Performance / Flex / Lightness / Rocker - Theory Inquiry

General Discussion
1

Years ago, my first shape was a longboard that was 9’0" x 22" x 2-3/4" thick, It had 3" of tail rocker and 4" NR - Just a fairly typical longboard shape and about what someone would expect for a guys first shape.

I glassed it with 2X4oz deck and a 4oz bottom. It was a 1+2 with a 7" trailing fin and a pair of 3-1/2" front fins .

That board lasted 1 season and I repaired all the heel dents in it at the end of the summer by glassing a deck patch over the back half… 

That board out performed any other board I’ve shaped since… Putting a tail patch on it killed the magic.

Before I started shaping, I did glassing and shapers would tell me that  a lightweight glass job can make a mediocre shape outperform a technically perfect shape with a heavier glass job.

I’ve been trying for 25 yrs to shape and glass a board that I can surf like that first one. That board was flat rail to rail with a slight amount of vee in the tail and I’ve been trying concaves and rocker increases and different fin placements and even a board that is 1-1/2 ft shorter won’t surf as well when I give it a durable glass job.

I had a 2-3/4" thick twinzer fun board that almost did as well.

So I’m about to shape a new board and glass it light, this time. 

Here’s the question - With the newer blanks having more natural rocker, How much tail rocker is too much?

A lot of the performance expectation that I have boils down to speed in the 2nd half of a cutback. If I can come out of a cutback with as much speed as I had going in, then I have a board that I can do pretty much anything else I want with.

 I’m surfing 8’ fun boards now in small surf because I’m 65 yrs old and the other guys all have longboards and SUPs so I have to surf a big board to hold my own.

I can get as much as 4" of tail rocker out of the blanks that I have. But would that be too much TR for an 8’ board that’s glassed light enough to have some flex to it?

I’m looking forward to replies - It’s always good to hear from guys who have more experience than I have.

Thanks

2

    What you are describing, can be achieved with a Thick Foiled Single Fin.       7.5 in deep x 5,5 in base x base thickness of 3/4th inch, to 1 full inch.      This based on my personal experience.       I was introduced to this concept, in 1960, by Mr. Phil Edwards.      I’ve ridden fins of this design from 2 foot La Lolla Shores, to 20 foot Waimea.      No issues, of any kind, anywhere.    Only superior performance.

3

Interesting

Any pics or additional dimensions?

4

The board in the pics is an 8’2" that I shaped for a friend. It’s not glassed yet.

It will be a twinzer and it has a bunch of rocker in the tail - 4". I added rocker in the center of the board because twinzers like it that way. My friend wants a durable glass job though, so I wouldn’t really be able to test whether or not a flexy board works with that much rocker.

I’d like to try a lighter glass job for better performance on a board similar to that. 

Any suggestions on that

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5

The Fins Unlimited  ‘‘Brewer Fin’’  of the mid 70’s, is the best commercial example, of such a fin.

6

I might suggest using an EPS blank, you can add enough glass to be sturdy, and still be light.