Hydrodynamics Idea

General Discussion
1

Hi Swaylockers,

 

I came across this article on Surfline and made me think how this could apply to hydrodynamics and surfboard design:

“A shark’s skin helps the fish swim faster. Shark skin is covered with tiny, tooth-like scales which are so abrasive that people use the skin for sandpaper. But that roughness reduces the drag of turbulence by keeping a thin layer of smooth flowing water next to the skin as the shark swims.”

 

I’m probably overthinking this, but just curious what other’s opinions are.

2

This is why sanded-finish boards are seen to be faster than gloss finish, and i think Bill T has been developing a ‘sharkskin’ finishing product? (not quite sure whether on fins or bottom of boards) I think it would be interesting to sand different areas of the board’s planing surface to direct water flow, similar to the effect of concaves? 

3

There are also very fast swimming fish in the ocean that don’t have rough skin. 

4

There are also very fast swimming fish in the ocean that don’t have rough skin. 

Sailfish clocked @ 68 mph.

5

Sanded board faster than polished —> this one has always made me chuckle. 

I’ve ridden quite a few boards with a sanded finish and then a polished bottom - nothing. (I was not attempting to test the theory but it just worked out) 

 

6

The only given, is that red boards are faster. 

7

The only boards faster than red boards are bonzers. :wink:

8

agree with WideAWAKE about differences between sanded/polished, i’d never notice the difference, and as we all know, red boards are fastest. A good experimeriment would be compare a red bonzer,white bonzer and a white flat bottomed 5 fin (same as a bonzer) with red panels where the concaves should be, the red go faster panels should channel the water in the same way as the concaves…