Ola people! My first post so go easy :) I have been lurking here for a while and have finally plucked up some courage to post a question or two. The amount of information on here is amazing and so far I have found lots of answers to various ponderings I’ve had. Although Im still struggling to collate various things together to reach a conclusion…
I’ll cut to the chase. Im out in Portugal, up the coast from Lisbon; Peniche. The breaks are varied…lots of breach breaks, some reef and some point. I’m still learning (reaching intermediate level i guess) and have spent lots of time on a borrowed 7ft Fatum Duke with a 2+1 setup. Really enjoying long turns and riding in the trim position when I can.
Im in the money for a board who a local shaper is going to start work on it soon. 7 foot blank has been ordered. We have been talking about ideas and the major inspiration is something between a 2+1 Howard Mini Special, a Fineline Egg with a hint of Andreini Vaquero. Im a little stuck on the contour layout though.
Would anyone have any good advice on a contour layout which would allow for more mid board fun than a back foot turner? Something that isn’t to be ridden as a thruster. For long rail turns, trim cruising and smooth curves. An easy-hull/low rocker egg mix?(!)? The closest I have come from my research for the contour would be a slight roll, into flat, into vee, with the wider point of the rocker profile slightly further forward. Thinner rails at the nose and the tail. Would it be wise to even have a little roll in the middle, like a subtle tri-plane?
I’ve found lots of info on displacement hulls, although I feel that for my skill level and for the conditions here, a design similar to the mini special would be more sensible/versitile rather than a true displacement hull.
Forgive me for diving right in with what is most probably a very open ended question! I’ve tried to pinpoint a design that will work, but through lack of experience im still a little stuck and not 100% confident in my ideas. If anyone has any advice, it would be most excellent!
Howzit, you are on the right track and have researched well. If the waves you ride are towards the hollow side, consider more tail rocker. For the type of surfing you are talking about an egg outline or hull would work fine. Look up some of Reverb’s boards. I’d also take a good look at the Vaqueros with the roll in front of the fin makes for easier sinking of the rails and rideing front footed. Try to match the shape to the type of waves as well as style of riding. Bottom line is any one of these shapes you are checking will work for you. Then it simply becomes a process of dialing the boards in. Good Luck. Remember, once you dabble in shaping, you are always thinking of something different to do.
awesome, thanks for the heads up on the rocker and reverbs boards!
The Vaqueros roll to flat could be a good option, Im just a little unsure how much roll! Would a more subtle roll to flat be more easy going/versitle than a belly to flat? I guess the fin box would have to be positioned a little furthur forward than say a Howard Mini Special…
if u have a local shaper he should know what works best for your area, sounds like you are over-thinking it, or trying to micro-manage your shaper. something about this story sounds off to me, people ask these type questions when making their own boards, not when they have a shaper. just sayin’
You are right…he does have great experience of the area and has rightfully suggested to me designs that he knows work well here. Im aware that i have an idea that maybe a little out of the box for this part of the coast, although I know of shapers who have made hulls for this area in the past*. Im really happy to go with one of his designs, but he himself suggested that If I find a little more technical info on my idea and if makes sense to him, he is very happy to go ahead with it.
*(from old redundant websites - cant find working contact info)
here’s a board i really love - 8’ 4" single fin, low rocker, belly in the nose, to flat, to panel V.
I say flat, but the rails bevel or “roll” up starting about 3" in from the edge, all the way until the tail area, which has a hard downrail edge. Thus the effect is to “pinch” the rails, making a thin, kinda knifey rail.
This board has been a go-to favorite for years, in point break surf.
yes, the board is definitely turnable in a trim position. I find the pin tail to be very responsive with a single fin. Just had the board out this morning, caught one outside set bomb on it that made my whole week, I’m still on an adrenalin high, haha.
Based on the waves you will ride and your experience, I would recommend a modified, detuned hull more like Andrieni’s stuff. Use pinched rails, particularly on the lower half of the rail to give you roll rather than a true convex hull bottom which can be tricky to use in anything but good conditions by an experienced rider. Use the hull rail axiom of up in the nose transitioning to down in the tail (right in front of the fin box). Have your shaper put a rounded or rolled V in front of the fin box that transitions to flat behind the fin. This will give the tail rocker a little kick. If you keep all this very subtle (no more than 3/8" V) you’ll end up with a board that feels smooth like a hull, can be surfed from the middle (back foot on the V) but still paddles easy and is forgiving.
Oh, and use a long fin box so you can move the fin about. Makes a HUGE difference and is a key to dialing in the performance.
