geriatric small wave shortboards

General Discussion
1

I am very unfamiliar with the dimensional spectrum regarding said boards. I’ve spent years refining my gunny 7-9 foot tri-fins - I really have a good feel and understanding of rocker template foil rails fins bottoms etc. when it comes to my ‘boards for good surf’

Now I embark into a brave new world: that era of surfing ‘maturity’ when one makes the move to a flat/wide/thick shortboard as an alternative to the longboard for those days when a ‘traditional’ shortboard simply won’t do.

I’m talking about your wave catching slop milking super-paddle machine thats under 7 foot.

So here’s the question:

what kind of designs are you all making for the over 40 crowd?

templates? rocker? Yes fish are making a comeback but what about single/bonzer eggs? seems like a lot of the trends re: dimensions for your older bigger short-boarder would be similar regardless of number of fins…12345?

I would’ve scoffed at anyone who suggested I’d ever order a 21" board or be assessing nose rockers of +/- 3"

now I am THERE and feel a bit lost.

The fist step is admitting it.

thanks

shreddoggie (shred-on)

PEACE 2k5

2

Geriatric? Over 40?

3

Oh come on friend - self depricating humor - i guess sarcasm doesn’t read very well.

Lets not take ourselves too seriousy.

I was hoping for something more along the lines of:

“some of my customers are quite happy with nose rocker around 3” give or take a little for their small wave short boards."

or

“I think that 21” is too wide for a sub 7 foot board unless you don’t mind a 15" tail"…

that sort of thing.

I thought my post was plenty detailed - perhaps I should’ve chosen another title so as not to upset the more sensitive swaylockers. no offense meant.

4

How small waves and how fat your butt…

Something 22.5" wide with a 17" tail, or slightly wider, thick around 3.25" right at your front foot, some meat on the tail, flat rocker flat across to slight V, 2 large rail set 6.5" fins set straight, curvy hips, squash tail.

You can ride it shorter than you, float higher than anything except your 9’er.

5

Just kidding, no offense was taken or implied. Your humor was appreciated and responded to in kind. At 60, I take very little too seriously, except death and taxes (well maybe just taxes), especially the length of my surfboard.

6

Hi shreddoggie

This is the board I have been making for the family guy who surfs in summer and doesn’t quite get to the beach as often as he would like resulting in an unfit heavy surfer with enough skill to be board with a big guy board or a mini mal. The board I have attached is mine I ride it in surf 3ft to 6ft I am unfit and weigh 80kg. the dimentios for this board are. lngth 6ft / tail 15" / mid 19.5" / nose 12.25" The rocker is a bit flatter in the nose. The thickness of this board is 2.33 But I would 2.5 with nice sharp rails. I loaned it to a friend of mine in Ireland we were surfing with 5mm wetsuits and full kit he is bigger than me and he was quite surprised at how well it paddled and caught waves.

Hope this helps

1276×434 12.7 KB

1273×155 8.06 KB

7

hi there !

a word you will here a lot here shredder is …“archives” …

I had the same dilemna a while ago , so posted a thread called someting like "thrusters for the 40+ brigade "…

here we go…found it !! I hope this gives some answers …

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=186316;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

cheers !

ben

8

aw dude this is rad.

I tried to search the archives - its kind of tough when so many terms we use are common to all boards: rocker template volume etc.

I think my new board will be a cambell bros bonzer5

6’9" x 3" - 15" x 21" x 13" rocker 3 1/2" - 2 1/4"

all these dimensions seem odd and I feel like I am just guessing…

(me: 41 190lbs 6’1" - surf very well, tired of needing a longboard for underhead surf - don’t like the feel of twins, wanting a less draggy feel than a tri, don’t like wider tails)

all y’alls input is great - thx

thanks all - keep it coming

shred-on (and peace)

9

When you order your new board, tell the shaper your height, weight, how often you surf, about how well, about how long and wide you want, and let him do the rest.

If you want something special, say narrow nose for offshore winds, TELL HIM!

If you want extra thickness in the tail for float, paddle, and wave catching TELL HIM!

Let him decide on actual working #'s, as he’s done it once or twice before.

10

Lee - I could not agree more…

However, there is a fine line between too passive and too aggressive.

