I appreciated the responses I got for EPS vs PU for shaping my first board. I decided to go with poly. I am now working on the design and after looking at posts for rocker and the blank shapes available I would like some opinions. The board is going to be a 8’6" single fin, mild convex bottom with a bit of flex in the tail. I am 220lbs 5"10 and surfing on and off for 37 years. I want this board to catch waves well as a first priority. I surf Cottons, Church, Trails, the SC pier but would also like to take this board as an all arounder up and down the California coast. If anyone wants to suggest adjustments or blank type I would appreciate it. Thanks!
Nose and tail rocker, tail shape, and board outline, are classic late 1968/early 1969 design features. With the exception of the ‘‘flex’’ tail feature. Nothing wrong with any of that. The boards of this type, that I was making at that time, rode really well in both beach and reef breaks here in So. Cal.
I found a nice used bosch 1594 planer last week and purchased a 9’8"Y US blank. I have settled on a double ender in the 9’ range. I was thinking of soft V in the nose to a mostly flat mid section to double concaves with mild V in the tail. I plan on skinning the bottom, the nose and mid section seems simple enough. I am interested in how you guys do your tail bottoms. V first or concaves first?
To my jaundiced eyes that board is begging for a ‘2+1’ fin lay out… a center box 5"- 6" up with sidebite option somewhere around 15" up. Side plugs are easy to install and there are lots of different fins available to fit.
With a quiver of center fins and some sidebites you could increase the range of the board quite a bit. A big center fin used as as a single. Or a smaller center fin and sidebites for more of a thruster feel. Or small center fin moved way up in the box with longboard side bites for little waves… or a bigger center fin moved way back with side bites in bigger waves…
Seriously - a 2’ to 12’ one board quiver is pretty easy with the right fin set up.
