so many questions.....

General Discussion
1

Okay- i’ve been searching this forum for about 5 hours now trying to learn as much as i can about dimensions, bottom shapes, tail shapes, rails etc.

my first question is: is there a definitive source of information that will explain board design for me? i have tried looking in the resources section but all i get when i click on them is a page asking for me to submit a review?

if there is such a resource you can point me too i will be much obliged and i can go away for a while and stop annoying you (:

if not…

second question (this’ll be a long winded one-sorry) : i am currently surfing a 6’6" x 18 1/8 x 2 1/4 rounded pin. it is a single concave to vee, and the vee is only for about the last 12" or so (between the fins). very little tail rocker and what i would guess to be average entry rocker. i am 6’ and 160 lbs. This board is on the way out and i can only really afford to buy one board so i need some advice on dimensions and shape etc.

I have only seriously been surfing for this winter, and i have learnt to surf on this board. I can get up, go across face, turn etc. i surf about 3 or 4 times a week. I find the board generates awesome speed when the waves are about waist height or larger, and i can do some really nice sweeping carving sort of turns, (as opposed to vertical ripping) but i’m not really good at pumping and pivoting yet so i tend to stall a lot on smaller stuff. The break that is 300m from my house (where i spend a lot of time) is an inconsistent beachbreak that closes out in anything over about 3 or 4 feet-i often have trouble making sections on this break. when it gets big i go elsewhere, usually to a reef break or a big, fattish beachbreak that breaks better. in waves less than 2 or 3 feet i have real trouble just getting momentum (again, the lack of pumping ability).

what dimensions and shape should i be asking for from a shaper? in terms of dimensions, i know a lot of you will be saying 6’6" is too long, so i was thinking shorter, wider and thicker. my understanding is that the board i have is more designed for bigger waves? (rounded pin tail, vee under tail, single concave, thin, narrow), and i want to get something more versatile. as i said, i can only afford one board, so what size/shape should it be?

basically i want more speed on smaller waves without having to pump, but still have a board i can grow into that doesn’t skit around in OH.

i’ll start the bidding at lets say 6’3" x 18.5 x 2.5??? shorter but more volume for the smaller stuff?

rounded square/squash tail (for more drive? will this improve performance in smaller stuff?)

rails? someone? anyone?

bottom shape? i have no idea- everyone seems to go for single to double as a common shape? why?

fins?- is there a way to make a board better for certain conditions by changing fins? what made me think of this is what would happen if you got a CI MTF twin finner (good on small stuff?) and put a larger middle fin on it for bigger days?

sorry for the mamoth post

2

On the first part of your question, there is a book available. It is dated but very good

Essential Surfing

There is also a large PDF of a 70’s book, with templates included which is very useful too, I forget what it’s called but it is attached to a posting a few years ago.

Oneula has a cd of collected topics, maybe someone could give you (and me!) a copy.

Otherwise there is no single source. In fact there is even disagreement on what concaves do and how they work.

But you must have picked up something after 5 years. What explained a lot to me was to picture the water flow across the bottom of the board at all teh stages of a ride.

That 6’6" sounds like a semi-gun, It’s say it sucks in smaller waves. A lot depends on what you want out of surfing. If you want to ride like a CT pro go that direction, short board and lots of wiggling in small waves, it’ll improve your pumping. But for all round fun in small waves, making sections etc, I personally would go for something 5’10" X 21 X 2 3/8 quad or something. There is also a whole bunch in between. EG Webber afterburner.

Hope this helps

3

searching for five hours/

surfing just this one winter?

laddie you have come a long way from bristol

but you still have a long way to go.

if yer were fron los ustados unidos

it is you come a long way from st louie but…

the shortest and most educational step you can take is to learn to walk.

get a 9’6’‘-11’ board and learn to manipulate .

walking will teach you more about trim in three months than 8 months of grinding a 6’6’'…

this is just my haughty know it all opiniion

maybe I’ll feel diffrent later

every dementional limit is…

a set of blinders you adjust your senses to.

ride em all

enjoy every minute and

prepare to ride somthing diffrent

in the future when you think you need to.

searching for 5 hours…

heh heh.

…ambrose…

4

Hey burnsie and west oz,

This link still works, and this is the 1977 Surfboard Design and Construction book. Very good read, but theory on how a fin works I think could be better. AWESOME construction info. I do my railband measurements exactly as he describes, very hard to screw up.

http://jfmillbiz.home.comcast.net/…onstruction_1977.pdf

JSS

5

link no longer works

6

this one does

http://jfmillbiz.home.comcast.net/swaylocks/Surfboard_Design_and_Construction_1977.pdfes

7

Above link should end with “.pdf”…you have to delete the “es” at the end…

click HERE …thanks Scott.

8

thanks burnsie- so the 6’6" being a semi gun means i can definitely come back to more of a compromise for smaller stuff. A quad would be good in smaller stuff, but i need it to also handle OH ish waves. not looking to ride like a pro, just want something fast and easy to turn in most conditions (including OH).

ambrose- i guess i deserve a bit of a burn for all the noob questions but i definitely do not want a mal as my only board. I use my mates’ every now and then when its small and they’re fun, but they’re really hard to turn and take steep drops with. i would “ride them all” if i didn’t just buy a house and could afford to. considering i can surf my 6’6", i’m definitely not going backwards onto a mal.

anyway, thanks for the links guys-i had a quick glance at that PDF and there’s some pics in there that look very intricate and informative- so, as promised, i can now go away for a while and leave you alone :wink:

(but i’ll probably be back when i’ve finished reading it-ha ha)

cheers

9

for anyone in my position searching this forum for answers in the future, here’s a link i found that explains the very basics of board shape, which was useful:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/surfing/54466/2

the above article was a bit too basic- something in between that and the other PDF posted here would be good.

i’m surprised swaylocks doesn’t have a sort of ‘board bible’ section with all these questions and answers? would stop people like me asking annoying questions…

haha

cheers fellas

10

sticktheory.com

It’s a sways offshoot. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Later,

drew