I’ve finished the shaping and now trying to decide on fin/s. The board’s 5’4" and 22" at the wide point
Could anyone suggest what type of fin/s layout for this board remembering that this board is going to be ridden up the beach alot by 3 little girls.
The blue line is about 12’ up from the tail.
Thanks for your help.
Hicksy
why so wide for smaller riders? I find it hard to paddle a board wider than 22, let alone sit on it, and im 14.
Multi purpose, I get to ride it too, when they let me…at their age it is highly probable that all 3 will be on it at the same time!!! Hence the width and float.
Hicksy
ok, makes enough sense.
the kids will be all over it, like when I took my 10’3" to the beach. All kinds of kids would come out of the woodwork, nay, sand, to climb on, push each other off, climb on, jump off. The splash was a bigger deal than the fact that it was a surfboard. Had up to eight of them at a time. Watch out for pressure dents from those little bony knees.
Oh yeah, fins… well, box fins simply won’t last if run up on the beach, unless they are very flexible. I think you’ll end up having to glass on three fins, so they won’t be so deep and likely to break. Lotsa rope on the fin-to-board fillet, three layers of six ounce up each side, and DULL edges.
My 15-yo daughter’s boyfriend got 250 stitches from his fin in Kailua Shorebreak, which hardly ever gets a 2 ft. crest to trough height. Just went off the back or side of the board and somehow got sucked over or fell onto the board; left him with a major cut high on the thigh.
These kids all need some sober education about fins; fin and board edges; the likelihood that when they wipeout the board will pop back up at them; that it may go airborne and come down on them; that they ALWAYS should come up with one arm over their heads; that if they jump off one way the board shoots the other way (hopefully not into the teeth of the sister next to them).
Twin 2, 7 yo girl found out the hard way on my 8’ HWS. She fell off and came up head first into the bottom of the board. All I could hear is thok thok thok and then she popped up laughing that she kept bumping her head. Scared the poop out of me though.
So you reckon 3 fins, like a thruster setup or one small fin and 2 winglets. I have to glass on because I didn’t put any beef into the tail to support a fin box.
Maybe 2 1/2 - 3" high with a 5" base.
Don’t forget it’s daddys board too…I made it…I’ll take it off you…
Hicksy
sorry to get off the subject here, but that board looks like its made out of a sheet of plywood…is it?,nothing wrong with that…i would really like to see what it looks like form the side…its not just a giant skimboard, no it couldnt be…it looks like youve got the bottom lamed in one pic…and appears to have more volume than plywood…as far as fins , if your concernd about one of the kids getting hit with them ,theres a company that makes something called proteck or something like that , there rubber or something …i have no idea how you attach them.but im shure you could find out.
Here’s the rocker view before the rails were shaped, it’s made from pine plywood and cork.
I’m not too concerned about the fins hitting the kids, because they won’t be that sharp. I just want it to ride well for me as well as being able to ride up the sand without snapping off.
Have a look at http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=156494;page=8;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;
to see how it was built.
cheers
Hicksy
sorry still no good suggestion about the fins…but that board construction looks very interesting …where do you find cork in peices that size?
three ethafoam keels superglued ogood for runners up the beach and quick retreaval and replacement…ambrose …just a thought
The cork is 12" squares like you find on kitchen floors. I cut it using the rail support as a guide and glue each piece in place. I used 15 pieces for this board. After each layer is glued on I sand the edges until it’s level with the previous layer. 6 layers in all.
Hicksy
OK Ambrose, you have my attention but I’d like just a little more longevity than supaglue. What are ethafoam keels?
Hicksy
fin box.
NO fins for THEM !! …they’re going in a straight line to the beach. Up onto the sand ??
[Why damage fins unneccessarily…doesn’t make any sense to me !]
Bring down a good fibreglass fin for yourself, though, so that when they’re done with it, you can go surf it and have fun.
this is my .02 , Hicksy… hope that helps !
ben
[maybe we can make some nice wood core fins for it !]
Hey Chip
Can’t use a fin box, I didn’t put any extra in the tail section to support it. I’m thinking of a 3 fin system with the centre fin 3" deep and the 2 side ones 2" deep. They’ve had a ride on my 8’ without the fin in but they end up sideways and flipping onto the beach. Tears, sand in eyes, crushed ribcage = less confidence in the water.
See ya tomorrow.
Hicksy
Hey Chip
" they end up sideways and flipping onto the beach. Tears, sand in eyes, crushed ribcage = less confidence in the water "…
...Wait till they start doing dad's mad handstands skating... THEN, they'll have less confidence on the road , too !… Now, if the computer or T.V. blows up as well , WHERE will they have left that’s safe to go then ???
Aahh …the sky will be the limit !
" flying chippy"
Hi
Fin wise I would say set it up for yourself but make a extra fin which is short with a really broard base. So that thay can ride forther up the san with it. Also make it as blunt as possible. So that when they use it you just pop that fin in. I would go with a box though is more robust when riding up the beach. Cant wait to shape a board for my little one. Not quite shure what colour the board is going to be, will know in about 2 weeks time.
Keep well
etha foam is boogie board foam now used as some cool packaging material that comes with mail order stuff…furniture… like in sheets laminated 1/2’’ sheets two = 1’’ cool fin material super glue aka zap a gap, my current passion for semi permanent aplications,and this ethafoam stuff floats and shapes with a grinder like xtal snot and ten minutes a tri -set of keels a day with no upsetting drawbax …the floats factor is if the comr off hey are right there to stick back on or modify for tomorrow… if the kids can knock em off and not put yhe x-15 in the shop for a week I call that success…ambrose… kids dont need fins on sub 6’ers
Dunno how this would work or not, but we’ve got a lot of old rock conveyor belts lying around our shop. The belts are about a 1/2" thick, and are made with a couple of cloth layers through it. If you could get a hold of some of this, you can foil it(I tried making sloped risers for my longskate, and it grinds alright, and the cloth layers show your foil. It’s a bit messy though.) The rubber is stiff, and would easily be enough to somewhat track that board in a straight line. Or, do like Roy does and build a tunnel fin. No points, just a smooth edge down to the board. You could even do it out of rubber. Find an old tractor tire(usually they use cotton, not steel for the radials) and play with it if you think you could make it work. Good luck on attaching it. I’ve got no ideas there…
Hey Hicky - here’s a link to a board I made for my 2 daughters, they ride up onto the beach all the time & have had no problems. I used ProTek fins as they seemed the safest of all the options. (there is no way to turn a kid off of surfing faster than cutting them with a fin!)
aloha,
Keith
Thanks for all the info people. As I can use any box system I’m leaning towards glass on wooden keel fins, short, stubby, blunt with a wide base. I’ll post a pic here when it’s done.
cheers
Hicksy