tail width on performance long board???

Opinions Opinions? Lets take a standard longboard say 9’2" by 22.75" by 3" with modern rails and a full enough nose to walk out on. We have to start somewhere. What kind of a tail would you put on it. How wide would it be and why? It think the choices are pretty much down to either a squash/square or pin tail but that’s why I’m making this post to hear what the great minds at swaylocks have to say. If you want to throw in some rocker / bottom configuration / rail suggestions so much the better. We’re talkin’ performance longboard here. Ideas, Ideas? Good Surfin’, Rich

Opinions Opinions?>>> Lets take a standard longboard say 9’2" by 22.75" by 3" > with modern rails and a full enough nose to walk out on. We have to start > somewhere. What kind of a tail would you put on it. How wide would it be > and why? It think the choices are pretty much down to either a > squash/square or pin tail but that’s why I’m making this post to hear what > the great minds at swaylocks have to say. If you want to throw in some > rocker / bottom configuration / rail suggestions so much the better. We’re > talkin’ performance longboard here.>>> Ideas, Ideas?>>> Good Surfin’, Rich I have found that the actual tail shape wasn’t the priority (cause they all do work ) but the rocker and tail curve is critical don’t know where you are but with that wide point I would try east coast-15" west coast-141/4 and P.R. or Hawaii–131/2" now to really get the wheels in your mind turning —what about a diamond tail say 51/4" E.C. at ( at the squared corners)–5" W.C. outer islands -41/2" great mind I don’t think so at least not in my wifes book…

Hey cdb, What I get from what you say is that the bigger the waves the wider the tail be it squash, diamond, spare or pin. Why? Less plaining surface in tail is better? Somehow that just doesn’t work for me but I’ve been wrong before. Best, Rich

Hey cdb,>>> What I get from what you say is that the bigger the waves the wider the > tail be it squash, diamond, spare or pin.>>> Why?>>> Less plaining surface in tail is better? Somehow that just doesn’t work > for me but I’ve been wrong before.>>> Best, Rich Rich, One of the best tails I’ve had on a “High Performance” long board has been a 13 1/2" rounded pin. Tri set-up, 3" side bites & 6 1/2" center. I would only use this board shoulder +, point break. It’was a turning machine, but of little use in knee-chest, slower wave. Good Luck

Rich- Just the opposite from what I read. CDB is saying for bigger, hollower waves go narrower tail. I’ve found lately that I prefer single fin all-arounder to have a 15"+ tail or so. The few tri or 2+1 setups I’ve owned seem to work best in 13.75-14.0" ranges. I prefer an 18"+ nose on them all, but that could be argued in bigger/hollower surf where noseriding is less frequent. Here is a wild card from out in left field. Go take a look at Bob Pearson’s 9’0" twin fin shape. (Bob’s Twin Fin/Pearson Arrow). Nothing new I’m told, Nigel Bechham in Australia has some current ones too. I’m itching to try this template with 8" fin boxes for R&D. 9’0" x 18.5 x 22.5 x 12.5, 6-7" high aspect ratio foiled twin-fins @12.0". Tom S.>>> Hey cdb,>>> What I get from what you say is that the bigger the waves the wider the > tail be it squash, diamond, spare or pin.>>> Why?>>> Less plaining surface in tail is better? Somehow that just doesn’t work > for me but I’ve been wrong before.>>> Best, Rich

Hi Tom S. I tend in your direction as far as tail width. Going single for speed (starfin cooks) and with small rail fins and a cutaway center for a little more bite when it’s appropriate but that doesn’t mean I’m right. Everything in design is a compromise of one sort or another. seems most long boards in the 9’2" range have a tail width of 14" to 14.5". I guess I tend more toward the G&S Comp shapes or August’s “Carroll” model,which are wider, but I’m really interested in everybody’s ideas. McCoy has some very interesting theories about tail width as well. I think the twin fin set up on a longboard needs a narrower tail to work. By the way, I’ve seen some Haut’s who has allot of great ideas do tin fin long boards (beautiful!) When he does them he cuts a shallow flat channel about 3-4" wide in the center of the tail of the board. It looks like a great idea to me for someone who wants to do a longboard twinfin. Good Surfin’, Rich

Halcyon: I got a really prompt e-mail from C. Horan early this past winter when I inquired about how to buy his fins. Never did order it. Tell me about the Starfin on a longboard setup. Is there a single template/length or multiple variations. Is it ridden as a single or with side bites? He gave me an address in Hawaii that he said would respond to orders, $30.00 out the door. Anyone else interested can either go to his WWW site or I’ll send you the mailing info he sent me. TS.>>> Hi Tom S.>>> I tend in your direction as far as tail width. Going single for speed > (starfin cooks) and with small rail fins and a cutaway center for a little > more bite when it’s appropriate but that doesn’t mean I’m right. > Everything in design is a compromise of one sort or another. seems most > long boards in the 9’2" range have a tail width of 14" to > 14.5". I guess I tend more toward the G&S Comp shapes or August’s > “Carroll” model,which are wider, but I’m really interested in > everybody’s ideas. McCoy has some very interesting theories about tail > width as well. I think the twin fin set up on a longboard needs a narrower > tail to work. By the way, I’ve seen some Haut’s who has allot of great > ideas do tin fin long boards (beautiful!) When he does them he cuts a > shallow flat channel about 3-4" wide in the center of the tail of the > board. It looks like a great idea to me for someone who wants to do a > longboard twinfin.>>> Good Surfin’, Rich

Halcyon:>>> I got a really prompt e-mail from C. Horan early this past winter when I > inquired about how to buy his fins. Never did order it. Tell me about the > Starfin on a longboard setup. Is there a single template/length or > multiple variations. Is it ridden as a single or with side bites? He gave > me an address in Hawaii that he said would respond to orders, $30.00 out > the door. Anyone else interested can either go to his WWW site or I’ll > send you the mailing info he sent me.>>> TS. TS, There’s just one size but along with developing some new templates I’m working on I’m going to do a couple of variations on it. The one that Cheyne has is a great fin. I don’t think there’s anything faster or smoother but side bites with it would be too much fin I think. The fin gives you all the power you could possibly want and is near impossible to break out nose riding but you have to key it into the tail rocker of the board so it’ll perform well. Start a little forward of you think will work best. Quite a surfer for 41 years old. Check out the Nissan XXL big wave challenge so epic photos of him there. He may win first prize for the wave of the year. Best to email him first if you want the fins though I’m pretty sure he at his home in Burliegh Heights, Australia right now. Good Surfin’, Rich