“letting him do the rest” is in essence wasting all that I’ve learned by paying attention to what (for me) works and what doesn’t via ride/measure/order/repeat.

I’ve had shapers from all over the map: from the favorites who’ll spend an hour adding 1/2" rocker here and suggesting 2" less length etc. all the way to the “how much do you weigh? I’ve got a good template for you” types.

I’ve found that the more I learn and decide what it is I want BEFORE we talk, the better I can benefit from his experience.

In the case of my ‘geriatric short board’ I know very little (I haven’t spent the last 25 years in the ride/measure/order/repeat mode when it comes to short/wide/flat) and want to be more knowledgeable so that I can start the conversation from a place that helps my shaper apply his (superior) experience.

Yeah?

shred/cruise/charge-on

thanks,

shreddoggie dog dog

11

Seems to me if you “don’t know”, maybe you shouldn’t request nose or rocker dimensions down to the last detail.

Certainly DON’T tell them where to place the fins, or how to shape the concaves!

As to whether a 15" nose is better, or a 14"er, well, maybe you should know beforehand from practical experience. Wider generally gives drive, narrower generally flicks and turns quicker, but telling a shaper to within an inch just might piss him off enough for him to say…“who is this frickin guy, and what does he know”

Sure, some shapers are more likely to work with you on every dimension, that’s excellent, but most shapers have done it before a few times, and have general ideas what is proven to work with their combinations.

12

Whatever dude, seems like you should ignore this post from now on.

I didn’t indicate that I was specifying anything down to the last detail.

I never said “I don’t know” - Reading and understanding are 2 seperate skills.

Perhaps you neglected to read this, “I’ve found that the more I learn and decide what it is I want BEFORE we talk, the better I can benefit from his experience.”

Let me translate this for benefit of ‘understanding’: when I tell a helpful and collaborative shaper " I was thinking about X" nose rocker, the helpful and collaborative shaper usually says something like, “Why?” or “Gee, thats not much”

Thus we begin a converstaion where my preferences and his experience COMBINE to produce a board with a high probability of success.

Only a fool would tell a shaper exact and unchangable dimensions.

Please do not assume or indicate that I am such a fool.

(the other sort of fool lets the shaper make whatever he wants based on length + weight + template).

Finally, if you are annoyed with customers who act like they know more than they do, and try and tell you how to shape, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT ON ME.

I am not your customer, and only looking for peoples opinions regarding what works for them and why.

Geez is the internet ever full of people who want to pick a fight, be surfier than thou, make lots of assumptions, and sit at their computer telling everyone HOW IT IS. get a life.

I am not ungrateful that you’ve taken the time to try to help.

Thank you.

b.t.w. I ALWAYS TELL THEM WHERE I WANT THE FINS. good shapers ask why and I tell them “I’ve had dozens of boards, I’ve kept track of them all, and I know what works for me.”

PEACE PEACE PEACE AND GOOD VIBES (PLEASE)

shred/cruise/tow/grovel/style-on

sherddoggie

14

Er… Public internet BB board, you are soliciting opinions from peeps you don’t know, and don’t know you…you get something you don’t want to hear…so you rail on the guy, instead of just ignoring his stupid advice…er… maybe YOU ARE THE DUMMIE HERE!

I’ll respect your wishes, I’ll stay off this subject…

15

I too have come to this thread to learn, not witness a fight.

Everyone lets please keep it civil.

16
Quote:
my specialty is making mid-length shorties that surf fast and loose in avg beach break grovel..im 41 y/o and weigh 175. No offense to the afficionados, but a bonzer is the last thing i would choose for avg beach break..too narrow and tracky for my taste..i prefer to be in the pocket where the power is...

I know you have said before in past threads, but what are your numbers and bottom contours for said board?

I’m looking to build my first short board for a very athletic, out of shape (still on the road to recovery after shattering my heel, 16 month so far), 6’2" 210+lbs 37yr old. I’ve been longboarding on a 10’6"x24"x4" softrailer in everything from 2-12’ faces and am ready to try a 6’6"-7’0" wide short board for summer beach break. I’m thinking 7’0"x16"(t)x22"x12.5"(n)x3" eps/epoxy/balsa sandwich with a little V to loosen up all that volume.

