http://www.surfline.com/video/locals/local-fire-shaun-ward-part-iii_27032
Please check out my Son’s Video Clip posted by surfline.
I know I’m being a little league Dad however were all surfers here at heart so check it out because the more hit he gets the better for the count.
Thanks!!!
SD
Surfding,
Your boy sure can throw that tail around. You gotta be proud! Do you build his boards? Mike
We have a few models that we have designed together: SMurder (Fuller rails neutral rocker) - SRapper (Foiled Rails narrower tail with plenty of Rocker) - SBaller (Flatter Rocker and Wider Tail)
The models are for various conditions of course.
He rides boards from many different shapers however we always keep working on his models. He has over 30 boards in his quiver and sometime I will make as many as 6 in one month. It’s not cheap keeping boards under his feet. So when another shaper wants to give him a free board I say go for it! That’s one less I have to make.
Thank for checking the video out!
SD
Your son definitely has some skills. I don’t know about anybody else but watching that made me want to get out there and improve my abilities.
g’day surfding, great vid! Even though I don’t ride a potato chip type board, I do find it interesting to know what dimensions the pros use - and for that reason I’ve enjoyed your posts which give things such as board width, nose and tail rocker etc. I do however ride a conventional thruster (a bit oversize) with slightly lower rocker, tail reasonably wide (14.6") so would you mind sharing the specs of the SBaller model? rocker, fin placement, length/width etc
one thing I am having trouble comprehending is why the pros need so many boards - i’ve been told they get through around 40 per year, and I guess in addition to the 30 in your son’s quiver maybe there have been some rejects? Even if I had more surf time I would set my surfing back if I tried to switch between more than a few boards, so do the pros really get to regularly use all 30 or so, or do half their boards get one
or two surfs and end up sitting in the garage and how many do they lug around the tour with them?
also whats your opinion on why the pros don’t use exotic constructions such as carbon fibre or sandwich - is it because they really prefer the pu/pe or is it more that any advantage of exotic constructions is slight and their manufacturers/sponsors can’t afford to keep up with their high intake of boards? Taj Burrows is I think the only top pro who uses sandwich, everyone else seems to have the traditional stringer line showing on their boards, but do you know if any of them use conventional lam/stringered but with epoxy/EPS?
Great surfing. Great music. Great waves. Well done.
Shaun rips! No comparisons to Little League parents unless you know some who make their own bats and balls!
MD, you’re too funny!
Surfding, your kid rips, I’m sure you’re proud, you should be!
The formula to shortboard is pretty basic. However there is actually some skill in making the magic board that a Pro is willing to ride. They know their equipement all so well. Suddle changes in rocker as well as rail volume is very critical.
For example the SBaller (Shaun won a 5 Start in Brazil) 6’1" x 18.38" x 2.175" 11" nose 14.25 tail 5" - Nose rocker 5.60" - Tail rocker 2.0"
Free surfing in INDO then SRapper: 6’1" x 18 3/8" x 2 3/16" - Nose Rocker 5.45" = Tail Rocker 2.40" if it’s over 8 feet then it’s time to break out the 6’3 same dimentions just 2" longer - Over 10 feet then it’s time for a different model all together. All measurements are straight line measurements.
Concerning the large quiver: The boards that work really well get “Put On ICE” these boards are saved for contest. If the rails do not have the right profile or the fins set incorrectly they are dogs! Compsands and Epoxies are the favorite of the Garage shaper and I personally like the technology behind this meduim however the pro’s that I know still prefere the PU/PE combination. There is some PU/Epoxy boards the pro’s are liking. PU still has a great feel. 4 to 6 boards in a coffin is pretty standard for the traveling pro.
Well, not all garage shapers prefer compsand(ok, never surfed one) or epoxy/eps. I know you were just making a broad generaliztion…Do you think there is any significant differences in PU laminated with polyester vs. PU laminated with epoxy? All other things being as equal as possible? I’ve done both and can’t really feel any difference, but I’m not much of a test pilot. Mike
cheers for the information Surfding! the SBaller model - is it suitable for mush? and does it have concaves and if so what type?
cheers for the information Surfding! the SBaller model - is it suitable for mush? and does it have concaves and if so what type?
The SBaller is perfect for mushy surf and semi close outs. Good for making sections and speeding up to get out of the flats. Most contests are in mushy surf unless your on the WCT Dream tour. Plus the wave are not always like INDO?
The bottom contour is Single Concave that becomes flat just behind the back fin at the exit of the tail.
