Hi, I’ve been thinking about building a mini long board gun in the 8 foot range and putting a big single keel fin at or near the very back of the board (a la Tom Wegener). With a big keel fin like that, would i be better off with nice round rails (for easy transitions) through out the board and relying on the fin to hold the board through turns? Or should I go for a down rail in the rear 1/3 of the board and give the rails some bite to help that fin out a bit? Is there a rule of thumb for which rail set ups go with which fin set ups? I am used to seeing harder rails on boards with smaller multi-fin set ups and softer rails on boards with long sinlge fins. It would seem that the big singles are fin turning, while the multi’s are more rail turning…That is, a different percentage of fin or rail is driving the turn for each board. Also, the older keel fin boards I’ve seen had alot of tail rocker…any suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated.
Confusion, Hopefully you will get a big response from this one, there are lots of craftsman that follow swaylocks and are sure to know more about the old style keel fin. Personaly I think hard edges 1/3 up from tail and very little tail rocker compliment this set up! Good luck, Have a great surf ! www.edgefins.kauaistyle.com
It kind of depends on what you mean by “Mini Longboard Gun”.Also at 8’o" your weight and height may be a factor.Lastly what type of waves are we talking about?Twenty feet or so?Let us know and maybe someone will come in on this one. R.B.
On the old keel-skeg type board a full rounded rail is best. The reason is, regardless of speed, the surfer has to walk to the tail in order to turn these monstrosities. That’s one reason tail rocker is concentrated at the back of the board. You stand over the fin and lean. The over-rockered tail pivots on the skeg. Water has to enter the board under the inside rail, so it has to be curved. Otherwise the rail will bog. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this kind of surfing is for the birds. That’s why we spread the rocker out, moved the fin forward, and hardened the rails. Mostly people who surfed the old longboards just didn’t turn them. Why anyone would build one for anything but a wall hanger is beyond me. But I don’t understand why people build wall hangers.
Hi, Thanks for the response. I was hoping someone would say that a keel fin, low tail rocker, hard rail in the tail set up has potential. Seems to me that a nicely foiled slightly raked keel fin on such a board could carve off the tail (not just pivot). I am 5’11" 155lbs and usually surf in a 5mil with booties and hood. I am going for 8 feet on the board because that is the length of my poly styrene sheet and a length of board i like to surf. As far as wave size goes…up to thick and meaty double over head both walled up and barrelling. Just wanna try something a little different. I am more of a positional surfer than a power surfer, I like long drawn bottom turns covering alot of ground and deep, tight, pumping trim lines through hollow sections. Not worried about hanging ten or throwing a big fan, but do like round house cutbacks on twin fins. I like wide nose and wide tail, but really like gunny outlines on boards…so, at 8 feet “mini-longboard gun” maybe best describes what I’m after. I want a functional surfboard…not a wall hanger, that’s for sure. I’m just a little bored with the same old same old. The keel fins work so well on fishes…seems like they have a good application in this realm too. If the fin could drive like those fin forward single fin models, yet have the directional control of a pivot turn from the tail…sounds like fun.
Pat Curren has shaped beautiful guns with little keel fins. They had nearly flat tail rocker and knifey thin rails. Good if you’re Pat Curren on Waimea walls as big as can be ridden. Maybe not so good if you like doing roundhouse cutbacks on mere mortal waves.
I’m into 50/50 railers (sorry to disappoint you bubba but they are very easy to turn if you take the time to lern how.)But I do ride an 8’ thruster mal with hard edges when it gets bigger. I think a thruster set up with hard rails is the way to go in bigger,hollow waves with long walls. You will get yerv little drive from a board with soft rails.Sounds to me from your last post the single fin with hard edges may be the way to go. Having said that,John Mellors point is also a valid one. You may have to think about what tail shape you want.Square tails will release easier than a pintail, but you dont see to many gun shapes with square tails.Hope this helps.David.
You could put some roll in the bottom front third going to a long vee throught the rear third…down rails in the tail.Make the rails around 50/50.By putting the roll in the bottom you can get the rails nice and thin.I am not sure about the keel fin deal. R.B.