i was wondering if any one has shaped or surfed a john kelly hydroplane and could give me a few dimensions. i have the photos from his book but the measurements taken from this would obviously be a bit of a guess and could effect the aims of the board.If any one has ridden one ,what are they like ?It appesrs to me the is one of surf culture s mystery boards.
May I sincerely recommend that you save your time, energy, and money, by not persuing anything to do with that board design. If it had ANY merit it would still be with us today. There is a good reason why it is not.
What Bill says. I know a guy that has and original, from another friend, who got it from his cousin… and so on.
I never surfed it myself, and though I can see what was intended, I can also visualize it not working worth cr*p.
The current owner is a “collector” so we’ll all let the board stay with him, 'kay?
I would like to see the hydroplane, and I don’t buy the argument that any design which hasn’t caught on is therefore without merit. . . . . often a design has merit, but also has a glitch or teething problem which hasn’t been worked out.
Any pictures ?
Quote:
I would like to see the hydroplane, and I don’t buy the argument that any design which hasn’t caught on is therefore without merit. . . . . often a design has merit, but also has a glitch or teething problem which hasn’t been worked out.
Any pictures ?
from this website http://www.surfresearch.com.au/00000190.html
If im not mistaken this idea is a takeoff from Sea plane aircraft. They found that the pontoons that the plane sits on if designed like a surfboard rocker ie with a smooth curve off the tail that curve off the tail sucked it down and made it very difficult to take off so when they went to this design it allowed for easy takeoffs out of the water
Thanks !
Hmmmmm. . . … . ?
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and that blue board in the link was actually restored by Platty who posts here. Awesome job!
Ive seen it before, interesting concept. Sort of 2 rockers on the same board. Step forward for speed and step on the tail to turn.
I distinctly remember seeing a pic of Colin Smith (Newcastle, Aus.) with a board where the bottom had channels in a rounded pin outline, with a flat elevated bottom with a swallow tail. Eric Arakawa also had his version in the late 80s with just an elevlated hydro bottom, used sucessfully by Derek Ho. But then, Derek could probably ride anything and rip.
I know a guy on the south coast who loves the concept of “lets give it ago Danny” and Ill look into different foam blanks while you reserch size from the shop in Hawaii!! Hope the bullet rips…BJ