**There's a lot of shapers here on Sways shaping some nice boards. I've been shaping a lot of longboards lately. I'm interested in seeing other shapers, longboard shapes and reading your thoughts about longboard design. I'll start off with this one that I just shaped for my friend Rick Stetson. Wavecraft 9'6" Stetson Model Nose-Rider 18 1/2 x 23 5/8 x 15 Thickness 3 1/4 Soft chimed rails with scooped concave in nose area for stabilized nose ridding to displacement hull for easy turning and maneuverability 60/40 soft rails with nose and tail blocks. This shape works extremely well in large waves that are well over head as well as great nose ridding ability in smaller surf. — at Wavecraft Shaping Room. [img_assist|nid=1068268|title=Wavecraft 9'6" Nose-Rider - Rick Stetson Model|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1068275|title=Wavecraft 9'6" Nose-Rider - Rick Stetson Model|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1068276|title=Wavecraft 9'6" Nose-Rider - Rick Stetson Model|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1068269|title=Wavecraft 9'6" Nose-Rider|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]**
WC,
I'm in love again, I wished I was Rick Stetson, almost same dems on my LB, what are the rockers ?
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There are a lot of shapers here on Sways shaping some nice boards. I've been shaping a lot of longboards lately. I'm interested in seeing other shapers' longboard shapes, and reading your thoughts about longboard design.
I'll start off with this one that I just shaped for my friend Rick Stetson. Wavecraft 9'6" Stetson Model Nose-Rider 18 1/2 x 23 5/8 x 15 Thickness 3 1/4 Soft chine rails with scooped concave in nose area for stabilized nose riding to displacement hull for easy turning and maneuverability 60/40 soft rails with nose and tail blocks.
This shape works extremely well in large waves that are well overhead, as well as great nose riding ability in smaller surf.
— at Wavecraft Shaping Room.
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Hi Mitch. Nice board, and good idea for a thread. I don't know how much longboard interest there is here on Swaylocks, but I'll bite, because it is a subject I'd like to know a lot more about.
Here is my only longboard shaping experience, its 9 foot by 23" wide by 3 1/4" thick, single fin with box set 6" up from the tail. I was coached on the shape by BocoRio a.k.a. Dennis Hanson of Woody Logic / Dirty Crow surfboards. The nose is flat, the rails are pinched through the middle to get some foam out, and there is pronounced V out the tail.
Rails are very neutral throughout, no hard rails in the tail.
Its been a great all-around board for smaller conditions, I haven't had it in anything overhead. The rocker is real "relaxed", and it wants to pearl when the waves get hollow and the takeoffs steep. That could be operator error, but I haven't figured out how to prevent it.
I prefer a smaller board when the waves get bigger, and frankly I don't have the skills / equipment for riding a longboard in bigger surf. I would like to shape a longboard for bigger surf. Slightly narrower, pulled in nose and tail, and a little more rocker. Maybe triple stringer.
wavecraft, those nose/tail blocks are quite nice.
And I have the same issue with larger boards with shallow rocker in the nose. Steep surf makes me pearl, I try to get up earlier in the wave to avoid the steep part, or take off with the board pointing more across the wave than normal. Does anybody put a nice flip right at the nose to prevent this in longboards, but hopefully not interfere with the rest of the rocker or push water too much? I’ve never owned a longboard yet, but all the ones I see in the lineup seem to have pretty shallow rockered noses and I feel like I’d pearl on all of them.
But I think my next shape is gonna be a longboard shape, although not necessarily as long, I really want to get into nose riding. So I’ll take my set here to see some nice stuff.
I’ll bite too. I rarely post up here, but I’m into longboards. Been shaping a fair amount of noseriders lately, specifically one we call the “Crane”. It’s essentially a modern “pig” noserider. The widepoint is pushed back behind center to make the rails more parallel to the face of the wave generating more speed. Soft rails throughout, decent amount of tail kick and a deep blended teardrop concave for lift and stability.
However, on our most recent creation, we decided to nix the concave, and make a step deck, trying to get the nose to flex while stepping out onto it. To enhance this flex, we added a custom “wedge” stringer. Rounded the board out w/ a nice redwood tail block. I think the dims we were working with were 9’7" x 23" x 3 1/4". The ride reports are coming back very positive on this one. Hope you enjoy!
I find getting up and back quickly saves the pearling on steep drops epecialy if timed so you can almost stall it then push down with the front foot.
my first board 9x22 3/4x3 1/4
The Blank used is U.S. 9’8"Y the natural nose rocker from the nose about one third down is about 4" but on this board do to the scooped concave adds about another 3/8" in fist 30 inches of nose area. The natural rocker of this blank at the back third through the tail is about 3 9/16 this shape is +1/4" in the last 18 inches. So That’s + 3/8 first 30 inches, + 1/4 last 18 inches Hope this helps
Looks pretty nice Huck. The tail looks pretty wide at the end though. I prefer to pull the tails in, the last 10 inches or so to about 4 to 5 inches max. for better turning when shifting weight to the back of the board. As far as the tendency to peril tommorth Petty much summed it up. Get in early, jump up quickly, shift your position back toward the rear to bring the nose up and turn parallel to the wave. Then off you go, walking your way up to the nose. Steep brakes especially beach breaks have always been tricky to negotiate for longboarders. Long point breaks are fun and more more suitable for long-boarding.
dutchy: That board looks pretty sweet. Nice innovating. Thanks to you and everyone so far for taking the time and interest in this thread. Please keep it coming.
You really don’t want to flip or add a pronounced rocker to the nose area of a longboard. You want the nose area to be a water planing surface. If you want to add rocker, make it gradual through the nose or tail area and minimal to the natural rocker that the blank comes with. You can order a blanks with + or - rockers. For example 9’8"Y +3/8 in. fist 30 inches, +1/8 in. last 18 inches. A longboard shouldn’t be to flat ether, a nice gradual rocker from nose to tail seems to work great in my designs. Take a look at my reply to Huck regarding the tendency to peril.
P.S. I like Leela, that one big eye is awesome. (Don’t know if I spelled her name write)
Boy, Greg,
Bet your glasser moans and rolls his eyes every time you pull up with a truckload of those channel bottoms…
Nose to tail
Im not a hardcore longboarder, but this 9'1'' is a gem. Been umming and aahing about selling it for another Josh dowling board, but man its such a great board, and when i surf it i love it. In overhead and hollow its sketchy, but i reckon you'd have to be very good to surf a longboard in overhead and hollow ( and im not ). Turns fine too, even with a 10" dolphin fin ( which is huge! ). Hoping to get it wet in an hour or so!!
They all look fantastic. Defiantly a master at channeling. How do the deep channels through the tail work for nose riding?
Here are couple i have done over the past couple months:
9’2" Single Fin Yellow Pintail
9’4" with Influence from Australian shaper Peter Clarke
9’ Pintail
9’4" with Influences from the Jacobs 422
It is a cool board. I like that concave nose and the egg rails. Modern but retro at the same time.
Matthew nice to see your work. Is that cool little house with the flower box windows the shaping room? How’s the planer?
Oh no I could only wish my shaping shed was that clean looking! That be the nice shed over at the parents house, no shaping happening there haha. I have been putting that planer to work, it is definitely being used a lot!
Very good Matt. I have another planer that I just recently decided (reluctantly) that I’m willing to part with. I haven’t actually made the effort to sell it yet, but I will let it go. If you know some one worthy let me know. It’s a 7.5 amp. I’ve gone completely through it myself, new bearings, new belt, new cord and boot, Fresh blades, Casica modified shoe, uncut base foot. It’s nice.
$650 + shipping
Pictures Please