I’ve read some of Friedmans book and watched an interview with him. Good stuff. I know the chinese would love to make our boards. And maybe some percentage of the “surfing” population would by them.
But I think most people with common sense realize that the demand for quality surf craft built by surfers will never go away. I personally would never trust or desire a foriegn non-surfer to make me a board, heck I am even skeptical of aussies(wink wink).
I never really post to this site but I love seeing guys doing weird stuff to ride waves with. It’s all about loving what you do and doing what you love.
For instance me and pops were running down to the local dredging right reefbreak when we came across a local backyard board builder whos known for making crazy flex tails and other assorted gadgetry. He had a board under each arm and a sparkle in the eye. He babbled some barely coherent talk of “vacume pressed or something just like they do skateboards, and we sent in a patent the day after clark shut down…” The guys calssic but I was just stoked to see someone who was doing it and not kooking out at the local mini mall surf shop buying all the merricks he could afford.
Personally I would be fine with china taking a big share of the market to the detriment of the greedy surf manufacturers out here. Make them work a little harder to lower prices you know. Heck most of them are already overseas in some capacity now.
I personally destroy a surfboard in a matter of several months. I don’t see how any reasonable person can say that a surfboard that will fall apart rather quickly is worth such high money. I know what it takes to make a surfboard. I really feel like alot of the guys who get to make their living from surfing have totally lost sight of what a priviledge it is to be doing what they do. They see surfers as dollar signs and surfing as their mortgage payment…sad!
Go China!
PS- Just a little coffee induced rant.
1. what about Surftech direct with the T-Tail molded custom flex design in them?.this is food for thought. Then may be the product will be to good like ? 2. The cost benefits are an interesting Question . To answer it, let me give you a hypothetical. Say you buy 3-4 custom state of the art boards and break 3-4 of them in a year. As some surfer’s do! With heavy use in good surf conditions, at say $ 500.00 + that will cost you, the surfer $ 2000.00 + per year to surf and then still need a board to surf at the end of the year. Ok that’s the worst case. But when you look at what the Custom TTailed surfboards will be made of, as a molded construction hi-tech with stronger lighter materials and will surf infinitely longer and better and stay tuned for its full life span and still have a resale value. Like a Volvo in a year of use, that’s ready for you to sell or trade in on a new model. At under $ 1,000.00 price tag of your hi-tech molded custom TTail and you will still have a surfboard to surf or sell. By simply purchasing a custom TTail . If you do the math we just saved you! the surfer. $1000.00 bucks + its trade in value and you have had a years worth of surfing on the hottest ride possible. A real Custom tunable state of the arte surfboard ,shaped by the best shapers in the world ,identical to the shape they deem their MAGIC BOARD and put their name and experience with their R&D that went into it, on the line for you in perfect copies of their original designed Quiver recommendation.
So Thanks for the opportunity to answer this great question for you. As you can see the Custom TTG4 turns out to be the most cost effective Custom surfboard perches on the market.
- We are talking to manufactures as we speak and you will have the opportunity to buy one in the near future. All good things take time and the time will be worth it. Take Care and stay Tuned to the key of G… power, it’s coming. Skip and the INTHENO shapers are stoked on the new TTG4 design in there own shapes for their molded hi-tech customers www.SurfSyndicate.com
Understanding Mother Natures. laws of motion, fluid dynamics and physics, 101.
By Bob Tinkler
" For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"
As applied to the TinkleTail’s fluid hydrodynamics, verses Conventional; mono stiff? Or mono flexes? Surfboard Principles.
The TinklerTail: Principle.
While making a carving bottom turn, the rear rail flexes up increasing tail rocker to reduce lateral resistance and water separation in the arc, while storing energy in the now compressing springs in the Tail. Then drives the tail rocker with added power attained from the springs returning to their natural state. Forcing the tails planning surface back to its , straight speed position . This recoiling pressure is redirecting energy forward ejecting you out of the turns with added thrust. This energy storage system is applied independently to the right and left sides of the tails powered twist i.e.
Diagonal, " torque” while providing independent force on the bottoms variable tail rocker panel surface, through turns in response to body English i.e…” weight shift”, by the surfer. It would be similar to pumping a skateboard on flat ground and gaining that forward driving momentum. With the back wheels and trucks that stay constant and flush to the surface, for power transfer and control. While the boards rail to rail maneuvers are made.
