Hi,
I will be trying to shape my first surfboard this winter. I was thinking of shaping between a 6'3 and 6'5 teardrop single fin and want to know some of the design chracteristics that go along with such a board. Also what are some good dimensions to go along with the board type? I've never ridden or seen a tear drop in real life so this should be interesting.
Thanks alot.
Hmmmhhhh, sweet memories flashing back from 40 years ago… A tear drop looked something like that:
Balsa, That teardrop shape is exactly what I have been contemplating for a SUP surfboard. Of coarse much bigger. More rocker in the nose. Very flat bottom. Soft rails. Lot of fin area. i don't think there is much imagination in SUP shapes yet . Kind of like the early days of windsurfing. I think there is a lot more to be done in SUP surfboard shapes.
I think balsa’s outline is too extreme. Doesn’t look balanced, to me. A 16"+ nose and 10" tail just don’t look right to my eyes. The most important consideration is the waves you’ll typically ride with the shape in question. Unless you have consistently hollow, fast, steep waves, that outline will be inappropriate.
In the 6’3 to 6’5 range, I would go with a 13-3/4 to 14-1/2" nose and a tail around 11-3/4 to 12-1/2. 19-3/4 at wide point, placed about 3" ahead of center. Just my personal opinion, YMMV.
I'll be surfing this thing in nothing but the hearty beach breaks of the NE (i.e. CC) the waves are usually phickle but can get sick often..
Wood Ogre-go find a lake, there is no future in SUPs, they are useless, get over yourself and learn to surf.
Sammmy A & balsa- thanks for the input, I'll probably opt for a fuller outline..
A board for CC would look nothing like balsa’s drawing. Something closer to the dimensions I gave would be more useable. I think doc would agree.
Hi SammyA, I never said that thing would be rideable, I just drew that in less than five seconds just to show how exagerated teardrops shapes usually were (at least those I have seen in the past). Let’s face it: I haven’t seen a tear drop shape since 1969 or so. Have you?
Balsa, that looks like the bunker sprekels board. He rode it at pipe back in the day. In the early 70’s most pipeline boards were similar, but with a narrower nose. I never liked those straight pins, they were very stiff, and only good for straight lines.
Seems like we ride boards that are opposite to that, no nose and wide tail.
(chuckling) ...actually, I did see something similar to that photo a little bit later. What was it, a Bob White Wave Riding Vehicles X6, with about enough concave in it that you could almost camp out on the beach under it. Strange boards, the original WRVs, but they worked well in a quirky way. http://www.m51.com/Surfing/Bob_White/ has a sketch of an X6.
And I can see what Wood Ogre is talking about, as your initial drawing ( if, say, stretched to ~4m with not a lot of increase in width) has a whole lot in common with the hollow plywood paddleboards Sammy and I remember from the days gone by.
Gawd, a lot of Cape types showing up here. I'm thinking Sammy is right. You want more width in the tail for the stuff you get here to hold an edge, and don't forget to make the edges nice and hard, especially with a singlefin where the fin isn't especially large. Otherwise, it's spin-out city.
hope that's of use
doc...
One of my sons got a baby teardrop in a 6’0" length. A fair wider in the tail than the Aku outline above but otherwise pretty similar. I hated it. Not my thing. It paddled great for the length and volume and dropping in wasn’t a problem, but I never liked the pintail in a board that short.
The board didn’t last very long at our house because everyone else here hated it too.
That exact same board came to mind when I saw balsa’s drawing. Pretty specialized design, and quirky enough that few could make it work, even at Pipe.
Excepting the one on the left, all these could be considered “teardrops”. 1970 Rick ad.
I’ll also add that the outline on the left, above, would be well suited to Cape waves as a single fin.
And....I'll also add that similar outline shapes ( Plastic Fantastic singlefins in the low 6' range ) worked really, really well here. No real nose rocker, concave in the 1st 1/3 or so,to flat to a little vee in the tail, down rails all around getting quite hard in the tail , tail itself kinda conventional. Not unlike taking one of the kinda gunny 7'6"s of that era and removing about a foot of the nose. I looked, but I can't find a picture- Sammy, you got one someplace?.
I remember watching Jeff Hakman, Gary Chapman and Roger Kinkaid pretty much owning the best break one day here.on three of those That is, they were outperforming everybody else, though as I recall they had very good manners out there. Long-ish, very very fast lines they were taking, forward trim, like they were on rails. . We were the last stop on the East Coast Rep Tour pretty much, and those boards got left here - I remember who wound up with 'em too, guys who were kind of our surf shop team....
doc...
Is this a teardrop?
I love this photo of a Tom Blake board. Seems way ahead of it’s time.
Coriolis, I see nothing in your profile so thus you are nobody, nothing !!! The word sick was never used in my life thus you must be some young shit head punk!!!!! I don't need to get over myself! I know who I am , where I been and where Im going!!! I don't need to learn to surf but maybe you need to learn a little respect. For what Its worth I don't care much for SUP but right now It's what I can do!! I got a torn rotator cuff and a foot injury that prevent me from being a hot shit like you. If my counting is right I have been surfing for 46 years. I have 16 years of windsurfing and 7 years of kite surfing. Thats Hawaiian years . I am in the water at least 2 hours each day. Last year I did 363 days. There have been some years where I have done 365 days! I have never been a great surfer but can hold my own! Never surfed a wave bigger than maybe 12 ft. Not comfortable in the big surf. Although when I was windsurfing I did double mast high whenever I could get it . A few more weeks and the shoulder should be good enough for kite surfing.!!! I never sold out to the family or work !!! My water time has always been first. SUP surfing is Legit as is windsurfing, kite surfing ,canoe surfing , boogie board, and what ever you can think of to surf on. Just remember Shit head, you may be young and hot now (or think you are) but some day you will be an old phut.!!! Will you still be in the water then!!! So Punk ----- KISS MY SKEG !!!!!!