Bingo! It’s all about center of effort…
my most sincere apologies, rich. initially i had just posted a link to the page, but then decided to go the extra mile and display the content (hence the ‘edit’). i had meant to keep the link up there, too…but i brain-farted.
may i ask why you’ve elected to discontinue production on the Cheater II? …a buddy of mine has one and he loves it!..and i still can’t go into my local surf shop without eye-riding the original cheater they’ve got hanging from the ceiling.
Apology accepted. It was just a little irritating to see someone take credit for my 48 years of surfboard knowledge. But I have an occasional freeze or two and understand completely.
In answer to your question about the Cheater II:
Just as our other models, the Cheater II was scanned so it can be roughed on the CNC machine. However this machine is set up to do 2 (identical) boards at a time. Due to lack of customer demand, we have not run any Cheater II shapes in more than 3 years and are finally down to the last seven (which are not for sale at this time, as they will be put on Ebay). I could not afford to have the “other” Cheater II sitting around waiting for the next customer that wants that length board. It has taken 3 years to unload the ones that I have.
It takes about 8 times as long to hand shape a CHEATER II as it does to shape a stock (scanned) cruiser style board. I spend more than an hour on the step in the deck alone. We cannot ask a customer to pay a shaper 8 times his normal wage, nor can we absorb a loss on a surfboard. So this option was also out.
Hence, it is discontinued and I have been telling customers this for more than 2 years. I already have had some very expensive CHEATER II boards auctioned off on Ebay with the understanding that they are buying one of the last ones. They are numbered eight though one. I am a man of my word and I would look very foolish to go back on that word.
Unfortunately I have no timeline on when I will place any more on Ebay, and I do not have the time or capacity to keep a list of people to notify.
I’ve been playing with tail kick (1/4" in the last 6’) to try to get a balance in pin tails between forgiveness in late drops and drive off the bottom and top.
Led me to think that swallows could be like square or round tails (depending on outline) with “infinite” tail kick in the last 2" or so (because there is nothing in the ‘crack’).
…interesting point
but the more noticeable aspect is the “backwarding” of the back fin (thruster); providing more hold in the pocket
seems that in wider swallows like fish ones you would obtain a bit of flexibility too (good, cause the fishes have low tail rocker)