pintail

I am in the 50+ club and surfing a long board with plenty of front and rear rocker for 4 years and looking for my next board to be used in up to 8ft sets. Drop knee turns and turning in general are my weak point and paddling my strong point. So should I keep with the tri-fin or go for a single? What about the tail-squash or pintail? thanks for any suggestions.

I am in the 50+ club and surfing a long board with plenty of front and > rear rocker for 4 years and looking for my next board to be used in up to > 8ft sets. Drop knee turns and turning in general are my weak point and > paddling my strong point. So should I keep with the tri-fin or go for a > single? What about the tail-squash or pintail? thanks for any suggestions. I’m in the same club. And I’m wondering how long of a board you’re thinking about. I have a 9’0"X23 rounded pin and and 9’3"X22 squash tail and they are very surf very differently. I really like the pin on a long board myself but as we all surf differently my suggestion is this: If you have access to rental boards, it would be good to take at least two boards out with similar lines each with the tail design you concidering so you can get a feel for which you like best. Bottom line more lift in the squash tail more responce in the pin. I’d stay with the tri fin set up you can always surf it single if you want to. Best, Rich

I’m in the same club. And I’m wondering how long of a board you’re > thinking about. I have a 9’0"X23 rounded pin and and 9’3"X22 > squash tail and they are very surf very differently. I really like the pin > on a long board myself but as we all surf differently my suggestion is > this: If you have access to rental boards, it would be good to take at > least two boards out with similar lines each with the tail design you > concidering so you can get a feel for which you like best. Bottom line > more lift in the squash tail more responce in the pin. I’d stay with the > tri fin set up you can always surf it single if you want to.>>> Best, Rich Morning Rich, I appreciate the prompt reply. I am looking at a 9’0" to a 9’6" max as I stand 5’8" and weigh 150 lbs. The rental idea is great and I’ll give it a shot. As for the pin’s greater response do ya mean turning from rail or drop knee? Or am I just missing the point? M

Morning Rich,>>> I appreciate the prompt reply. I am looking at a 9’0" to a 9’6" > max as I stand 5’8" and weigh 150 lbs. The rental idea is great and > I’ll give it a shot. As for the pin’s greater response do ya mean turning > from rail or drop knee? Or am I just missing the point?>>> M After you surf a few sticks and see which one you like the best you find out what suits your style the best.I like a three stringer blank at this length for a little more strength.I think it looks great but that’s just personal preference… At your weight if you want to nose ride consider these specs. and go which ever way your inclined as they are just a projection of what I think you’d have the most fun on. Once you put the lines down on the blank the flow will dictate the actual numbers. These are just some general ones to go by. I sure some of the old time shapers here at swaylocks may differ with me a little and it would be great to hear their ideas. The more the better! Here’s mine: 9’2"x18.5"x22.5"x 14.75"x 3" with which ever tail you decide one. Put a soft concave in the nose and hold the nose rocker to a minimum so you can get a little speed as you step up on the board, cut enough tail rocker to make it responsive for slow turning and quick kick outs. I can measure the rocker on my boards if you want me too. Make the mid section flat and dive a little vee into the tail I’d go from softer rails forward (I prefer egg) to gradually more down and harder rails sharpening toward the tail. A board like this will be very lively and alot of fun up to about 8ft or so. Taking just a quarter of an inch out of the width would speed it up some. I prefer future fins for the rails with real small rail fins. and about an 8" - 9" cutaway center fin but with a central fin box you can experiment all you want to and surf it single when the sections are really fast. Good surfin’ let me know what specs you decide on. Best, Rich

After you surf a few sticks and see which one you like the best you find > out what suits your style the best.I like a three stringer blank at this > length for a little more strength.I think it looks great but that’s just > personal preference… At your weight if you want to nose ride consider > these specs. and go which ever way your inclined as they are just a > projection of what I think you’d have the most fun on. Once you put the > lines down on the blank the flow will dictate the actual numbers. These > are just some general ones to go by. I sure some of the old time shapers > here at swaylocks may differ with me a little and it would be great to > hear their ideas. The more the better!>>> Here’s mine: 9’2"x18.5"x22.5"x 14.75"x 3" with > which ever tail you decide one. Put a soft concave in the nose and hold > the nose rocker to a minimum so you can get a little speed as you step up > on the board, cut enough tail rocker to make it responsive for slow > turning and quick kick outs. I can measure the rocker on my boards if you > want me too. Make the mid section flat and dive a little vee into the tail > I’d go from softer rails forward (I prefer egg) to gradually more down and > harder rails sharpening toward the tail. A board like this will be very > lively and alot of fun up to about 8ft or so. Taking just a quarter of an > inch out of the width would speed it up some. I prefer future fins for the > rails with real small rail fins. and about an 8" - 9" cutaway > center fin but with a central fin box you can experiment all you want to > and surf it single when the sections are really fast.>>> Good surfin’ let me know what specs you decide on.>>> Best, Rich If you don’t mind getting out a ruler I would be curious as to the rocker on your boards. Thanks again and I’ll let you know what I decide on. m

