Its been a long time since I last had the opertunity to check in.
My girlfreind wants me to make her an old style bodyboard.
She's a bit hazy on the specifics, but says they were just moulder out of foam and were not squared off in the nose like the current incarnation, so I'm assuming they were like a papio or knee board.
She can't remember if they had fins.
I'm planning to make a compsand verson with small fins and a littel nose rocker, but its not really anthing that I've seen over here so if anyone has any advise or better still some pictures then it would be greatly appriciated
Balsa that was actually my first port of call but Austin as updated the gallery page since I last checked his site, there is a little part dedicated to his papios but the angles in the picture didn't really give a good out line, I show my girlfriend but she was looking for somthing a little different than those.
She as some pictured of the one she used to own but again the boards look so small in the pictures and the angels arn't great either so its really hard to get any idea of dimensions.
- Unclegumpy thanks, when I get back from work I'll have a good look at those 2 sites, the picutures are great too, I'll let my girlfriend have a look through and try to figure out what shes after.
A part from when I'm heading back to the beach I've nver really done any prone riding so its a new challenge to come up with a board that works.
I'm quite glad she doesn't want the bog standard body board though.
Here is another broadbrush of four different paipo templates – the two on the left should probably be categorized as kneeboards (made by the El Paipo company) but these should give some more perspective on shapes. Believe I can track down some dimensions for these boards somewhere.
I have a ton of pictures and surfing magazine advertisements to post somewhere down the road - in the meantime, check the paipo forums referenced above and also the League of Lamaroos site which hosts photos of the greatest variety of paipo plan shapes around.
P.S. Post a couple of her pictures and let’s see where we can go from there. BTW, we are also having a paipo gathering in the San Clemente area during the weekend of Oct. 15-17, 2010, if you are in the vicinity. More info on the paipo forums.
Might she be interested in the "guitar pick" shape that was commonly used by the serious paipo guys here in the 70's? I think you could use the term as search keywords and come up with something, I recall there was a thread here some time back.
Guitar pick paipos were made of laminated wood and featured spoon noses and treatment of the tail corners that could be described as "waves" for lack of a more verbose explanation. I have no pics, never rode one of those myself.
Kneeboards I made/used were inspired by the Shoe model, with a single deep knee well, 4'10" long, 22" wide, with 12" or 14" diamond tails, flat bottom, large twin fins maybe 3" forward from the corners. Got my picture in a magazine once, but no credit. It was the '72 (?) edition with the Lopez cutback at Bowls. His cover shot was made into a poster back in the day.
Here’s three of the pick style paipo’s I’ve made over the last couple of months. They’re crazy fast, but I’m still playing with different width/length combinations to get the right balance between speed and drive. Check my blog or pm me if you’re interested in this style of paipo!
Thanks guys. espically unclegummpy, spent last evening reading through those forums you sugested. Lots of great info. Also found soom good pics in the reasours'
unfortunately her photos are all prints and I dont have ascanner. at the weekend we'll have a look for some better pictures loft. if I can find some I'll I can take a decent picture of the old photos with my digital camera.
I'm getting a better idea of what I want to make but I'm not sure if this is what she wants.
I'm thinking about 4 1/2' long maybee 4.6" about 21-22" wide, with a wide tail. I'm undecided on tail shape just yet I keep changing my mind between, moon, swallow, fish and dimond.
Rail wise I thinking 50/50 in the 1st 2 3rds turning to hard dow in the tail.
I'm thinking of doing a single concave through the last 2/3 and a couple of small fins.
I was thinking of making a compsand but now I'm thinking it make be better to experiment with solid or chambered wood first as this for me would be cheaper and quiker.
This project is starting to be quite satisfying so I keep you all updated on it as it progress.
Hey dlock, I based these roughly on Paul Lindberg’s HPD (Hawaiian Paipo Designs) paipo’s. They need to be ridden in a very forward or “Superman” style. They are extremely fast, but lack a bit of manoeuvrability in a steep pocket. I’ve played around with making them a bit narrower, and the next one will have a pair of twin keels, combined with a slightly Simmons-ish hull-shaped bottom. It should work as both a kneeboard and as a paipo. I’ll post pics as I go! Here’s a couple of pics of these boards in trim!
Here’s the Micro-Simmons/Greenough/Hull-bottom/Spoon-nose/Kneboard-Paipo Thingy! I’ve cut out and glued on the rails. I’ve also worked out a nice template for the twin keels and decided on their placement. Tomorrow I’ll grind the spoon out, and glue the fins in. Then It’s just a couple of days wait while I seal it with urethane and give it a couple of coats of paint!
As to length a good rule of thumb is the nose of the board, standing on end, should reach to the base of the sternum (or right below the chest). A little shorter is ok. Wood vs. foam float will vary, of course. Generally, this length enables you to paddle on the board, rather than with the board out in front of you, and yet does not interfer with your knees being on the board while trying to kick paddle.
We can’t claim a lot of surfing heritage in the UK… But, if you want an old Skool BELLY board then you need these dimensions.
WBBC competition boards should be less than 5ft in length, no wider than 2ft and no more than ¾” in thickness. They should be made of wood (fibreglass and composites acceptable in the expression sessions as are fins, flippers, small skegs, Alaia boards and Paipo’s. We expect a more traditional 1ft wide plywood board to be considered for the Arthur Traveller Memorial Trophy
The classic size and shape - four feet high by one foot wide (1210mm by 310mm) and 3/8 inch (9ml) thick with the shape traditionally tapered to a slightly thinner 11.5 inches (290mm) at the base of the board.
We had another look through the box of old photos last night but could find any that gave me anymore insite. But shes happy for me to have full creative control
Taj I Know the type of boards your talking and I still see them in the water from time to time, definately not what she is after, I don't think shes interested in competing she just wants to have fun.
I take your advice and keep the length between her belly button which would make it 42"
Of to the hardware store to see what materials they have.
Not late at all, always nice to see photos of a good board.
Anneka when to see her dad today and he found some ould pictures
I picked up sheet of pink XPS foam and have just glued it up with a 1/2" hard wood stringer, also marked out a template which I'll cut out tomorrow and if I have the time lay up a small fin panel for the keels.
The size is some what dictated by the materials I'm using so it will be 42" x 20" x 1 3/4" but it should carry the thickness as there is only very minimal rocker in the bottom and none through the deck. If it doesn't work I can always make another at a latter date.
Off down the garage to get started I'll try to remember to take some pictures as i go.
Here’s three of the pick style paipo’s I’ve made over the last couple of months. They’re crazy fast, but I’m still playing with different width/length combinations to get the right balance between speed and drive. Check my blog or pm me if you’re interested in this style of paipo! 
