I’m about to shape an improved version of this SUP. This board is 7’10 x 30. It does some things great, but has some quirks. The bottom was shaped like a modern shortboard, with a hint of concave and no vee, just flat off the tail. The goal was speed over everything else.
The one quirk it has, when cruising board flat, sometimes it almost hesitates before rolling on edge, like water suction momentarily made it stick.
Do you guys think this is coming from the flat bottom and do you think adding V off the tail is what it needs?
No SUP experience here either but V off the tail is what causes the anchor feeling (unless you make other design changes). If you put the V between your feet and flatten it between the fins, it should change rails a lot easier. I have felt that hesitation off the top created by too much or poorly placed concave, especially on wider boards.
If you want fool proof, go flat and let the rocker and fins do the work…
Just a thought, but have you tried changing fins and adjusting locations and cant? Sounds like you might be over-finned.
Your board is fairly wide. That alone can account for some of the hesitation you're experiencing. At least as compared with standard surfboards. I know you've been working on SUPs for quite awhile so it's probably safe to assume that you are looking at it from a SUP perspective.
Most of the high performance models I've seen have a blend of tail rocker, fairly deep vee and dual concave in front of the side fins. Likely a good compromise between speed and maneuverability or they wouldn't be so common.
A factor that might have been overlooked is the effect of the size and outer (foiled) surface of your outside fins. It looks like you're using standard surfboard fins. I would experiment by going smaller and perhaps using a thicker foil on your outside fins. The stock (surfboard) fins available are pretty standard in thickness so fiddling with foil and thickness might require a custom job.
Balsa or foam/fiberglass composite fins are easy to make and the tabs can be made to fit most any type of box.
I'm sure you're up to the task. How many SUPs is that for you now?
Take the board you have and chine the rails from nose to transitioning at 40" from your tail and leave what you have as is.
You will essentially make your chine angled and deep enough to change your max width say to 28" when on plane. You will still get the benefit of your 30" when paddling. You look light enough to be able to handle the small volume of floatation you will loose. You should be able to reglass your modified areas without having to rip off your deck grip.
Thanks Kensurf. The rail in the middle is a 60/40, I think that’s the proper name anyway. The appex of the rail is below the mid point. Edge at bottom is not hard there, but is within a 1 1/2 ft of tail.
Not doing chines. They rob too much paddling stability.
With chines you can rob your paddling stability, but to me you describe a unhappiness with your board. To chine and transition at 40" from the back with the wide tail you have I can’t imagine such robery happening. If “speed over everything else” truly is your goal, why not modify what you already have to see what you really need to make? When you say “speed” I can only assume you mean speed while surfing on the wave and not paddling speed. You describe the bottom being shaped like a modern short board but didn’t mention the rocker. Too much rocker can make a shoter SUP do what you are having problems with. A properly chined and transitioned board can make an over or under rokered SUP perform better. The most progressive SUPs for waves in hawaii are hulled and chined. Paddling instability, or how most describe as “a different feel”, is conquered with practice with the pay off of paddling speed and wave riding manueverability/speed as your reward
I would have a more experienced SUPer try your rig and get thier opinion. I would try www.standupzone.com where there are some real expert designers and riders of shorter SUP’s there. Did you make this SUP? If not and if possible, ask the shaper for thier opinion.
Unlike the other responders I started working with SUP manufacturing in 2005 and have done contract work for 2 of the top 5 SUP manufacturers and many local builders too. The SUP designs have changed about 7 times during that time frame. I am not a design expert but just describing what is the current ever changing trend of SUP boards.
You might just also have to adjust where you stand on the board when turning. A board that wide could be fighting you in the turns just based on you foot positioning. I have size 14 shoe and I notice a real change in a boards turning once I get over 23". I could only guess that if I were on a 30" board I might have to pay more attention to moving my front foot more towards the rail I’m turning on. Flat bottom and some experimenting with fin size and set up should also be a good direction. Maybe with a quad option.
I’m crying wolf, when there isn’t really a problem. I’m just picking up the slightest hint of a quirk. I just haven’t shaped a SUP with and without V in indentical shapes and wasn’t sure what the gain or loss would be in adding some.
Anotherwords, does adding 1/8 V really make much difference?
I’m ready to stick with flat and simple.
I’ve been SUPing since 2007 and the crew around here is pushing the limits. My wife surfs a 7’3 SUP.
I’m confident in my rockers. Copied from a production board I loved.
I’m aware of Blanes Hull Rippers. They are love them or hate them shapes. I prefer staying mainstream for now. Radical shapes usually come back to something less so with time.
Thanks LeeV and Thrailkill for the advice. I shaped this one flat.
The 2 hardest ripping local guys on SUPs tried my board and flipped out over it. They are now having a local shaper make copies. I only build for me and the wife.
It’s a game changer. In our weak surf, it rips like nothing we’ve ever surfed and we’ve surfed all the top brands.
Looks good! That’s actually the first SUP I’ve seen that I’d even have a remote interest in trying. Looks fun. Add a mast and it might make one hell of a sailboard. Anybody remember those things?