If you don’t mind getting out a ruler I would be curious as to the rocker > on your boards. Thanks again and I’ll let you know what I decide on. m Hey m. Here’s the specks. Both are modern long boards with soft down rails forward that gradually harden toward the tail. Thruster fin set up with a standard central fin box and Futures on the rails. Real standard clear glass jobs – cloth in the layup on the nose of the 9’0"keeping the sun glare down and dressing it up some. 9’3"x17.5"x22"x14.5"x3.125" with a 4.5" squash tail, 4.5" nose rocker – 3.25" tail rocker Slight nose concave and tail vee. 9’0"x19.75"x23"x15.5"x3" rounded pin tail, 3.5" nose rocker – 3.25 tail rocker. serious nose concave and subtle tail vee. The 9’3" works much better in bigger waves because of it’s width more than anything else. It feels a little gunny. On this one I just go for trim and rip. The 9’0" is a blast until it gets overhead. everybody that surfs it loves it. You can run around all over it. A great combination of stability and responsiveness. Some boards are just one of a kind and magic. Fins are the key to changing performance characteristics. Everyone surf differently. I’ve had to play around to find a good combination. That’s why fins boxes are the way to go. There is a tremendous amout of knowledge available on this site I hope these tid bits help. Good Surfin’ Rich

Hey m.>>> Here’s the specks. Both are modern long boards with soft down rails > forward that gradually harden toward the tail. Thruster fin set up with a > standard central fin box and Futures on the rails. Real standard clear > glass jobs – cloth in the layup on the nose of the 9’0"keeping the > sun glare down and dressing it up some.>>> 9’3"x17.5"x22"x14.5"x3.125" with a 4.5" > squash tail,>>> 4.5" nose rocker – 3.25" tail rocker>>> Slight nose concave and tail vee.>>> 9’0"x19.75"x23"x15.5"x3" rounded pin tail,>>> 3.5" nose rocker – 3.25 tail rocker.>>> serious nose concave and subtle tail vee.>>> The 9’3" works much better in bigger waves because of it’s width more > than anything else. It feels a little gunny. On this one I just go for > trim and rip.>>> The 9’0" is a blast until it gets overhead. everybody that surfs it > loves it. You can run around all over it. A great combination of stability > and responsiveness. Some boards are just one of a kind and magic.>>> Fins are the key to changing performance characteristics. Everyone surf > differently. I’ve had to play around to find a good combination. That’s > why fins boxes are the way to go. There is a tremendous amout of knowledge > available on this site I hope these tid bits help.>>> Good Surfin’>>> Rich Rich, Thanks for your time and insight. While I have view the site often, this is my first post and I agree that the site is very informative, valuable and most of all, user friendly. m

As for the pin’s greater response do ya mean turning > from rail or drop knee? Or am I just missing the point? A rounded pin is going to be more “positive”. Meaning, that is very predictable when turning…you can throw a lot of weight into it and it will still hold and carve great. They really excel in larger surf where the sqaush gets squirly. They hold better in a steeper face too. The only downside to them in theory is that they have less lift and can stall in smaller surf, depending on how narrow you go. I have switched to rounded pins on all of my longboards. I have a 13.5 for larger surf and a 14.5 for smaller surf. If you are looking to surf this in set waves up to 8 ft as you mentioned I would reccomend a RP. -John

A rounded pin is going to be more “positive”. Meaning, that is > very predictable when turning…you can throw a lot of weight into it and > it will still hold and carve great. They really excel in larger surf where > the sqaush gets squirly. They hold better in a steeper face too.>>> The only downside to them in theory is that they have less lift and can > stall in smaller surf, depending on how narrow you go.>>> I have switched to rounded pins on all of my longboards. I have a 13.5 for > larger surf and a 14.5 for smaller surf. If you are looking to surf this > in set waves up to 8 ft as you mentioned I would reccomend a RP.>>> -John I went for the 9’2" pin. More to follow. M