rail profile on short single fin

[shapaholic2011]

@$1

Thanks.

They worked well in the right conditions but in my experience they were limited in their design. The first board I had was a 1970s Instinct single-fin (like 5’6’'!). Clean fast waves are fun, but add texture and some bogging sections and it’s not fun at all. Also with the pin tail it’s not real conduscive to backfoot-heavy California surfing, which is what I do.

C 

then howcome some sort of down rail won’t work?? I’m VERY heavy footed , but all of my boards had some sort of down low rail…I also heard Greg Griffin might use some form of a low rail also? Anyone. I think I know what you mean, if they are very hard in the corners -they can be sticky in mush…that’s why you can roll the edge more if you choose…it’s not like every down rail has to have a hard edge. Think about it.

[shapaholic2011]

@$1

@$1

Thanks.

They worked well in the right conditions but in my experience they were limited in their design. The first board I had was a 1970s Instinct single-fin (like 5’6’'!). Clean fast waves are fun, but add texture and some bogging sections and it’s not fun at all. Also with the pin tail it’s not real conduscive to backfoot-heavy California surfing, which is what I do.

C 

then howcome some sort of down rail won’t work?? I’m VERY heavy footed , but all of my boards had some sort of down low rail…I also heard Greg Griffin might use some form of a low rail also? Anyone. I think I know what you mean, if they are very hard in the corners -they can be sticky in mush…that’s why you can roll the edge more if you choose…it’s not like every down rail has to have a hard edge. Think about it.

I’ve had fuller egg rails - with the rounded bottom corners that worked ok in mush to over head…but that board was too corky and would once in awile spin out… use whatever floats your boat. It’s your board. Just remember thicker rails are very difficult to get up on rail…if your just shoot n down the line any rail will do it…that board I tried w a lowish Brewer rail seemed to be decent. But I had a stinger back in the day that had kinda a corky low rail w a sorta hard edge that flew! But that a extremely flat bottom.it took me five solid mos to figure out how to surf it. It rode well in mush -to a little over head fyi. One thing’s for sure, get a fu
Box fin! When I build a single or 2+1 you can bet I’ll be using a box!

[shapaholic2011]

@$1

You can’t compare longboard rails to shortboard rails. Also, you have to look at the bottom on those longboards. Is the bottom slightly rolled? Lots of longboards combine a slightly rolled bottom and a narrow 50/50 rail that some call pinched. The pinched rail has a small enough radius to allow the water to release. Hull boards use this type of rail.

A longboard uses the length and smooth rocker to give it speed, but you don’t have that with short boards.

The videos I’ve seen of McCoy explaining his rails talks about a hard edge starting from the fins, but a softer edge ahead of that. Wegener’s video about the modern shortboard is similar, the rails in the tail have to release water.

As far as hard edges all the way, I like them, but they are tucked under edges, so there’s a round component as well. I find these boards to be the fastest boards I have. I will start my edge about 12"-18" from the nose. My smallest board is 5’10" x 19.5" x 2.5"

I built a thruster -just as you describe; lowish rail, but with a med rounded bottom edge…I made the rails hard edge from a bit in front of fins. Sadly I never got to try that bcuz I sold it to a friend. He ripped on it FYI. Atleast, I witnessed it first hand. He loved it. It was my own ideas when I shaped it. I recall I rounded the corners on bottom last, and I tucked bottom edges a bit…under the edges…from fins near nose where I rolled edges more n nose.

[CrawfordC]

Wow thank you guys all so much for contributing. Gives me something to think about but it also gets me excited about shaping again. It’s been several years off now. 

artz, what you say about rocker is interesting and I think true. It affects everything. Thank goodness the blank I bought has a great rocker profile because I’d for sure mess that up! (Although I must tell this: the only board I ever shaped the rocker into myself I was carrying to show a friend when Rich Pavel walked by and said, “let me see that board.” Then: “Great rocker, that’s what I call natural rocker. Good job.” I wasn’t proud because it was luck but that was good enough for me!)

Lastly, yes, Hanel makes great boards. 

Thank you!

C