Thanks to the recommendation of Billywillgo http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/design-small-wave-board-comments-please I have made myself a Mini Simmons and I am
very very very happy:
DIMENSIONS
Length 6’4"
Width midpoint 23"
Width 12" from tail and nose 20"
Tail end 15 1/2"
Thickness 3 3/8"
Nose Rocker 3 1/4"
Tail rocker 0"
Fins D shaped 10" base 5" high each toed in 1/8" cant 1/8" flat on the inside cavitated on the outside. Set 2" from tail 1.75" from rail
DESIGN
Completely flat on the bottom. No roll, no belly, no vee on the tail, narrow down turned rounded rails sharpening 18" from the tail
CONSTRUCTION
Existing 9’2" PU Burford windsurfing board blank (already cleaned up and given to me and gathering dust in the garage) cut down and reversed to get rocker. Resin Research quick epoxy resin (3 kg was more than enough). Additive F. 2 layers of 6 oz cloth on top, 1 layer 6oz on the bottom. Fins 6mm ply with 2 layers of 6oz on either side. 10% red pigment in lam and hotcoat to hide blank blemishes. Clear epoxy gloss coat (not successful)
ASSESSMENT - EPOXY RESIN
After much fear and deliberation, having worked with PE resin for more than 40 years and made 3 boards with it, I decided to use epoxy. I don’t think I will ever go back. It is economical to use, no mess, no odour, no quick cure, easy to lam and hotcoat with. Convenient - I did all the resin work in the dining room (thanks Jacqueline) because the temperature in the garage was too low. I heated the house up to 26 degrees C. Like others the only main problem I found was the gloss coat. Epoxy does not give a good enough finish on its own. Its either the beautiful shiny but bumpy finish if you leave it as it is or go for a sanded and polish finish. At the moment I’ve left it as it but might try a sand and polish.
ASSESSMENT - PERFORMANCE
The mini simmons is a most amazing design and like epoxy has radically changed my entire thinking about surfing and surfboards. Until a few weeks ago I knew very little about this board but after riding it and researching Bob Simmons I believe this is the way forward. I have ridden the board in the sea in 3 foot clean closing out surf and on the River Severn fresh water bore wave. The board is easy to carry under one arm with a 6mm winter wetsuit on, light even though at 15 lbs that probably a lot for an epoxy board. (this due to first epoxy attempts of using perhaps too much resin but in hindsight a bit of weight helps) Convenient size - it fits in the front of the car. Buoyancy is good for my 185 lbs. Paddles very well better than 10 foot boards I have. Paddles into the wave very easily. Very stable with the wide tail but turns incredibly well. Very fast across the face and keeps going in the white water. Incredible. I was getting much longer rides that guys on standard shortboards. On the river I got long rides and the glide was matching guys next to me on 10 and 12 foot boards. You can fly far out onto the shoulder and turn back in. Those who watched it perform were highly impressed and a good friend who had a go on it at the weekend has decided to make his own mini simmons.The board is extremely responsive but i do not feel i have fully experienced its potential. I was a shortboarder who after years of struggling went over to longboards but this mini simmons fills a big gap. Only one problem I noticed on the bore but not the sea was that I often struggled in white water with the board feeling trapped / weighed down and being pushed up out over the back of the wave. However I believe this is due to the different nature of the bore wave. I think it is due to weight and how to ride the board rather than a design issue. It is a board that if worked and turn creates drive and speed which overcomes this.However this was not a problem in the sea. I shall continue to test the board and push it to its limits but in summary i am highly impressed with the mini simmons, the whole concept of planing hulls. i would highly recommend to others to try one. Check out
Like me it could change your life
