Not really much to say right now, I cut / shaped the concave into the deck as shown. I glassed it with a single layer of 4 oz cloth. But I didn’t fill coat and finish the modification, as a variety of life issues took priority and I had to put this on the backburner for awhile. Hopefully get back to it soon, it doesn’t need much to get it ready for a second trial run.
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I hope to read about the second trial run soon.
Will you add anything (EVA, Gryptalite) for surface traction/grip?
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One of the things I really like about the air mat is that you can keep the underinflated. I saw a video where GG shows how much he inflates his mat and it led me to do something similar. The nice thing with the underinflated mat is that you can constantly change the shape as you ride to get the most out of the wave. I could pull up one edge to make the mat stiffer. My mats are the small canvas very inexpensive type the outdoor sports store used to sell. I paid about $11 per mat and I still have one that is brand new, one has a leak so I have to keep blowing it up, and one that was fine when I last used it.
Harry - its def not an air mat. Its a prone board, but inspired by the shape of an air mat. Hopefully it will ride something like an air mat when its in trim, but the rest of the time its just a high volume prone board.
I think I messed up I should have put the leash in front and wear it on my wrist.
What did you use for the deck pad?
Def want your leash plug up front.
I have been using glue-ons (out of Hawaii) on the surface to avoid boring holes through my XLPE protos.
I find centered leash attachments at the tip of the nose allow the board to align hydrodynamically and float/glide over the top of the whitewater — less leash tension/drag.
Ride report?
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I used a yoga mat about 1/2” thick.
Appreciate the advice on leash attach location.
No ride report yet.
I know it’s not an airmat. It will be interesting to hear a ride report.
I have been wondering about a design similar to that bottom, but ending flat. There’s a ship, M80 Stiletto, that has huge concaves up in the nose that end in a flatter bottom in the rear. I’ve been thinking that would create a lot of lift. The design would work with the short wide plan shape of a belly board.
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A bit like the “Pentamaran” hull.
This BB shape was inspired by surfmats.
But IMO the 5, linear concaves are the inverse of a surfmat and would generate significant tracking.
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sweet! cut that thing way back 3 inch maximum thickness you need to be able to duck dive or you can’t catch waves
how are you getting that thing out past any thing of consequence ? its too floaty
People have been surfing air mats for several decades. Air is more buoyant than foam. Air mats are similar in shape and dimensions to Huck’s creation. Air mats have roughly the same thickness as Huck’s new surfcraft.
Video
And they suck to duck dive ..same problem..I ride mats myself
Then you are familiar with nature of the beast.
Huck did this one just for the fun of it…
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I like what you did with this thing Huck and your determination to get it the way you want it. Yes as Stoney said leash up front on the wrist. A lot of guys will grip the leash in the palm of their hand when they are blasted off their board/mat even though they have a wrist strap. Just a natural reaction. You can buy boogie board leashes online and elsewhere. I put one of those stick on attachments on a Yater that I had. A fairly heavy classic board shaped by Lauran Yater. It didn’t have a leash plug. So I glued one of those plastic attachments on it. I didn’t trust the self adhesive though. I used five minute epoxy.
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