Returned to the shed after a few years off building hollow timber surfboard and have started a mini simons 5'9" by 23" wide and a fat boy 3" thick with an slight S deck. I have just stuck the bottom skins together and central stringer on and templated up the outline. But man has this thing got a fat arse somewhere around the 19" right on the tail. I played around with outlines and looks ok if I hip it in to 14" on the tail with all this tuck coming in the last 12".
Anyway question for the mini boys what tail widths are you using keeping in mind i am a hefty 6'2" tall and 250lbs and this will be used on head high and under beach breaks
I post some photos as it gets futher along. Swells on for the next couple of days wishing this fat little thing was built already
A 17 inch wide tail would be consistant with Simmons original design concept, beginnning to tuck in 15 inches from the tail. That said, I'd go with whatever looks ''eye pleasing'' to you.
I am all inspired after just getting back from a 2 week surf trip down on the south coast and plenty of water time on my boards.
Been a long slow build but am now at the stage of planing fins for the mini simmons. Thinking of going a set of futures in the mini, any one used the rasta keels at the back end of a mini?. Thinking of doing a set of these or going for a quad set up but prefer the traditional look of keels.
Almost finished gluing the hollow timber blank up and starting rough shaping, she a chunky little thing..
the Rasta Keels work unreal! I've had them in all conditions. They slide when you want em to and drive when you need it! You'll love them. Put 4 boxes in so you can mix up your placement.
At 250 lbs, with a 5'9", as much tail width as you can get will probably be OK. I recently shaped a 6'3" bellyboard with a 29" width and I know of 5 more (of similar dimsenions) that have been ordered up from another shaper. I think it is a design that may catch on once people bust out of their boxes and try them.
I noticed on a recent Mark Thompson surf mat video (filmed at Wetsand surf shop in Ventura) a design (the black one) that looks close in the background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jyaxsL599g
Seriously - guys are ripping it up on SUPs even wider. Yours will obviously not be a big wave board.
Just for better understanding... what is the width at 12" up (standard tail width placement?)
Final builds is roughly 20" wide 12" up from tail, 23 inch wide at mid point and 19" at 12" from nose. Tail is 17.5 inch wide. 3" and a bit thick with 3" nose rocker and 1/2" tail rocker. Full concave nose to tail that I will try and put a bit of double in for the last 15". As its hollow timber I cant change it to much now.
Just gluing on nose and tail blocks and hope to have it shaped tomorrow, will post pictures up. Off to the surf supply shop for fins and fin boxes tomorrow I will try a set of rasta keels.
I dont mind fat boards, my go to is a 22" wide 6'6" fish and I also have a 6'2" by 23" wide fish thats a great small wave board, also have a 32" SUP but thats got a nice thin tail and turns on a dime.
Here are some progress photos, rough shape finished bit of clean up to do and final shaping and sanding in the double concave in the rear. Went the futures sea pirates now need to sort out where to position them, thinking trailing tip of fin 1.5" up and 1.5" in from rail and a 1/4" toe in. Fins already have cant built in.
