I with the idea of duct taping a few pounds of weight at diffrent places on to you board so this is more than theoretical. It also makes sense to me that the center of weight should be in the center of the board.
Cheers
With my boards the weight distribution is approximately proportional to the width of the board at any given point. . . . but I wonder what you guys are on about really. . . most of your boards are less than 10% of the weight of board and rider. . . and usually less than 5%. . . it’s not really going to make much difference where you park those few ounces. . . . now when the board approaches 20%, or 25% of the total weight, then the weight distribution is more of a factor.
Heavy boards get the centre of gravity down, and concave decks get it even lower, low is good !
Hi Bill,
That’s very insightful!
Having the CG slightly infront of the rider seems to be a good place to “balance out” a board. Now I was thinking what about lowering the CG of the board like they do in boats. A boat keel I think they call it. I’m not saying we should put keels on our boards but if the bottom of the board was heavier than the top then would that would help stability. I guess having the top heavier would make the board easier to tip from side to side but decrease stability. Does this make sense?
I saw a green tow-in board in Jack’s Huntington Beach which had a weight right underneath the rider. The weight was between the footstraps. It looked as if it was about 10lbs at least. The board looked like it was a sandwich type. Really short, like a groms board. It wasn’t for sale, it was actually screwed to the wall if I remember. But it always kept me thinking about the CG of a board.
Cheers,
Rio
Hi Roy,
You’re right. I think outline, rocker, rail thickness, etc. plays WAY more an important role to the effectiveness of design in a board than weight bias. I originally started this thread because it shocked me how unbalanced my compsand felt compared to my pu/pe. I just wanted to hear from those with experience what they thought.
Cheers,
Rio
Hi Rio,
Are you thinking that the compsand feels that way because it is lighter, or for some other reason? (like if the board is lighter it feels tail heavy because the fins are the same weight on both boards but the nose is lighter on the compsand?)
Exactly Roy. The board seems tail heavy because the fins are just like the poly. Also add the tail pad weight as well. Its not really a problem for my surfing. It just opened my mind to things I need to change when building boards like this.
Cheers,
Rio
Quote:
Bill,A person’s ability can/will make differences in performance.
Yes of course Herb!
The variables are immense when considering the rider as also part of the package.
How were you thinking your comment applied to location of weight. Did you mean that better surfers will locate their portion of the weight more effectively then a beginner would? I agree of course.
Quote:
I with the idea of duct taping a few pounds of weight at diffrent places on to you board so this is more than theoretical. It also makes sense to me that the center of weight should be in the center of the board.
Cheers
Good idea Rhino!
Check out this Bernie Baker photo of me at Pipeline from about 1971.
Note the dark spot on the tip of the board.
That isn’t a logo. It is lead weights secured to the nose!
I always strive to be “more then theoretical!” Ha!
As to the location of weight being centered. It depends on what you are trying to achieve with the weight that controls where you put it.
Quote:
Hi Bill,That’s very insightful!
Thanks Daklaw
Having the CG slightly infront of the rider seems to be a good place to “balance out” a board. Now I was thinking what about lowering the CG of the board like they do in boats. A boat keel I think they call it. I’m not saying we should put keels on our boards but if the bottom of the board was heavier than the top then would that would help stability. I guess having the top heavier would make the board easier to tip from side to side but decrease stability. Does this make sense?
Yes it makes sense. Again, depending on what you are trying to achieve with the weight. Designed instability is not necessarily a bad thing and can be an important positive design feature. Variable weight position could be an asset providing stability for beginners and instability for advanced surfers.
I saw a green tow-in board in Jack’s Huntington Beach which had a weight right underneath the rider. The weight was between the footstraps. It looked as if it was about 10lbs at least. The board looked like it was a sandwich type. Really short, like a groms board. It wasn’t for sale, it was actually screwed to the wall if I remember. But it always kept me thinking about the CG of a board.
This was common on early tow in boards. It is not so common now
Cheers,
Rio
Quote:
SNIPit’s not really going to make much difference where you park those few ounces. . . . now when the board approaches 20%, or 25% of the total weight, then the weight distribution is more of a factor.
Aloha Roy
Those few ounces (my example was 16 ounces) would be fairly insignificant on your huge, heavy boards. But it is dramatic on smaller, 6 pound surfboards. That is what we are “getting on” about.
SNIP
Excellent. Some new stuff to think about.
Good stuff gents.
thats right roy
in your hands they feel tail heavy
especially with heavy plastic fins
thanks for your thoughts Bill
Bill,
The advanced/experienced surfer will not only use the wt. Distrubution better,but using areas of the board not so commonly used, say by the average surfer…eg. nose riding is a fair/good exanple(I had many guys go humble when I nose rode a 6 footer better than they could on their 9+ boards)
…Even better…The guy who glides effortlessly for a long way,while others struggle on the same wave/equipment.
Nice talking w/ you,and thanks for your input,many here respect your views as I do…
…May He watch over you,always.
True, it all depends what sort of surfboard weight your feet are tuned to.
.
Aloha Roy, Silly, Herb, Craftee, Daklaw and all
So who is willing to do some testing??
http://www.perfectequipment.com/standard-adhesives.php
These can be purchased at any auto parts store and can be stuck on and removed easily to test weight positions all over the board. Of course they won’t work too well on the bottom due to water flow and such. Though some are pretty thin and might work well enough to determine deck and bottom weight differences.
I would love to see you guys actually try them in various places on the same board and hear what your experiences are. If you do, I recommend using more weight then less and then taking it off in increments to feel the difference. And riding enough waves with max weight so you adapt somewhat before forming opinions. Hard to do of course, in todays croweded surf!
Tom I don’t think they make these in sizes that would have much impact on your beautiful boards! Ha! [:)]
Bill,
I have done this w/ several other boards over the past 30+ years.
That’s why my personnal boards differ from what’s available to the general public,and why they are most likely sought out by certain well seasoned surfers.
I imagine for standard thruster ripping (feet basically not moving up/back the board), that the extra weight or centered weight of a board would be best if between the feet, probably just behind the front foot. It seems that this area would be good for forward drive/projection, allow for both the nose and tail to remain lighter to swing around for modern moves.
It is amazing to feel how light a new finished board is and then add the fins and tailpad and go “woah, what happened to the lightness and weight balance”.