My Derek Hynd inspired finless surfboard. Shaped with a Marko EPS blank + RR Kwik Kick. Blue resin tint with Deep Blue Design Masters Spray paint and Black Posca pen.
Dims are 5’9" x 14" x 20" x 16" x 2 1/4"
The bat tail and channels were fun to shape but challenging to glass.
Paddles really well, still getting used to it on faster waves but it’s super fun. More performance updates to come.
Any improvement opportunities guys? I’m open to constructive and destructive criticism =)
Thats great work, I hope your proud of it , channels are a bit different from others too.
Love the Lab !
Looks awesome, but 4 years of finless experiments tells me channels don’t work on finless boards. How does your board go? I noticed the rails are not separated by sharp ridges so you might have overcome the problems most of us have had with channel bottoms!
Idler/Kid
Check out this board :
Being surfed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_yXnPyoTQQ&feature=player_embedded
It takes a few moments to get going ...........
Yo Uncle, I’ve actually ridden an almost exact replica of that board, and I think anyone else that has too will agree that 90% of why that particluar board seems to work is due to Derek Hynd himself! I can cut-back and bottom turn an alaia in head high waves pretty well, but that foam board calls for a low crouching stance because it never really seems to bite into the face properly. If you check out footage of guys on finless alaia’s vs footage of pretty much anyone on channel bottom finless boards the difference is obvious. I’m not putting the whole idea down, I just think it could be refined and made to work if the channel ridges are rounded instead of sharp, like Surfpac has done on the Bat!
I know a couple guys working on finless foam boards and they are all saying the same thing...........
Idler, in what hydrodynamic way does the change in channel ridge shape affect the handling? And sharp Vs rounded?
That Derek Hynd video blew my mind.
Makes me feel like I haven't even learned how to surf yet.
Sweet board Surfpac, I'd like to check it out in person sometime.
Hey Brett,
I get my head bitten off every time this topic comes up, but my opinion is based on 4 years of riding and building various types of finless boards. All the channel bottom boards I’ve ridden (standing up) slide out like crazy. Although channels look like they should give hold/drive, they actually do the opposite. Water moves diagonally across the bottom of finless boards, not parallel to the stringer like on a finned board. So when you put channels through the bottom of a finless board, they create air pockets which make the board really skatey and prone to sliding out. On shorter (4ft and under) prone boards channels work well because, again, your legs and flippers dragging behind makes the board travel much straighter, so the air flushes out through the back of the board.
I’ve seen top level surfers struggle to even stand on channel bottom finless boards after weeks of trying, while I’ve seen dozens of average surfers stand on alaia’s and trim and turn in a couple of sessions. The alaia works because the rolled and concaved bottom increases the surface area of the board without increasing the width. This creates a low pressure area under the board which effectively sucks it into the face of the wave. A channel bottom might work if the ridges are rounded so that the water is encouraged to stick to the bottom across the whole width of the board, instead of releasing each time it hits a sharp ridge (which is how air pockets form).
The idea of sharp rails and sharp edged channels giving hold is a myth or misunderstanding in my opinion. But I’m happy to be wrong if I come across a convincing argument.
Cheers,
BJ.
Mind.Blown
That is just ridiculous!!!, and looks like sooooo much fun, though i know i'd never in a million years have the skill ( or the back, and knees ) to be able to surf like that!!!!
Idler, good info. can’t wait to try some channels out on my belly board. I’d been thinking of just going with some keel fins or some type of fin. After your explanation, I’m Sold!
Hey tblank, I recently made a paipo with small ply keel fins, it rides great! As soon as you put fins on a board, channels seem to work well. Be sure to post some pics of your project!
Thanks for the comments everyone. Haven’t Had any sharp channeled boards to compare mine to so I don’t know first hand how rounded channels to other boards you guys have tried. Definitely have to pop up fast on this because I feel the tail sliding out as the wave picks me up. Unfortunately I’m only able to do a slow 180/360 before the wave dies out. Really want to test it on longer rolling waves. Took it out on steeper surf and got worked due, most likely due to lack of surfing ability.
I’m 5’9 160lbs. What size finless boards have u guys ridden? And how did those feel.
i got a finless now in the process that will out ride any other.
plus it’s stringerless…nothing new.
oh ya, it’s double ended…no front/nose…no tail/back…what you say ?
and that’s not even the beginning… my friends…this design is very easy to replacate,shape,glass…for the most part.
and will ride in a performace slot like no other…hehehehe…there’s no leash plug,no need for one,unless you want to reduce your board’s performance.
here’s to the end of leashed boards.
herb
Idler, very interesting comments, I'm going to think about that while I watch this....
definitely on the right trail.
the design i have created will allow for more, “finned board” type performance with the ability of a completely finless ride as well…you could say the best of both worlds.
i’ll post some pics here as soon as it’s complete…maybe this weekend if everything goes …
…this will be most likely my last …other than re-ups.
nice vid.
keep on building surfpac…your design shows soul.
herb
Idler, Roger that. Wilco. Thanks. Over. 10/5.
I'm with Idler, "finless" boards, hmph, you might as well be a sponger.
The illustrated boards don't seem to recognize the flow direction of water across the bottom. AND, that to change the direction of water flow requires energy. This is fine if you've got energy to burn, but the reality of most waves, most days, many spots, most surfers, is that available energy is limited. Most days, you gotta gather energy carefully and spend it wisely.
WTF can someone be thinking when they make a "finless" board with all manner of channels in it, which imitate (guess what?) ...FINS... !? Put simply, what's the point? Is the idea to make a sander's nightmare?
If you're searching for directionality, just put on a fin or many, however small, or be ready to do most of your riding in "toilet bowl" stance. Your knees are better than mine.
One more thing... how, where and what the pro's ride makes very little never-mind to most of "the rest of us" though we may have yet to admit or realize it.
sheesh!
okay I'm over it now.
