First Project - 5'8" Mini Planing Hull

General Discussion
1

Hey all,

 

New to the forum and shaping as well. I’ve been lurking on here for a while and picking up as much as I can regarding the principles of shaping, hydrodynamics and surfboard design.

My girlfriend and I are both avid surfers and love retro-style boards. We’ve decided to shape our first board, so I’d like to share some dimensions/ideas and see what you guys think.

 

We’re planning on shaping a 5’8" mini planing hull. Dimensions will be as follows:

 

5’8" x 20.5" x 2.5"

Low entry rocker

Flat bottom

Wide diamond or round squash tail

Round nose

Low tail rocker

50/50 round or Egg rail

Single long box fin

 

We’re looking for something easy to shape that will carry a lot of volume, be nice and fast and surf well in the pocket. We’re hoping for it to be a paddle monster and think these dimensions lend themselves toward that. What do you guys think? For this board, we’re just going to do the shaping and have it glassed elsewhere. We’re planning on using hand tools only in the shaping bay I built in my garage. We’ve started our tool collection and will be shaping a US Blanks 5’10"RP blank.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Here’s some boards that inspire us:

 

 

 

2

Did you buy blanks yet? I prefer Bashams in San Clemente over Foam EZ, you can try Pure Glass in newport as well, also for the kind of rocker you are looking for I would go with the 6’8"rp blank, take 6" from the nose and the rest from the tail. Also get some inspiration from hydrodynamica, and take a history class on Bob Simmons.

3

no opinions here? i doubt nobody has shaped a board like this judging by the hull thread…

 

first time shaper who’s read all the tech articles really looking for some comments and/or criticism here.

Should i bump out the width to 21.5 and thickness to 2.75? or do you guys think 20.5 and 2.5 will be fine?

what would be the most fun deck concave for this shape?

4

I like it!   I am in the process of building what I am calling the “Quad Simm Hull Thing”.  It is a cedar HWS and the dims are 5’10" x 2 1/2" x 24".  It is going to be a quad and a similar outline to the boards you have posted.   Only difference is that I have no angles in the outline – main reason here is that it is wood and I hate trying to sand corners… 

Anyway, the rocker is really pretty flat - 3" nose 1 1/2" tail with as continuous as a curve as I can muster…  I was really thinking single fin, but I found a killer set of fins (quad set) that spoke to me…

5

nice! sounds like an awesome shape you’ve got going. Yeah i figure since this is my first board, with all the research i’ve done i’m just going to take my time, measure lots and i’ll be fine. as far as my rails, bottom and deck are concerned, does everything seem alright? i’m not 100% sure if i want to try and tackle a convex or S deck on this one, can i just do a relatively flat deck with a flat bottom and egg or round rails? i just want this to be a planing/speed machine that will be fine doing long sweeping turns.

6

i loooove those boards… sounds like itll be a nice project! definitely post pics!~  I want to make one soon!

7

First board, i think just make it flat bottom, don't stress too much about it, it'll surf fine. I haven't made many, but my 2nd was a flat bottom twin keel. I worried a lot about the little mistakes i made, but it was my fave board for the 3 years i had it. I bought and sold 3 "pro" boards in that time because it was just so much fun. Fast as hell, loose as a goose.

8

haha yeah i hear ya. As far as rocker and rail choices go though, do you think a low entry nose and low tail rocker will be fine? should i go with down turned rails? egg rails? round rails? not sure what suits this style best. like i said above, long sweeping turns, not anything aggressive.

 

surfing for me is getting in some big (not snappy) turns and making sure i have enough trim speed to connect sections. an occasional floater or mellow layback is fun, but i really want something that will just be an all around, really fun board. i’ve been surfing my girlfriend’s 5’0" fish (along with my 5’7" fish) and they’re really loose and “skate-y,” and i really hope this single fin i’m going at will feel the same, if not more loose. i recently surfed my buddy’s dan-o 6’0 single fin (nearly no nose rocker, egg rails and single concave bottom) and it was a blast in the pocket. really responsive and planed great, but was super loose for turns outside the pocket. that’s basically what i’m going for in a looser, smaller package.

 

as far as the actual dimensions go, roughly how wide should the nose be? i’m leaning towards a big, soft diamond tail out back… roughly 10-12 inches wide.

9

How much do you weigh?? That will help on dimensions. Don't be scared to make it chunky though. Eggy rails, flat rocker ( just ask for a fish rocker in the blank ). Im a hack, but do a search and you'll find heaps of info from much more experienced shapers than me.

10

Heya dude 

you’ll need a bigger blank than a 5’10’’ to get the flatter nose and tail rocker as shown in that almond board. Go for a 6’2’’ or a 6’5’’ kneeboard blank. At 5’8’’ id also wont some more width, maybe 21 to 22 inches wide. 

 

Zac

11

yeah i weigh 175lbs, my 5’7" fish is 20.5" wide and 2.5" thick, so i was just basing it off that. i’ll probably go with the US Blanks 6’2"A fish/egg blank.

 

i wasn’t afraid of bumping out the width, i’m thinking 21.5 or 22 now. thanks guys, this will shortly (monday) be turning into a build thread. Any other comments/criticism/opinions are appreciated!

