My newphews are learning to surf. I am a bit over-protective and am wondering if nose gaurds really work. In the early days I was surfing 5 foot Blacks with a guy who was just starting out. He wiped out and his board sling shotted back at him and the nose of his board pierced just under his eye–luckily not much damage(stitches, but still had two eyeballs left). When I learned to surf I learned buy the school of hard knocks, surfing without a wetsuit in 54 degree water, dropping in at South Mission Jetty on a 10 foot day with a Mark Richards 6’2" Twin (you could here the fins cavitate), busting leashes, getting ear infections…So I want to make my newphews experience a better one. I am so safety conscious that I wonder if it is better to round off the nose? Do nose gaurds work? How about those rubber tipped fin systems?
I have used them for years on long and short boards, and found two major benefits. The primary is not having to repair nose dings ever again. Second I have taken direct hits to the face with them and sustained no serious injuries. To answer your question, for the $10 that they cost, it is good value in my opinion.
Yeppers, they are a good idea and cheap insurance.>>> I have used them for years on long and short boards, and found two major > benefits. The primary is not having to repair nose dings ever again. > Second I have taken direct hits to the face with them and sustained no > serious injuries. To answer your question, for the $10 that they cost, it > is good value in my opinion.
My girlfriend’s got Protek fins on her thruster funboard and on her longboard, they work great and give her one less thing to worry about. Apparrently Protek has a new very flexible fin thats basically impossible to get hurt with, primarily for beginner/rental boards i think.
I say go for it, better safe than sorry. I don’t think nose guards affect performance so why not? The Proteck single-fins are available with regular flex, stiff flex and super flex. I’ve used the stiff flex fin. It’s nice not having to worry about cutting up your legs or leash. The soft edges make the fin easy to turn too! I think they’re also coming out with a tail guard, more for protecting the board than the rider. http://starbulletin.com/2001/07/02/news/story4.html
Using nose guards is great, but it’s kinda like putting your kid’s car seat in the back seat so he won’t be killed by the air bag you bought. Pointy noses are lethal, and they have no functional purpose. For a board builder pointey noses represent future law suits, and guilt over needlessly contributing to an injury or death. I won’t shape one, and as a pro I wouldn’t sell one. I can just see myself trying to explain to a jury why a surfboard needs a dagger on its nose. Sure, go ahead and spend money to cover the problem up. Better yet, don’t build a problem.
It is not just pointy noses. Blunt trauma is half the problem. I almost knocked my jaw off with my new noserider, heavy glass, a little cussion would have been appreciated. It is also great for travel or kids who may not be as gentle as they should. I can not remember the last time that I had to repair chipped or shattered noses. Also, when loading up the board, and you want to take the leash off, you can plug the nose into the parking lot with no fear of damage while your friends look on in horror expecting to see schards of glass peeling off of the tip of the board. Like leashes they may not be for everyone, but they do provide some value without impeding the performance of the board.
Amen,I totally agree with your post. A pointy nose on a surfboard is like a pointed toe on a cowboy boot. Real cowboys don’t wear them except for an unfair advantage in a bar room brawl and killing cockroaches in the corners of a room. Aloha, OL>>> Using nose guards is great, but it’s kinda like putting your kid’s car > seat in the back seat so he won’t be killed by the air bag you bought.>>> Pointy noses are lethal, and they have no functional purpose. For a board > builder pointey noses represent future law suits, and guilt over > needlessly contributing to an injury or death. I won’t shape one, and as a > pro I wouldn’t sell one. I can just see myself trying to explain to a jury > why a surfboard needs a dagger on its nose.>>> Sure, go ahead and spend money to cover the problem up. Better yet, don’t > build a problem.
First off, first time surfers are best off on a soft board. Your first few days in the water are spent getting hit by your board every 5 minutes. When a beginner get hits by a hard board right off the mark, he(she) doesn’t want to do it any more,period. Protek fins, nose gaurds, etc. are great for the next step: when the child is able to catch his own wave and trim. A lot of shops will rent you soft boards, so take advantage of it!! A beginner should never be on a board that needs a nose gaurd anyway because it means it has a narrow nose unless you’re talking about a nose gaurd for round nose boards. My daughter is 9 and has progressed to a 7 foot egg, no sharp edges(rails included), Pro tek fins (yellow tip). The 8 foot soft board I started her on was the best decision I ever made! Since I bought the soft board 4 years ago, it’s gotten over 20 kids on their first waves. Most have been stoked enough on surfing to graduate to "real " boards. Sorry for the long post to a simple question!! aloha!!