my tail is too flat??

General Discussion
1

I posted some pictures. I know that a flat tail is supposed to help beginners catch waves more easily, but maybe it seems to me that is not accurate. 

I bought this board from craigslist, 80$ it’s a salomon s-core .  6’4" 19 or so 2.5 . I haven’t surfed in years, and only stood on the board like twice by now, it felt great, it was wicked fast, and I’m not unhappy as of this moment with the board. 

I feel like this board could have a bit more tail rocker and only work better, and not lose any performance during any part of the things a surfer does. , but I would like input from more experienced riders

 

 

I have had several boards by now where either someone sells me on the flat rocker, or in one case someone took it upon themselves to shape for me a flat tail, but for every time I have had a “normal” looking tail I had a very (easier) easy time catching waves, and every time my tail is too flat, I struggle to get on the waves at all, then it steers funny. my balance is weird, it doesn’t turn naturally, it feels like the board is pulling a weight or something, and only going straight seems smooth. 

 

I understand that some boards have flatter tail rocker, but generally these boards are different shapes altogether, and have so much that is different about them that they really look correct, while sometimes I see boards (like this one I have here) that look like they are correct for what they are, except the tail is too flat. Like why did they do that, 

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2

If you are happy with this board;  What does it matter?   A board for $80 off of Craigslist that you like?  Rides good etc and your worried about tail rocker on an imaginary board?  If you haven’t surfed in awhile;  I would just enjoy the ride.   PS   You haven’t surfed in how long?   And you’ve only stood up on this board twice?  I don’t see how you can evaluate this board at all.

3

I thought that ‘S-Core’ construction method was quite innovative at the time.  Unfortunately it didn’t catch on for whatever reason. 

Flat tails are typically faster but can be stiffer in turns.  Since it is what it is at this point, consider fin modifications.  Since your board has box type fins you may be able to do some experimenting…  something as simple as a smaller center fin can make a big difference.  Different fin profiles, flex, foil and tab placements allow many variables.  Hopefully that type of fin is still available.

Good luck - it looks like a pretty nice board.  

4

I guess I found the full explanation of the design. I didn’t know that sd2 was it’s name. I just thought it was a logo for something else. 

the video very specifically calls it an every day board for average surfers, with lots of speed for moving down the line. (I presume because I will not be taking it to huge waves, I will want to skip a lot of mushy spots) 

anyway, I am going to mostly try using it at “Kaisers” Honolulu, which is probably not the primary wave intended, which I assume to be beach-break, but kaisers is actually quite similar to a beach-break minus the powerful whitewash. I hope there is no misunderstanding, I was very excited about the board immediately, but while not surfing, I was really wishing I knew more about what people are thinking. this video is pretty comprehensive, but 

-I had a t/c pang about 6-4 with more volume but very flat, I found it super difficult unless I was really in strong onshore winds, and without a doubt it was from the super flat tail rocker, 

-and I had a batboard (I sold batboard’s brian tudor my foamy sup one time, (randomly from my cl ad) a few years ago, and he gave me a really good price on a custom board that would be a new material near replica of another board I had. (so that I could try and experience “scientifically isolated from size and shape” the way a new vs. old board feels) The board was much too small for my skill level, so he flattened the tail after we talked about my beginner status… I actually was a little hopeful for an exact replica, but the experiment worked and I REALLY felt the extra flotation, although once again, the flat tail made it handle really stiff, and since the pang had more volume i mostly just rode that instead. ) , I eventually quit surfing , and gave a fairly cheap price for all my boards to someone who was going to take kids out from poor families, (actually I posted for free but he was super kind and I couldn’t say no when he asked me to accept a payment) , but then later ended up with this board I posted about last week. 

The thing is that I barely ever see boards with such flat tail rocker (except maybe some few retro fish), yet somehow every time I run across a board I should probably just try out it’s like that, and I DID have enough experience on more normal rocker to feel the improvement in turns. 

LOST.TV - …LOST SURFBOARDS 2008 - SDII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3HyUbK73ok

5

I’m with McDing - you don’t have enough time on the board to be properly assessing it.

I’ve surfed Kaisers, a long time ago. It was the first South Shore wave I rode, and I pretty much never went back.  It’s kind of a one-trick pony, you have to get in the wedge and rip that, or stall for a tube.  It can be quick, moderately intense, but doesn’t get above shoulder high. (Note at six foot six my shoulders are higher than most).  Or if it got larger, I was somewhere that handled the size better… Big Lefts, Ricebowl, Brown’s…

Too much analysis, or overthinking, will kill your potential for fun.  Just go surf it.  There was a movie back a few years wherein the older experienced guy tells the kid not to ride the board (with which the kid was very unacquainted), but to ride the wave.  I think you should.

6

One thing about Lost.  Their designs usually work.  I know they take a lot of crap from the “one off” hand shapers, but the designs they choose are usually proven.  Biolas doesn’t design every board himself.  There is a lot of input from many different shapers who have worked for him in the past and currently.  Even when he borrows something from another company or shaper, he usually makes some nice improvements to the “borrowed” design.  It’s great that you were able to lay off a few years and still be in good enough shape and have the former ability to ride one of those small boards.  At 71 years of age and 200 lbs.;  I envy you.  Used to love my Rusty/Canyon 6’6 and 6’3.   When you get outta the water on a big swell at 1st Peak after numerous tubes and free falls on a 6’3 and some Santa Cruz Rasta hippy surfer comes up to you and tells you how good you were surfing;  it’s pretty damned special.  Enjoy the ride while you can.  Lowel

7

Well…  I have to admit I’m not a big fan of promotional vids. I tried to watch (really I did) but didn’t get very far before fast forwarding and finally shutting down.  The shaping room stuff, as usual, boils down to typical sales pitch mumbo-jumbo.  Hot team rider shredding… same sort of deal.  Doesn’t really apply to many of us.  

Since tail rocker seems to be an issue, I have questions:  Have you actually measured it?  How?  At what intervals along the bottom?  What did you come up with?

The reason I ask is because in pics it doesn’t look all that flat to me(?)

 

8

I didn’t measure, I jsut looked at stuff, and looked at other boards and pics. My old boards, the pang and the bat, they were probably flatter still. 

I am mostly just looking for insight into what the shape is intended for. 

9

      Mumbo-jumbo, indeed!       My favorite comment was about a ‘‘bump in the tail, for release.’’       WTF is this guy smoking?       The subject board design appears to be fairly quick, more a result of reduced surface area, than the single/double concave, flat to Vee, bottom variations he rattled on about.     The board outline is consistant with board designs in use from the late '70’s, to the mid '80’s and beyond.      I guess that pitch goes over well, in the 11 to 14 year old age group, that has little or no surfing or life experience.