 

also, what length fin box and what size fin would be appropriate for this board? i’m going with a single fin design. i have a greenough 9.5" fin i could use, fear that might be too big?

here’s where i’ll be buying the fin box:

 

http://www.surfsource.net/store/category/fins_boxes_-_longboard

12

If you’re in Newport you should just buy your materials at www.foamez.com .  They’re in Westminster (Huntington Beach).  No use having stuff shipped from Florida.  They’ll have everything you need.

 

Have you considered buying a Marko blank and glassing with epoxy?

13

yeah i’ve been in close contact with the guys at Foam EZ for a while now, that was where i was planning on buying everything. I’m not a big epoxy fan, so i’m going with their US Blanks 6’2" fish blank, buying my tools there, and having it glassed at PureGlass in Costa Mesa.

 

Are you local? Whereabouts in Souther Cal do you live?

14

What made you decide to do a single fin as opposed to twin keels like a lot of the other simmons shapes? I actually am putting the finishing shaping touches on a board VERY similar to what you are describing, but I always thought of it as a twin fin… It has a belly up front, flat middle, then a double concave going out all the way through the back. Full rails as well. Have yet to mark the fins out though, so nothing is set in stone, and your post got me thinking… I guess I could always put a center fin box in plus proboxes or something on the rails for the keels… 

Have fun though. And like you said, go slow. I did, and I wish I went even slower on parts. Particularly the belly and visualizing how the bottom rails contours blend into such a thing. Also Im in Costa Mesa, maybe I’ll see you and the board at river jetties or HB soon. 

15

Hey hamrock,

 

I decided to go with a single fin for simplicity. plus i’m a big fan of the 70’s style single fins, mixed with a simmons-ish/fishy vibe, so that’s what i’m going for. my next board is going to be a simmons for sure, as i already have a fish in my quiver (so not really wanting to shape one at the moment). since this is my first, i’m going with a flat bottom from nose to tail, i just want this to be a true planing hull, responsive in the pocket and loose outside. after i get this board done, i’ll move on to some more complex projects.

 

i’ll PM you, we should surf sometime and i want to see your shaping setup! maybe look for some 1-on-1 guidance.

16

Replied to your pm but just read this comment- my setup is about as janky as it gets. Its in the landlords old concrete tool shed, zero visual contrast, with a small single bank of flourescents on the left side hung by some old wire. Prob why one rail is a touch fatter than the other. But it works for now, and didn’t detract from the fun at all. 

17

yeah mine isn’t going to be anything to drool over either. just going to have to hang some lights low and get my shaping blocks built.

18

I’ve tried single fin layouts in short boards 3 times and eventually ended up converting all of them by adding fins to the rail.    It’s hard to get the single fine action to work well on a board with minimal rail line.  I need to drive off the fins more.  YMMV.  

 

 

Fineline GeeBee style, with a 1+2 setup.   

19

i’m debating chining the rails to have a bit more grip when i drive on them instead of being really soft.

 

reading about the dynamics of planing and displacement hulls has me thinking twice about a flat bottom. i realize my board will be fast, but i’m now unsure of what bottom my board should have.

20

hi 'oh herroo' [is that from 'south park' , the 'chinese world takeover' episode , by any chance ?]

 

welcome to posting on swaylocks , mate ...good on you !!

 

  how tall are you also , please , just to give some idea ...

 

yes , I tend to agree with gdaddy [" It's hard to get the single fin action to work well on a board with minimal rail line. "]

 

  I too am a fan of widish , short single fins ! [we've called them "stubby"s ,  here in oz , in the past] , I've made five , and ridden a heap of commercial ones , both in the past [1970s] , and as recently as this year .

 

...  but ...

 

I find there is a limit [for me , anyway  ...others 'may' vary !] to the tail width and nose width and overalll width , in terms of the single fins ability to hold in ...you mention in the pocket .....THAT is where I have experienced shortcomings in the past !  Nice rails , good rocker , and a narrower nose and tail , will all help for in the pocket surfing .

 

  A wide pod and tail width will tend to get sucked up the face in the pocket [at  least , this has been my experience .]

 

  The rail fins definately help with a 'bit' more hold , but if as you say you want to do big turns and get tubed , it 'may' be worth keeping it 20" wide or under , at the very max [depending on how tall you are , how strong a paddler , how you weight and unweight , etc . ]

 

  you mention having ridden fishes and similar boards ...  apart from the 'skatey'ness you mentioned , how did you go in the tube , and doing big turns , on them ?

 

  As I say , I am a fan of small single fins , have been for a LONG time , so I'm not wanting to quench your fire in any way at all ...

 

  I am just trying to ascertain if for what you mentioned you prefer doing on the wave , if perhaps some modifications may make it perform better for you [eg: staying at or below an absolute  maximum of 20" max width ,  but perhaps pulling in the tail and nose a smidgeon , and perhaps going a little longer ? And,  if you are a good , strong paddler , perhaps keeping it a little thinner , in order to be able to bury a rail well during those big turns .

 

   anyways , just a few thoughts , based on the boards I have ridden , footage I've shot , dvds I've watched , and people I have talked to over the years .

 

  above all else , take your time , and have fun building it !

 

oh yes , and .....please take photos and post them here , and let us know how it all goes for you , eh ?!

 

....cheers !

 

  ben chipper  [real name] , west australia

 

 [ p.s. - I have actually been here a bit longer than the 2011 date you see here , but I was under the name 'chipfish61' and 'chipfins61' , previously ]