a day or two.you could contact point blanks.jeff works for patagonia, and point blanks has made a few of those very discs.
Eggsactly…15-17 inch nose, 15-16 inch tail, keep the foil kinda thick all the way through. Try one of the new Pavel plugs; they are a little thicker and wider than the 6’2"C. Try a “trash tail”…use a trashcan lid for your arc tailblock…
I did a 6’0" disc a few months ago… round pin, flat to a slight V in the tail, beak nose, down rails the whole way, round pin (more round than pin). Wide point is about 1.5" front of center, 21 inches wide. I used a similar fish for inspiration. Using an 8" skip frye flex fin dead center in the box (love it). Natural rocker from a 6’2"C.
Mine is very similar to a fish, especially in the front half. I love it, super fast, turns on a dime, catches waves, can go pretty big (6-8 ft. swamis, sunset cliffs, etc.).
In my experience, discs are typically single fins, although I have seen quads. They seem similar to fish–I’d just get a piece of paper, a pencil, a few pics for inspiration, and get creative.
Yeah, the 6’2"C blank would be perfect. I didn’t consider a flex fin. That’s something to seriously consider. Although I’m thinking about going with a twin. I’m starting to drift toward a bulbous round tail and keep the naturally small tail rocker in the blank. Wide point front of center, of course; I was thinking 2+". I’m probably going to round the nose off and have no peak. Down rails all the way? No problems with bumpy conditions? I always found those type of rails tough to manage unless I was surfing glass or straight off-shore conditions. Maybe I’ll try those rails; the short rail length + belly under the front should keep it from tracking.
You said it, ‘get creative’. I think I’m going to have to get a few 6’2"C blanks and play around. Maybe I’ll get the stringer beefed up too.
Eggsactly…15-17 inch nose, 15-16 inch tail, keep the foil kinda thick all the way through. Try one of the new Pavel plugs; they are a little thicker and wider than the 6’2"C. Try a “trash tail”…use a trashcan lid for your arc tailblock…
Eggsactly! Fat nose & tail. I’m not familiar with the Pavel blanks. I’ll have to look into those, they should be nice with the extra volume. Not a bad idea for the tail, using a trashcan lid. I was thinking frisbee.
I’m going to get a few blanks and mess around until I get one or two that I like. Maybe a single flex fin [as for a previous post] and maybe a glassed on twin.
Thanks a lot! I’m getting excited about this project.
I’m not sure if the Pavel blanks are in the Clark Catalog yet, but Rich says you can call them up and order them. I’d stay away from the “round” bottom even in the nose; you need all the planing you can get. Just soften up the rails in the front 18-inches or so. Throw on a bunch of boxes so you can try all kinds of fin set-ups. They really don’t add that much weight. Slap some packing tape on the ones you aren’t using to seal them off.
I don’t understand all this hoopla about “Disc” surfboards!
Just a surfboard, I prolly made over 20 in the mid 5’ around 20.5" wide, from S rail to Bunker to conventional, all worked fine.
Made maybe another 20 as twins, and they worked fine, at the same length.
No science, just surfboard.
All the normal rules apply, it’s not rocket science.
As for me, I haven’t shaped all that many boards. And I’m purely a hobbyist when it comes to shaping boards. So I get excited about something I haven’t tried [disc surfboard]. I’m also thinking about shaping one for my 9 year-old daughter because of the lack of a pointy nose or pointy tail. We could be riding boards of the same length, though her’s would be thinned out quite a bit and somewhat narrower.
“… GET EXCITED !! … about something I haven’t tried … there you have it !! …the key to an enjoyable surfing life …I’m also thinking about shaping one for my 9 year-old daughter, because of the lack of a pointy nose or pointy tail. We could be riding boards of the same length, though her’s would be thinned out quite a bit and somewhat narrower…”
FUN!!
[This is one “Hicksy” made for his 6 and 7 yo daughters ]…
