I live by the ocean on the east coast and I have a 7’9" Bic that I let all the guest and summer vistors use. trouble is most of these people are just learning to surf and the board behaves kinda funny in the small waves they start on. Within a very narrow range, if they are to far forward the board pearls quickly yet if I move them back just a few inches the board just seems to bop right over the wave.
What I want to do is play around and make a bigger slow speed fin to keep the nose from pearling. Of course I have no idea what I’m doing. But from my flying days I know that all the slow moving beginner’s planes had thick cambered wings so I’m thinking i want the same sort of shape.
Am I wrong? And what kind of template should I marry this shape to?
I have some Phillipine mahogany and Acrymax lying around so I’ll probaly start with those.
I ride that board all the time, mostly with twin 6" x 5.5 base, G-10, double foiled, and no tail fin. Overhead, it gets a 3" tail fin.
Lack of skill overcomes the best designs, and it’s not the fins causing pearling, that’s for sure. You can get thicker foiled fins from some fin companies, just call them and ask for them…longboard fins. Don’t think it will help.
What WILL help is higher skill levels. Try surfing the board, if you can surf, you will have no problems except for superlate no stroke takeoffs in hollow waves. If you can do that, why ride a Bic?
I ride that board all the time, mostly with twin 6" x 5.5 base, G-10, double foiled, and no tail fin. Overhead, it gets a 3" tail fin.
Lack of skill overcomes the best designs, and it’s not the fins causing pearling, that’s for sure. You can get thicker foiled fins from some fin companies, just call them and ask for them…longboard fins. Don’t think it will help.
What WILL help is higher skill levels. Try surfing the board, if you can surf, you will have no problems except for superlate no stroke takeoffs in hollow waves. If you can do that, why ride a Bic?
Lack of skill was definitely the prime suspect but if I switch boards in mid session these same unskilled surfers on the same low power waves don’t have the same problem. So while LOS my be a contributing factor I don’t think it’s the main culprit. My thinking is that at these slow speeds there is just not enough lift to keep the tail holding firmly. Maybe wrong buts that’s what I’ll find out when a make a larger/fatter fin for the thing.
What brand of fin are you referring to when you say “G10”? I’ve taken a quick look around the local surf shops and there is nothing available that will fit into Bic’s receiveing slot. Furthermore all the Bic boards use the same size fin so no help there. Doesn’t seem to me that there would be much of a demand for intechangeable fins for a board like a Bic but if you know of any it might just prevent a fin making addication from getting a hold of me.