It seems that every board that I have made I need to almost bury the nose to get into the wave. I’ve only made 6 so far and they are all around 6’x12’‘x2 1/2’’ avg. I’m 5’11" 200. It seems to me that my entry rocker is off. I have only one board to compare them to which is a 6’ Larmo keel. I can catch that on anything. I have varied the bottom contours from dead flat to single, to single to double, and v in half of them. My rocker varies from 3 7/8 to 5" in the nose. It just seems that I am missing something in the front half of my boards.I’ve searched the archives and everything I get on entry rocker is helpful, but I’m not putting it together. Any advice?
Higher rails in the nose blending into low rails through the rear. Rounded vee from the nose fading out towards the middle to compliment this as well.
I am going to start making my next soon, so I will follow your advice. I have v in a few of my boards, but it starts at or behind center. I almost have to sink the nose to get it to catch. I’ll try this and see where I can improve.
Thanks
that was the problem with my first board, but everything else about it was great. It sure did ruin it. and my fourth board. I didnt learn the lesson.
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Sounds like too much entry rocker. You got to know that number. If you don’t have a rocker stick you are going to need one.
I’ve found that most hp blanks have too much entry rocker for every day average waves and most surfers. If you used something like a 6’3" or 6’4" US EA stock rocker for your 6’ then it probably has too much entry rocker. Fish blanks are usually the way to go but at least for yourself you need to know what numbers work for you.
If your entry isn’t too high then it might be the blanks foam distribution. Higher entry and nose rocker on a close tolerance blank doesn’t allow for much foam under your chest. Again a fish blank or even an US A series will give you more foam forward for paddling.
Regardless of the nose rocker at the tip I know for me I don’t like anything over 1 1/8" entry for a grovler or a board made for slower flatter waves. Got to figure out what number works for you.
here is the latest single I made from a 6’2"a blank (orange), and the other is also a 6’2"a blank.
I’m thinking maybe that I did not foil out the nose enough and it is forcing me to over power the amount of foam I have up front.
I try and keep some foam because of my size. I think I need to focus more on my overall foil, but I can’t help but think that my rocker is off. I have a 8’ straight edge for my rocker stick and usually balance it on the middle distance of the blank and go from there. perhaps it is this and I keep creating the same rocker contour by using the center. So the apex of the rocker on each board is center???
It seems that every board that I have made I need to almost bury the nose to get into the wave. I've only made 6 so far and they are all around 6'x12''x2 1/2'' avg. I'm 5'11" 200.
I'm a glasser not a shaper. 200 pounds 2 1/2" thick? You need more foam. Where do you live. Over here in San Diego County you might get a few waves but most of the time you will just hate longboaders....they have more foam.
From what I can guess it is more of a plowing feeling rather than a low volume poor displacement feeling. I took your picture and ran it through the Aku image function for the profile. I know that it can produce incorrect numbers but the program is showing me too much curve in the bottom rocker. You have too much of an apex in the center of the board. That would give it that plowing feeling.
The entry isn’t extreme but there is no glide in that curve. Too much exit rocker too quickly after center. The attachments will show the differences. Just focus on the bottom curve. The rest of it is just auto generated.
Also not sure about the balancing of the rocker stick at center? There should be no leveling of the stick. Making the stick level will throw your numbers off.
To much volume in the front half compared to the back half.
ok, from all of the inforamtion I can gather that my bottom rocker is not fluid. I looked at it again and see that I have a choppy rocker in most of my boards. I will focus on that on the next.
Stingray, I do live here in SD. Encinitas. I find that my boards don’t really plow and much as they do not facilitate glide in the front half. This is making me bury the nose just to get in. Once in they ride just as I expect, which helps me see what to adjust next time.
I appreciate all of the help and I’ll post my next one as it gets going.
well that was the plan, I tried to follow the rocker that was built in. I think my problem is the way I measure my rocker. I am going to search the “how to measure rocker” again. It seems that I’m creating an altered rocker by measureing from center and not from the acutal rocker apex from the blank.
Are you trying to alter the rocker on your blanks?
To my eye, the board you posted looks like it’s got a “peak” on the bottom like DMP said.
Why not just get a blank that has a good rocker built in and do the rest?
I don’t want to create any confusion with the way you measure rocker. I have the way I was taught and there are other ways to skin the cat. I do know that you do not want to level the rocker stick. Also I’m probably going to eat my words on that one but I default back to Barnfields explanation of measuring rocker.
If thats not what you are doing then I apologize if I’ve created any confustion. I always measure the un-cut blank after it’s skinned to see how much it’s off from what it’s supposed to be. Center point of blank, press rocker stick down with hand or weight at mark, then measure the board I’m shaping’s nose tail and 12" up and back marks.
If I move the cut out of the shaped board within the blank forward or back then I make sure to move the center mark of the shaped board as well.
I’ve never been a fan of the apex thing. I think it can create more confusion. There have been some healthy discussion on here about apex.
It has been awhile but Barnfield’s explanation was the easiest for me to grasp and do over and over while shaping the board. http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1024525
Allo Aroq, for sure you´ll have no problem mesuring a rocker or transporting rocker mesurements to a board you will be shaping. You have more than anyone, information for doing it the right way.
Looking at your boards i would say they are kitesurfboards for waves. With those, for padling, you need to push the entire ocean in front of you. I would say the nose of your boards is going till the midle,than you have a planing area(very litle for a quick starting glide, and a tail that is almost on the same line of this planing area. So I would say your board is made of a nose and planing area. These were the surfboard features many years ago. Surfboards of today have at least four distinct parts. The “nose for” keeping the board on surface on critical situations, the “entry” attacking the surface of the water pushing the surfboard up while padling(should make the less resistance possible to surface, best gradient goes around 4degres while padling),then comes the planing area with a front part working when the board starts to glide or during slow speed and a backwards part doing it job most of the time of the ride but working very much alone on the “glide mode” and finishing comes the tail wich allowds the surfer to layback for helping the turns(also plays a role, when pressed, to avoid the nose in the water in critical situations).
Checking a board or shaping, looking at this “things” I make my evaluation and comfirmit with mesures. There is a very important rule, every choice on the features has at least two sides, one is positive other negative.(i.e.)on the rocker the manoeuvre goes one way the speed will go the other.
Look at the shape bottom down, imagine yourself surfing on it and you`ll see the designs will start coming ok. Big banana rockers has more negative sides than positives(unless you are a surfer with kite)
Hope was helpfull. Have fun. Miguel
Aroq,
Look man, you have made 6 boards. 1) Be thankful they float. 2) get a blank and follow the rocker, don't try any trick stuff....you cant handle tricky stuff yet 3) make the bottom contour flat. 4) work on getting you rail contours and fin placement proper. 5) 200 lbs and a 6ft board. no wonder you can't catch a wave...It's like catching a wave on a boogie board without swim fins, yep your nose is under the water...and it will stay there until you are moving 20 mph. We at my break we call you.... "In the way haloe" try a bit more foam you'll be shocked at what you can do.
Also,
there are a lot of us in san Diego County, if you want to come by and check out shaping or glass, there is a whole tribe to gather info from. We don't want you to suffer. You have suffered too long.
All right! Resinhead said it all. And fifth point is crucial, 90kg is a lot for 60``(doesnt matter what shape).
Here in Portugal get crazy with the boards people insist to (try) ride. Use to say they surf on chips & post stamps. But don´t really mind much, more waves for my own…
Have fun. Miguel