Have fun with the process.
A couple of hints for you.
When adding concave, think of it as an entire curve. What I mean is, that concave creates a whole new rocker profile, so as you blend it in, don’t just start somewhere, and start shaving down. If you do that, you get a kink in the rocker. Start the curve nose to tail. If you add the conceve as a second thought to the whole board, you might need to alter the rail rocker too, in order to get it right.
Personally, I’m not a fan of concave in the front half of the board, entry area. It slows you down, by catching water, kind of like a parachute. In the back half, it can be a good thing, maybe. What concave does is to make the board quicker, but not faster. Meaning a board with concave will accelerate when you pump turns, but it’s top speed won’t be faster than a flat bottom of the same stringer rocker.
Concave will turn differently than a flat bottomed board when carving a turn. That’s because if the flat bottomed board, and the concave bottom board have the same stringer rocker, the rail rocker is more curved on the concave board. That will make it change direction easier, but go slower in a turn. Slower, because the more curved rail rocker is plowing more water than if it was flatter.
Some of the fastest top speed boards are flat to even a hull bottom.
For your first glass job, I can’t stress enough how this tip is going to save you. Do a couple of complete dry runs. I mean go through the motions of glassing it, without using resin. Walk the board squeegee in hand, Do all the steps and passes. Wrap the rails, do every step you see in the videos. How long did it take? Double that time for the real world. Now pour out one ounce of resin into a dixi cup. Add cayalyst to that, and pour it onto some news paper. See how long that ratio takes to gell on that time and day. Do you have enough time to do the board? If not, less catalyst, until your gel time is twice your walk through time. Now you have your ratio of catalyst, and you know how much time you have. Watch the clock on the wall, and give it a try.