The Conventional Mono tune: Principle.
Unlike the conventional mono tune surfboards, hydrodynamics, when put into a tight, turn on the concave face of a wave, the ordinary mono tune designed boards has to dig into the water in competition with the fins, hydrodynamicley producing increased tail stall. This causes water separation off the tails planning surface resulting in eddy-making drag that dissipates any accumulation of momentum or thrust, for maximum projection out of the turns.
Times Have Changed!
Surfboard design has been somewhat dormant since the era of radical tri-fin, thinner board advancements. There has been a refinement stage, a period where shapers and designers have polished their talents and hull shapes rather than developing breakthrough design innovations. The molded surfboards are now coming on the market, as the new breakthrough. However, they are still all faced with the same design problems of the past. With two additional ones, some pundits say molded boards are To stiff! & To light?
Ask your self What would it take to get both shapers /designers and board industry to understand and embrace on behalf of the surfers, this new and exciting concept that would bring with it a new era of creative board designing for shapers? In addition, open up to a new approach in the molded surfboard markets with this unique and individually custom. Tinklerized Technology……… The next generation, board Design.
A revolutionary breakthrough. In G power Surfing.”
As a shaper and designer, spanning decades of investigation in this field. my main objective is to broaden the capabilities. For advanced construction materials, that are strong, lighter, for the production of customizable all-around, wave specific, tunable surfboards. Offered in state of the art hull designers in a molded board. That can be offered in all brands and shapes reproduced in all the designers and shapers models.
Most surfers only purchase one pocket rocket or hotdog surfboard at a time hoping it will ride a vast array of wave conditions. My answer is the dynamic TTail’s custom flextail system.
In my Many years of extensive research and development, in this area of design and field of expertise in flex dynamics with patents and PPA international patents pending. my invention ,could be called an (instant shaping machine). That the surfer, along with the wave, can shapes and fine-tune for a wide range of wave size and conditions.
The Surfers become instant shapers by (Just adding water!)
The advantage of a TinklerTail over a custom or non-custom, stiff or flex model, mono tune surfboards is the ability of the surfer/ owner to temporarily adjust the tensions through the interchangeable spring system, the shape of the tail rockers pitch angle by each surfer, while still in the water. The surfer can read the waves, make the adjustments, and catch the wave without having to return to the beach, the store or Shaper or glassing room. This is being the most revolutionary and convenient customization of a surfboards performance ever.
The TINKLERTAIL design is described as such; “Recessed in the rear deck. I call the saddle of each surfboard are three tuning controls. The center one controls the longitudinal rocker line. While the outer two rail regulators set right and left hand rail curves with varying degrees of spiral twist that work together with the fins as one action allowing the fins to maintain a higher degree of holding power. Within these regulators are interchangeable coil springs that aid in the power and efficiency of the tail rocker to replace from it’s max! Of two inches (2") of tail rocker that is (designed in to it) , with punch, back to it’s( .0" rocker ), and ideal speed trim position for the tails bottom planning surface, when releasing the energy that is being stored in the tail, in rail to rail turns.” This is all happening smoother and faster than you could imagine. The TinklerTail becomes and feels like an extension of the body… i.e.( Supernatural )
The rail and rocker controls can be set with different spring tensions from 50 foot lbs of (torque) up to 175 foot lbs of torque to control and produced, regulated (thrust). To accommodate the different wave conditions and/or individual contestants surfing style.
In competitions Heavier, more powerful surfers would naturally be able to apply more pressure in a turn, so choosing the springs with heavier tension can be used, giving those surfers greater thrust out of their turns.
The symmetrical aspect of this design is very unique in that it has asymmetrical characteristics. One rail can be tuned with a different spring tension or a straighter rail line in the tail on one side for your longer projecting bottom turn. At the same time, you can preset the pitch, (angle of attack) on the other rail for tighter cutbacks.
These are both tuned with fingertip-controlled stoppers inside the springs that control the tail’s power twist and tail rocker curve.
