Info on Hulls

[smalty]

Hey Everyone, I have been checking out a lot of the posts on hulls (old and new) and although I have learned quite a bit, I still feel left in the dark.  I understand the concept of hulls, that they are more going through the water (like a boat) as opposed to gliding on top, but I still don’t grasp the whole concept.  I also get the feeling that you need the right size surf to ride a hull.  So what exactly is an ideal break for a hull board?  Can you ride a hull in anything less than clean conditions?  How do they bottom turn?

And for all you hull riders, I constantly hear about a feeling that keeps you coming back for more, could you give a little more insight?  Why do some people get frustrated?  Because they try too much, try to ride it like a shortboard? It’s also my understanding (please correct me if I’m wrong) that you just haul ass on a hull without having to put too much effort into it.

Any info would be much appreciated.  I see Liddle boards every now and then in shops and they are so beautifully crafted and I love trying out new equipment but I don’t know enough about hulls to commit.  Thanks again for shedding some light on the topic.

[jbeno]

What I’m looking for is a simple explanation of the rail development nose to tail - deck and nose shaping nose to tail. Curious about the way these are moving water…

[LeeV]

Surf size:  You can ride any sized surf with a “hull” but, just like any other board, they need to be modified to suit the conditions.  The 23" wide 7’ long boards are designed for head high and under surf.  You can surf bigger stuff but the width has to be decreased and the template revised.  Greg Liddle has a good description on his Hawaiian experience at Liddlesurfboards.com.

The ideal wave: The best wave is one with a down-the-line component (point wave, jetty, some reefs).  Steeper, wally kind of waves so you can use the long turning radius of the hull to an advantage.  You can ride any type of wave though.  Especially if you modify the outline, length, and rocker.

Clean surf:  A hull has very little rocker, is very wide and is usually around 7’ long.  The messier the conditions, the more difficult they are to surf properly.

Bottom turn:  The bottom turn, if done correctly, is the most satisfying thing about a hull, to me.

Feeling:  Too much already said/written.  Smooth satisfaction.  Maybe different for others.

Frustration:  They don’t turn from the tail.   They don’t pivot well.  Hence the difficulty transitioning from a thruster.  If you just go along for the ride at first, you will begin to figure it out.  Everytime you try and impose your will, something seems to go wrong.  You have to learn to impose your will within the limits of the design.  Then you will get the “feeling” (or maybe not).

Rail development:  High in the nose transitioning to low in the tail.  Pinched or thin throughout.  Thinner in the nose and tail.

Deck foil:  Thin in the nose; begins thickening relatively abruptly about 1/4 to 1/3 back from nose, then thins from there to the tail block.  Classic s-deck profile.  Tails are really thin;1/4" to 1/8" (in the most extreme).

Water movement:  As Brian Hilbers says, “Seductive.”  I try not to think about it too much.  None of it makes sense but it works…

[afoaf]

Smalty, I am in Hermosa Beach…come over and borrow a hull…I have 3 or 4.

I ride them all up and down our stretch of coast here in everything ranging from unridable garbage to fast lined up days at the park…they are a blast.

PM me.

[motif]

@$1

Surf size:  You can ride any sized surf with a “hull” but, just like any other board, they need to be modified to suit the conditions.  The 23" wide 7’ long boards are designed for head high and under surf.  You can surf bigger stuff but the width has to be decreased and the template revised.  Greg Liddle has a good description on his Hawaiian experience at Liddlesurfboards.com.

The ideal wave: The best wave is one with a down-the-line component (point wave, jetty, some reefs).  Steeper, wally kind of waves so you can use the long turning radius of the hull to an advantage.  You can ride any type of wave though.  Especially if you modify the outline, length, and rocker.

Clean surf:  A hull has very little rocker, is very wide and is usually around 7’ long.  The messier the conditions, the more difficult they are to surf properly.

Bottom turn:  The bottom turn, if done correctly, is the most satisfying thing about a hull, to me.

Feeling:  Too much already said/written.  Smooth satisfaction.  Maybe different for others.

Frustration:  They don’t turn from the tail.   They don’t pivot well.  Hence the difficulty transitioning from a thruster.  If you just go along for the ride at first, you will begin to figure it out.  Everytime you try and impose your will, something seems to go wrong.  You have to learn to impose your will within the limits of the design.  Then you will get the “feeling” (or maybe not).

Rail development:  High in the nose transitioning to low in the tail.  Pinched or thin throughout.  Thinner in the nose and tail.

Deck foil:  Thin in the nose; begins thickening relatively abruptly about 1/4 to 1/3 back from nose, then thins from there to the tail block.  Classic s-deck profile.  Tails are really thin;1/4" to 1/8" (in the most extreme).

Water movement:  As Brian Hilbers says, “Seductive.”  I try not to think about it too much.  None of it makes sense but it works…

LISTEN TO LEEV, 

GET ONE,

FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF.

IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW. 

 

on one last thought to add, if you like surfing/skating driving off of your front foot; your good to go… give it a try

if not,

you want to do things like pushing, turning with the back foot and general shredding the gnar gnar out of a wave,

well…

[smalty]

Thanks for the info guys, really appreciate it.  I will definitely have to check one out and see if I can't get that hull feeling.

[Matt]

liddle’s latest offering-the “reef” smoothie might be the best way to go for south bay surf.check out his website…