I have two questions:-
A) What size longboard do I need to knee paddle if I weigh 225 pounds ? my 9’5"x23"x3" doesnt do it.
B) Does the rail shape of the board (50/50 or 60/40 or other) affect the ability to knne paddle effectively or is it simply volume?
Thanks
Hey Bobsie,
I’m no expert on knee paddling, but I have noticed that volume is very important.
For example, I can’t knee paddle my 17 footer because it is relatively low in volume and at paddling speeds the middle of the deck is awash, whereas I can knee paddle my 9"6" which is very thick, and the deck is above the water level at paddling speeds.
Once the middle of the board is awash stability suffers as there is no increase in the righting moment of the board with an increase in heel angle.
On the other hand a board which has freeboard at the wide point will experience an increase in righting moment as the board heels, as there is reserve buoyancy in the rail area.
All else being equal if there are two boards of identical planshape and identical thickness, but one has more rocker than the other, then the board with less rocker will be more stable to knee paddle. The board with more rocker has less wetted surface area in flat water, so it will sink lower in the water, and thus will have less reserve buoyancy in the critical mid area of the board.
These observations apply more to boards with a parallel profile, because a board which has a tapered profile and more thickness in the middle will have more reserve buoyancy in the middle of the board, and a greater righting moment than an identical board with a parallel profile.
Good stuff there, Roy, and I totally agree.
But I’m also a simpleton, so my advice is…get a board about 9" to a foot longer, add some thickness.
Of course, you will LOSE responce time, turning ease and quickness, will pearl more often, gain lots of stability tho.
does anyone else get little craters on the tops of their foot-knuckles from knee-paddling? maybe its just me, thanks to my damned bony feet… at least they dont hurt, but they are uuuuuglyyyy!
Very flat, at least 10 ft, and over 3-5/8" thick; some would recommend even more thickness. I also use Roy’s measure, once the desk is awash forget it. Remember that there will be a trade-off between a board that you can knee paddle and performance in the wave. This is the point where the rail configuration and rocker will play a part, but you need to get it to float right first. Your current 3" thickness is too thin; I’m 150 lbs and need at least 3-1/2" to knee paddle. I’m assuming we’re talking about conventional poly boards.
Hey thanks Peter, great advice.
There is this surf spot near here (Collaroy - Sydney Australia) that I am sure would be a good place to run a big longboard like a 10’2"x24"x3 5/8". Its a rolling fat wave like malibu but not as good.
Anyone about 220 pounds who has a knee paddler - whats its dimensions?
knee paddle take offs …an archaic dimension open to an occasional adept done em with web gloves in my youth on a 7’1" pintail 21’’ wide…and a flex fin…ambrose… knee paddle get it up on a plane and keep it up…I weighed 129lbs oh yea it had a hyper flat deck up forward kinda lika spoon and I keelt on the thick part …the one stroke turn arround and take off on the knees was irritating to the guys out with me riding their 9’6’’ boards…summer 1968 pat O’ Keefe burried it at pakala one night and was never to be seen again
hey wait a minute pal the art and applied physical science of kneel* paddling was a performance requirement before 1967 when wetsuits were shortjohns and every body I mean everybody had armpit rash and we wanted to stay dry at least paddling out so the mention of deck awash took a good part of the day but it dawned on me …were we enamored wih the stepdeck because it Kneel paddled? yepI think so! the capper would be…DID SIMMONS KNEEL PADDLE AND WAS THIS ALSO A FEATURE TO ENHANCE THE KNEEL ing position?
*- Yater corrected Kro and told him it's kneel paddle, in case you wanna be correct
Hey! It isn’t archaic! I resent (and resemble) those remarks!
I regularly knee-paddle into waves. I like that I can trim my board better by leaning forward or back and I love the sensation of the board falling out from under my knees until I’m standing on it. I’m 220 lb. I have 3 boards which maintain dry decks while knee paddling (although none of them are dry if I’m kneeling on them and sitting still).
10’1" long x 23.5" wide x 3 5/8" thick round pintail
10’2" x 24" x 3 3/8" square tial noserider with big concave
10’4" x 23.5 x 3.5" squash tail with big hips
Rocker on all three is about 2.5-3" in the nose, 4" in the tail. All 3 have long sweet spots where most of the thickness is carried over 2-3’ in the middle - the thickness isn’t just a thick “spot” in the center. All 3 are hand-laid with lots of glass. All 3 are single fins - more fins = more drag in paddling. All 3 have 50/50 or egg rails (the round pin has down rails at the end, but that only helps the smaller tail float a little higher, doesn’t really affect knee paddling).
Stability comes from size on any shape. You can go long, or wide, or thick. You don’t have to do all 3, and none is inherently better than the other. Rich Harbor likes long. Steve Boehme likes thick. It all depends on how you want to surf. But yeah, 9’6" at 3" is way too small for you to knee paddle. And find something with soft rails because although it’ll seem to float lower in the water, it’ll be more forgiving too.