My question is, ‘‘What is the largest board you would be comfortable riding Pipeline, when it’s breaking in the 6 to 10 foot range?’’ There is a reason I ask, because I’m giving consideration to a project. No, not a board ‘‘designed’’ for Pipe’, but an all around design for Hawaiian waves in general. A concept I’ve given thought to on, and off, for some time. I’m curious about your thinking, as it relates to size. Yes, it will probably be a twin fin. I’m leaning toward a board 7’ 10’’ long, however I value your comments, and look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you.
Howzit Herb, My board for Pipe that size was a 7’8" diamond tail and it worked really good plus it had a little more thickness to get in early. Best advise I ever got was to take an extra 3 or 4 paddle strokes down the face to make sure you got in and not pitched.Aloha,Kokua
Howzit Herb, I glassed for Rich Parr for a while in 71', but the working conditions in his shop (above the retail sales area) were really bad on top of driving from the North Shore every day. Do you know who shaped the board. I know Rick Irons was one of his shapers when I was glassing for him. Rich was not a happy camper when I quit. I agree about Yoks it was an insane wave that could whip your okole. You are the kind of surfer who knows what works, there's so many guys out there that don't have that going for them. Good to hear from you. Aloha,Kokua
haha… actually this 12’ gun was made for a big boy - 6’5", 235lbs - that paddles into Jaws. Consider fitting that into the barrel at Pipe… then add a foot and a generous helping of wankyness and consider that :0 No thanks!!!
Lotsa newbies would say “6’4” max since Kelly’s performance, but maybe they haven’t surfed there very often.
My best two were 7’4" x 19 rounded pin winged single and 8’6" x 20 single rounded pin for 2nd reef only. You need to get in early out there, so big board.
Brought a full set of 3 Pipe boards over in winter ‘78, all twin fins, from 7’ to 8’6", but never rode good Pipe with any of them, so can’t say. But the 2 smaller worked really well at Jockos and 7th Hole.
Mobility out in the lineup is key in my book, just sitting inside hoping for someone outside to give you a wave is NOT the call.
Always late drops, but paddle speed and acceleration gets you in consistently…go thicker if you must to achieve acceleration.
You can’t really duck the white there, so thin boards are pretty much sitting ducks out there.
Yeah, yeah, I know, Kelly won with a shorty, but floaty and wide-y.
I currently have a 8’ version of dat Plumeria, x 19.5, same color, but clear deck with black pinstripe. It’s a Kaui semi with double concaves out the back, and not the best for deepwater outer reef surf. Nice snap and thrust, best for slightly ripply offshore winds and 7-11’ surf.
It was shaped by Irons…and was a red tint bottom and rails with a orange tint inlay…white and black pinlines around the gap btwn the inlay and rail.
It was built in like 70-72…do you remember glassing a board like I have described ?
Was a superior glass job,concidering some of the stuff I use to see back then.
It had a few dings when I got it ,but nothing I couldn’t fix…oh ya …glass-on single rakey like 5.5"base by 9" length…very Downing inspired fin.Some would say it was a ugly green tint fin but to my best recall …it was volan clear.
Got that board for fixing a few dings brought to me from Rich…One of the boards I fixed was Buff’s favorite all-a-rounder.I did a extra clean job on that particular stick,and received several compliments on the job.
Man ,times flies…(for guys like us…it…maybe all behind us now)…but I’m still vertical and am not going quietly !
Been… (health wise doing excellently,and am getting back all my energy)…great !
Hope you had a great Christmas and wish you and everyone here a fantastic New Years !
Howzit Herb, Wow I might have done that board, the time frame is right and I did do inlays for Rich. He wasn’t really into inlays unless they were a custom order since he had to pay me more $ and took extra time. I didn’t do the gloss work for Rich and can’t remember who was since the glosser came in at night when the temperture was a little lower and less traffic on Queen St where the shop was. Rich had the windows covered with cheese cloth and that cut down the air flow which was great for the glosser but a nightmare for the laminator. I would come out of the shop reeling from the fumes ( we don’t need no respirators )and heat and would go get beer for the ride home. After that I set up a small glassing area at my house on Ke iki rd and only did oards for friends and myself, went surfing to much to get real serious plus I was making insane $ waiting tables at the Black Angu restaurant on Kuhio Ave. Those were such great times, not to crowded and the North Shore had lots of soul. To think I may have glassed a board that you owned would almost be considered cosmic to me.Aloha,Wildog