Any thoughts?

Here is my APS3000 (template only, not rocker, not foil) pdf file.

17

What is Geriatric? 50? 60? 70? 80?

Here’s some options for a 50ish 190-200lb weekender.

Parmenter Stubb Vectors 7’ and 7’4"

Some Surftech Options: 7’11" Nugget, 7’ French/Linden/Byrne/Lynch, 6’8" Flyer

I think the 6’8" Al Merrick Flyer Design is the best middle of the road all conditions shape… Everyone doing something like it with it’s bump squash tail and single to double tri-plane bottom 5.5 nose and 3.5 tail rocker.

Personally for an older person paddling and drive will be important and they most likely will be a front footer so a vector/rocketsled design with it’s low entry rocker, thin and wider profile or a shorter wider quad fish might be the call…

Had to pigeon hole what you’re looking for…

18

yeah baby - thanks:

yer not pidgeonholing anything

geriatric=40 (humor intended)

I am not out of shape.

yes me front footer.

I am tired of having to work so hard making an under 7-foot tri-fin go in tiny surf.

I am talking about longboards-only type conditions

i.e. waist high blown out mush.

daves boards rock but neither of these is as extreme as I’m thinking.

I rode a flyer for years and its a decent design but I want something flatter and the tail is too wide (for me) those things are about 15" if i remember right. I only use that much rocker (5 1/2" nose 3" tail) in an 18" x 7’6" gun. me FRONT footer.

I think the design I am imagining would almost be a micro-mal:

under 7 foot 21" or so wide with a big wide paddling nose like 18"

rocker would be longboard-like, around 3" nose 2" tail.

is this crazy? oh yeah and fins too: thrusters feel draggy (to me) in mushy surf, I don’t care for the feel of twins, I like something that goes on its own when wave power is lacking so I think the bonzer.

this board is very almost it:

8’6" x 2 5/8"

18 1/2" x 22 1/2" x 13 3/4"

4 3/8" x 3 3/4"

6" or 7" center w/ 4" sides (i like the 6")

really foiled - low rails like a ‘shortboard’

concave → v

i loved this board.

this board at 6-7 ft long + thicker? anyone lookin at this thread shape anything like that b4?

oh yeah - and I’m sorry for asking the wrong questions too.

thanks so much everyone who has bothered to share an opinion

PADDLE-ON

and thus may we all shred on shred-on lil doggies.

thats the verdict.

shreddoggie

19
Quote:

aw dude this is rad.

I tried to search the archives - its kind of tough when so many terms we use are common to all boards: rocker template volume etc.

I think my new board will be a cambell bros bonzer5

6’9" x 3" - 15" x 21" x 13" rocker 3 1/2" - 2 1/4"

all these dimensions seem odd and I feel like I am just guessing…

(me: 41 190lbs 6’1" - surf very well, tired of needing a longboard for underhead surf - don’t like the feel of twins, wanting a less draggy feel than a tri, don’t like wider tails)

all y’alls input is great - thx

thanks all - keep it coming

shred-on (and peace)

hi shred doggie ,

[since you mentioned the word bonzer] , THIS bonzer3 was posted at Surfer design forum by a guy TFAD , seems like the situation you are describing … he also put a bonzer5 up there for comparison…

http://forum.surfermag.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=732575&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

hope this helps !

ben

20

oh thanks so much chipfish, that link says it all:

" For you lip smacking big guys out there who get tired of logging but don’t dig the slippy slidey of those retro fishes I think you will dig this one. Short, squat and plenty of foam to float you. When was the last time you rode a 6’4" with confindence? This is it my bro bros. "

lookatthisbeautifulthing:

http://forum.surfermag.com/photopost/data/501/151DSC00809.jpg

you couldn’t be more on the money dude.

I just talked to Duncan C. and he said that template is very old but still popular- based on a 70’s wayne lynch 6’4".

  • the bonzer5egg from shelter and surf movie he said is 6"1" 19 1/4" but those dudes are hella small.

for me at 6’1’ 195lbs

the 6’ 8/9/10" would go out to 20 1/2" even

He also said the foil is really modern on that board.

howzaboutit?

shred-on shred-on shed-on 'lil doggies

shreddoggie