Not sure how to frame this question, but here goes. The good part about more tail rocker is better turning, shorter turn radius. What is the limit to “more is better”? Loss of speed? I’m mostly interested in tail rocker as it related to turning, but I’m listening if anyone wants to talk about longboard nose riding implication too. thx
Harder to catch waves , thats my experience.
…harder to catch waves, a limiter in top speed, so you can’t make fast sections, very draggy in faster waves, more draggy in slow waves (depending exactly how much rocker), easy turning, but round slow turns, no glide, no feel, no snap…
Howzit Lee, My landlord buys Bruce Irons used boards which are JS boards from Austrailia and I've been doing some repairs on them and they have so much rocker that they almost look like a banana. Only the rocker is throught the whole board and not just in the tail. Seems that they work pretty good for Bruce and my landlord is a really good surfer and he loves them. We have video of both of them riding the boards and there is no noticeable decrease in speed. Aloha,Kokua
…wouldn’t that depend on what you call “too much rocker”, or excessive rocker?
I know no one shapes a flat tailed surfboard, so everything is a compromise.
What YOU think is lotsa rocker might be just the ticket needed for steep fast waves.
The take this board to a freshwater lake, and it won’t work so well…or a normal day on the GulfCoast…
We’re mainly talking about the last 40" or so of the board, as planing means you don’t use more than that amount of surface area when you are riding.
Kokua,
Do they have a ton of concave in them - like the old Greg Webber banana boards?
hey greg
The first board I made was a 6 9 x 20 big boy shortboard — out of a 7 5 blank!
Not knowing anything – I put my template right at the back of the blank and drew round it from there. Well — you know how your first board goes…whoops … ah well a little less in that region will be fine…carving sanding, staring — eventually 3.252 of tail rocker , 4 " of nose rocker…
Fins on… first wave…here we go … yes it’s taking off… ahh … no it’s not…
the bloody thing would lull you into thinking yopu were finer to stand up and then sit back on the tail…
When eventually I got the thing going however, it flew
Tons of tail rocker (on a shortboard) is a higher performance design for a better surfer. Put a less skilled surfer on it and it will suck rocks. It is for more vert surfing (with less fin toe-in) and harder faster turns.
It ain’t for the trim.
More rear rocker makes it tougher to catch waves, tougher to paddle, and slower in trim. Easy to turn, easier to turn hard, easier to maneuver in steep wave faces. Tons of rear rocker are used in the highest performance pro shortboards, all guns, and in nose riders for tail hold.
Howzit pinhead, I still have 1 of the boards in the shop and I check the concave on it and get back to you.Aloha,Kokua
Howzit Lee, Wow the last 40", that's over half the length of a 6'1" which is the total length of the boards I am referring to.Aloha,Kokua
For your standard 6’0" shortboard for waves 2-8 feet (face height) what would be considered “normal” amount of tail rocker? What would be considered low tail rocker? What would be considered high tail rocker?
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For your standard 6'0" shortboard for waves 2-8 feet (face height) what would be considered "normal" amount of tail rocker? What would be considered low tail rocker? What would be considered high tail rocker?
Lessee…maybe 2.25" rear rocker “normal” or “middle of the road”. Maybe 2 3/8".
2 inches or less and you’re in single fin range.
2 5/8" or more and you better be REAL good to ride it.
I’ve seen some approaching 2.75"…