Flat Tail Rail -- Your Thoughts???

I’ve been looking at tail rails on both coasts a lot lately and been comparing the overall radius, shape, distance of the hard edge etc… Got to thinking about Morey’s latest item for sale that has some similarities to the incredibly popular sponge that he developed. So I’m wondering if you make your basic square tailed thruster (add a dash of Superchargers of course) but made the portion of the rail that traditionally is hard, harder by adding a deck to bottom bevel how would the design react? For example: “Y”, is calling that type of rail an ‘afterburner’ (ahhhh, the joys of marketing…) on his Swizzel stick. I haven’t seen a Swizzel per se, but I have a buddy that swears by his. I’ve been told that the ads claim that the ‘afterburner’ rails provide additional thrust. I’m rambling here and I apologize for my inability to articulate my thought succintly. I guess I’m thinking about the way a sponge holds onto a wave and the question is: Will a flat railed tail add enough positive characteristics to the wave riding experience to warrant building one? I thinking that the flat rail would be the length of the ‘hard’ section of tail. I am sure someone has already tried it but I have not met them yet… I welcome your thoughts, opinions, comments. Magoo P.S. It’s good to be back in town and be able to get my daily dose of the Swayholics. Thanks to all. M

…As you might have noticed on my boards all my tail rails are flat/squared very crisp on the bottom,fairly equal on the top.For me they catch less edge on re-entries such as big floaters,airs,etc.The flat tailedge allows me to control slides a whole lot better and it adds to a lower drag factor,especially in the tube.There’s alittle more to it than can be explained over the net,but I have been using them on and off for 20 years,and solidly for the last 5.The tricky part was blending the tail into the deck and rails…but that’s another chapter.Herb

I’ve been looking at tail rails on both coasts a lot lately and been > comparing the overall radius, shape, distance of the hard edge etc…>>> Got to thinking about Morey’s latest item for sale that has some > similarities to the incredibly popular sponge that he developed.>>> So I’m wondering if you make your basic square tailed thruster (add a dash > of Superchargers of course) but made the portion of the rail that > traditionally is hard, harder by adding a deck to bottom bevel how would > the design react? For example: “Y”, is calling that type of rail > an ‘afterburner’ (ahhhh, the joys of marketing…) on his Swizzel stick. I > haven’t seen a Swizzel per se, but I have a buddy that swears by his. I’ve > been told that the ads claim that the ‘afterburner’ rails provide > additional thrust.>>> I’m rambling here and I apologize for my inability to articulate my > thought succintly. I guess I’m thinking about the way a sponge holds onto > a wave and the question is:>>> Will a flat railed tail add enough positive characteristics to the wave > riding experience to warrant building one? I thinking that the flat rail > would be the length of the ‘hard’ section of tail.>>> I am sure someone has already tried it but I have not met them yet… Magoo, IMHO… regarding the flat, sharp-edged, 45 degree, under-beveled rail: One of the most simplistically effective, means of creating focused drag and its release. The logical angle of undercut to avoid catching a lowered outside rail, exactly halfway between high and low. For the same reason as previous, the logical angle of undercut to limit the water surface penetration of the inside rail`s volume/flotation. Efficiency of manufacture/mass-production. – At higher rail angles to the surface of the water, such designs produce great amounts of focused drag in conjunction with increased velocity. At lower angles, higher speeds also provide increased release from that same drag as it shears off the sharp juncture between the two planes of the 45 degree bevel. A far more ancient perspective on “hold”: a thin, finless board will frequently trim much faster than a modern bodyboard, and still slice high across the steepest of waves… without any 45 degree bevel. Dale