Performance / Flex / Lightness / Rocker - Theory Inquiry

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

    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.

Interesting

Any pics or additional dimensions?

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


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

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