The revolutionary function of this design enables the surfer to take this aspect of shaping, which could previously be done only in the shaping room. The surfer now have this unique ability to take the fine-tuning of tail rocker, rail curves and spring loaded spiral, power twist of the tail and dial in for the specific conditions that the surfer is riding. This is an incredible achievement. Never before has there been such a convenient way of modifying a boards planning surface in the water, just prior to catching the next wave.
Previous methods of adjusting the tail’s planning surface was done in the shaping room with a variety of tools such as power planers, sureform, sanding blocks, hand planes, and the shaper’s craftsmanship and glassing skills to go with them. You can see for yourself that these limitations for adjusting speed and turning personality in a mono tune, custom or non-custom surfboard, is very limited.
A conventional mono tuned surfboard whether it’s called custom, hand shaped or has come out of a mold would all have several debilitating design flaws:
1. You can only have one tune in the tall rocker one for speed or one for maneuverability, per board.
2. The location of the molds or shaping room and the shapers that controls the conventional surfboards tail rocker tune, is remote to the different breaks and ever changing wave conditions the local surfers will ride
3. The inconvenience for the traveling surfers that are out looking for that one perfect wave to suite that one unique and individual mono tuned board the shaper had tuned that particular tail rocker for.
The point is this; with conventional surfboards, the surfer has to make all the adjustments to his or her surfing that boards particular tune, therefore, compromising potential skill and ability. With the TinklerTail’s personally custom controlled tail design, That the surfer can simply adjust the boards to suit him or herself, for the best ride and surf condition they find them self in, for that surf break, day or session. Leaving surfers more freedom to advance and perfect their individual style.
In the custom hand shaped or molded versions, whatever curve that is shaped in the surfboards tail, be it for maneuverability or for speed, or the real killer that of a designers compromise between the two functions, To me as a Shaper/designer looking for perfection, is too great a sacrifice. But with my new TinklerTail molded boards, we can offer the best of both worlds. You will have. S&M with out compromises.
For that ultimate freedom in“ maneuverability plus! The faster, straighter, ideal tail shape for needed built-in speed. Bridging this, speed? OR maneuverability? Design conundrum. And after my many years of R&D in this field .I have found there is only one solution." Just produce a custom fleXtail that all the surfers can Tinker-with and dial the tail rocker in to what “they feel and soot their needs. ” with out compromises!
Tinklertail has essentially moved the shaping room into the ocean, the medium in which we play. This is an important and very significant evolutionary step, for the sport itself. It broadens the surfer’s personal choice to control how he or she will ride and tune the board’s power and performance for each surf session. Where better to customize you board than on the beach with the interchangeable compression springs, and in the water with the fingertip rocker control, where you can judge for your self and tune your board for the wave conditions instantaneously.
Having an adjustable technology for your fins that move in unison on the same plan as the tail, dramatically increases the efficiency of your board’s ability to hold and carve a turn by increasing the boards holding power in turns, also the ability to hold a straight line for speed, that is needed back in the tube.
As a designer and world traveled gypsy shaper with several decades of board designs, shapes and ideas with the necessary expenses of R&D to achieve the World’s first and only ultimate, tunable go-anywhere, anytime surfboard design. Now through the advent of the new molded TinklerTail, surfers will now have a choice in a revolutionary new surfboard concept, which has convenient fin and rail angle of attack controls, with these custom adjustments that are simple and easy to use. That will be an advantage to the surfers. And compliments any shapers hull designs, which they will continue to create.
TinklerTail’s , offers surfers everything, without taking anything away from the artistry and talent of the shaper designer in their general board designs. It basically makes a great thing…better. The customer is always right and personal choice can make anyone a better surfer in a broader range of wave condition. The end result of the TinklerTail is a forever-customizable surfboard built in the strongest molded epoxy construction methods. This makes its resale value in the second hand surfboard market a unique and more profitable. There is only one original custom controlled flex technology in surfboards. The custom TinklerTail …specializing in. flex tail designs since 1970
“ Smart is as Smart dose”! I did it for the love of surfing.
TinklerTail. The ultimate Custom G-Machine .Buy it! Ride it! Love it! USA Patents. .5425321 . PPA. International Pat. Pen. By Bob Tinkler: Shaper, Designer, Inventor, craftsman and Molding consultant.