Fin Settings are important as well: 3.63" back - 11.25" front 3/16" Toe 6 degree Cant. The deeper the concave the less the cant. Use the lighter fins of any of the fin systems. Stay away from the heavy plastic fins as they ruin a good board!
I think you really need a quiver to do any real surfing.
I can PM you a plan if you like?
not all garage shapers prefer compsand
I did not mean anything negative about garage shapers and the compsand movement. I love garage shapers because their so stoked.
It seems that most of the board builders on this forum are more in to vacuum bagging and board construction than board design and actual shaping?
The point is that Really good surfers still prefer PU/PE boards and believe that they simply ride better. Maybe the PU/PE boards have a shorter shelf-life? So what if you surf better then get a new one very couple of months good for the shaper/board builder. If you are a avid surfer then PU/ PE is still the staple of surfing.
Do you think there is any significant differences in PU laminated with polyester vs. PU laminated with epoxy?
I’ve seen some of the PRO’s with PU/Epoxy lately more and more. The boards are not that much lighter however seem to hold up a bit longer. More durability?
I think a lot of it has to do with permits as well? If you have a small shop with out a permit to do Polyester then Epoxy keeps your doors open with the Fire Marshall. I have to do a comparison test: Make 2 boards Both PU glassed in PE and the other in Epoxy. Don’t tell my son which is which and let him tell me what the difference is? Maybe film it as well?
The shop I down sized into has been there for 22 years so to do PE is no problem. To get a new permit is nearly impossible to use Polyester resin these days so I would think that more and more newer shops will go the Epoxy route.
**
**
I’d give almost anyhting to be able to surf like that. The vid is great and your boy has some serious moves nailed, nice flow. You must be way proud.
well thats a relief, I was a bit worried you were going to say that the pros use all flat bottoms and disrupt my belief in the concave design! I am a compsand enthusiast although not making them anymore. I can handle the idea of the pros preferring PU, but all my shortboards have had concaves in recent years and I think they work although we are still arguing of why they work on swaylocks.
on fins, I’ve had glass fins (from the Rainbow company), they were fine fins but really i can’t tell the difference between similarly sized plastic fins from Future or FCS and I don’t think the glass fins were lighter, but you are saying that the lightweight fins like with the honeycomb cores are worth it? I’ve never tried the lightweight composite fins.
I’ve never used board design software before and I’m not in a position to do anything useful with a plan, but thanks for the offer. I am however interested in what youve had to say and I’ve run some simple scaling calculations and I think that chances are that if this board was scaled up to 6’ 4" it would work for me in the mush.
multiplying everything by 76/73 (1.041 scaling) gives
11.45 nose
19.1 width
14.83 tail
nose rocker 5.83
tail rocker 2.08
as you said there is more to magic than just numbers and those numbers don’t give the full story, but my non-expert assessment of them is that the SBaller has tail rocker on the low side with normal to good amounts of nose rocker - i like this combination. Tail fin is also fairly far up and close to front fins, exactly the same position as my 6’ 6" all round board (Flyer2) with front fins about 1/4" back from the flyer.
cheers,
Mike
Thanks for viewing!
Over 13,000 hits so far!
multiplying everything by 76/73 (1.041 scaling) gives
11.45 nose
19.1 width
14.83 tail
nose rocker 5.83
tail rocker 2.08
That would be correct however you may want to scale back the tail to 14.63. Small detail just a suddle adjustment for performance.
**The plan I was referring to was a PDF of the Dimensions of Outline and Rocker notes. Not the actual design file. **
Cheers
**SD
**
ah, yes a pdf with rocker notes would be great.
cheers
Hey SD, I’ve watched that vidoe a couple of times now and there’s defintely some great waves and great surfing.
Seeing as everyone is commenting on pro boards, performance, fins, etc, I too think the pro board choice is limited by the tour. Maybe not limited, but squeezed in a certain direction.
One thing I noticed in the video was something very prevalent with modern shortboard three finned boards. There is always, well, very nearly always, the necessity to do a small direction change before committing to a turn.
I found this while riding three fins also. There was a need to break the ‘tracking’ before laying into a turn.
If you watch the video you will notice on virtually every wave a small turn before the committed bottom turn. Not a criticism, just an observation. And lots of people do it.
I tried to sent through the PM however the attachment function is not present.
Please find a full plan of the outline and rocker profile in full scale.
I have it for a 6’4 the way I would make it. If you need any adjustments let me know?
Ignore the rocker numbers as they are expressed as if the nose and tail are level in a machine.
Just cut out the rocker and you will find it to be accurate!