Of course - I’m talking about your rails - Normally I tuck mine to about 1/4" but I recently made a board with less than 1/8" - hmmm, goes ok but lacks drive when puming down the line (I know could be alot of things!).
Interested in your replies and theories which of course’ll completely conradict each other.
I’ve only considered amount of tuck when I tie in overall width of board and floatation needed.
If I want a low float board with lots of planing surface, for sure hard rails with no tuck, all down.
If I want a floaty board (in most cases), with lower planing surface, like a board made for really big, fast waves, I’d add some extra tuck to allow for banking, LESS surface area, and possibly more speed…in fast waves.
Of course, since I weigh 150 lbs., the same rules don’t always apply to everyone.
Add in the fact I usually surf really fast moving waves, and the need for LESS surface area arises more often than the need for more surface area.
I’m a weak paddler, so more float good.
I also like narrow boards, and flat decks, so tie that with thick down rails, and you get…whatever works!
Yeah thats a really good question…I’ve followed up on the s-curve thread to get a little more insight. What I know…less tuck, better release = speed…good for milking speed out of average small wave conditions…more tuck youre now approaching soft rails for better control. I’ve reworked finished boards and there was a noticable difference with less tuck or more bottom edge…faster.
When you get right down to it a lot of what we do is a compromise between speed and control…
Sorry to sound like an idiot, but I did check the Glossary first.
Could someone explain what tuck is…
thanks
Hicksy
hope this helps …
silverback !! at what point on the length of the board were you talking about 1/8th to 1/4 tuck ??? middle ? 2’ from nose??
its all about how much release you need , or dont need …
tuck adds control , in punchy waves , but slows you down in soft waves …
by changing our tuck at various points along the rail line , we can tune a board to favour certain manouvers …
like a sick layback hack under the lip , a reverse, good clean roundhouses , or a good booster …
it makes it so much easier to learn a new move if our board is tuned for that specific manouver…
once we have it wired then we add it to our collection of moves, it then becomes alot easier to do on an all round board …
of coarse other facets of our board need to harmonise with our rail theme …
regards
BERT
Wow Bert - you’ve got me thinking…
Leedd - what you said about banking a turn seems to make sense…maybe more tucked suits a power surfing approach better
Does anyone ride a board with no tuck all the way???
oops - just re read leedd’s reply properly - Lee how does the no tuck go? Can’t ever remember seeing one!
Remember the Bunker boards of '69-'71?
The Kaui shorties of that same era?
The Michael Baron tri fins of the early '80’s.
All those boards were extremely small, and surfed small waves really well.
Maximising it’s volume for all planing surface, extremely responsive when the surfer stood too far forwards, and best for smaller, slower waves…or in Kaui’s case, best used too short and narrow compared to conventional.
I thought they worked fine, and never embraced the tucked under ideas. Hard down rails turn crisper, cleanner, and never bogged…unless you were trimming forwards and nailed a rail. Then it would respond, but more slowly…but better than tucked egged.
I guess it was best for big surfers on small boards, or masher surfers on any sized board.
Finesse surfers didn’t seem to care much for it, as neither did front foot oriented surfers.
What about having a sharp edge on the tuck? When sanding the board how sharp should the actual edge of the tuck be?
Would this affect a boards characteristics a lot or just a little?
Another thing I’m wondering about is on my first board made I sanded the rail sharp way up past the fins almost a quarter of the boards lenght from the tail up.
It’s a very low rockered 5’9" x 20 x 2 5/8" thick for surfing small waves and still stay on a plane.
It goes awesome off the top, catches waves easily and stays on a plane very well but once get into a little bigger faster waves above shoulderhigh I have problems bottomturning it.
The board just doesn’t like bottomturning at higher speed but wants to keep going straight!
Well my Q is could this have anything to do with having a sharp rail so far up the rail?
Or is it more likely to be because of the board having a very flat rocker?
I hope to post some pictures of the board soon…
/Erik
Erik, I suspect your specific problem is more related to shape and width of tail, possibly lack of adaquate toe-in on fins, or too flat a rocker, rather than just rail shape.
I made some full mid 8’ to mid 9’ guns with hard down rails, no tuck, but vert rails, and they were fine.
The boyz at Hanalei ride really fast, using all down hard rails.
But possibly, it is something you get used to also.
Ok well my guess is the rocker migth be a bit too flat for higher speeds but I might just try and change the fin size and postion (Redx)
Maybe I’ll even try sanding down those sharp edges a bit just to try it out with softer edges closer to the tail.
/Erik