The Double Dong ride report

[Kookie1]

Length: 7’ 6 1/2" (2297.4)
Width: 21 1/2" (546.1)
Thickness: 2 5/16" (58.0)
Tail Stop: 31 1/2" (800.0)

Design:

The goals for this board were to glide like a longboard, but be survivable when caught inside.

To this end, I chose a bunch of low drag choices:

• very low rocker
• Pinched rails
• Straight, slightly parabolic outline ala Trinity
• Fat tail
• Twin fin (wanted Twinzer really)

I’ve been waiting for somewhere to build this board for nearly a decade. But rent is far too expensive, and I couldn’t find anywhere. So in the end I’ve just paid someone else to make it now.

I then went to a double ender not for swapping for changing conditions, but more for getting a second chance at getting this right.

A big package outside the door:

When I opened it, I instantly knew it wasn’t quite as I planned. It’s just really hard to visualise on the screen vs in the hand. It seemed a bit wider and also the rails weren’t as pinched as I envisioned.

I then opened the boat decking I ordered to use as a full length deck pad. I found that the sticky layer was peeling off already. On seeing that I planned to just peel it off. However,
After cutting to size, I found that I couldn’t peel off the layer. So, I gave up and stuck it down anyway. (later on this decking seemed to work fantastic - so it’s just a matter of getting the decking without that sticky layer and gluing it down yourself. I tried cork before and it was a lot heavier)

Next time when cutting the EVA foam, I’ll cut in straight lines for the length of the board and then cut rounded from measured points. I screwed up the cutting a bit.

Ride test 1:

Getting the board to the beach wasn’t that easy. I had to order a private goods vehicle. Surfing is particularly difficult here.

The area I am aiming this board at is mushy, but often goes hollow most days. However, there are some days where you need a longboard and that’s what this board is supposed to be for. There is also a smaller wave spot around the corner. This should pair the board with my normal board. That was the plan.

Initially it looked like small waves. Perfect. I started off with the narrower end.

COULDN’T catch a thing! Just doesn’t glide! Shocked.
Never mind, try the other end; the fat soap bar.

Fortunately this worked a lot better.

I think there’s a slight pin effect on the narrower tail and some how this really, really drags the board back. Maybe there’s more to it than this.

However, while the fat end is functional, the board isn’t CATCHING waves like a longboard. It just doesn’t get up and glide easily. It’s probably similar to a normal HPSB in that regard. This is a total failure.

However, when after you’ve caught a wave, it’s fantastic and glides amazingly well. It’s very fast. It works. It’s even possible to turn.

How well does it turn though?

Hard to say because that’s when my leash, which I’ve had for many years, decided to break. Twice. At different ends.

So I wasn’t able to test the board properly today.

Conclusions:

It seems to fail in its goal of catching like a longboard, but it works OK. It’s still better than a shortboard in small waves.

Er… Swaylocks please help? I don’t know what’s going on here. Why doesn’t it catch waves as well as I’d hoped… yet it’s fast once up to speed.

I’ve already tested low rocker 6-7’ boards, so this isn’t anything new for me.
The pinched rails I’ve also tested before, but these are less pinched. I’m not sure what to think of that.

The wide aspect is confusing. I like the stability. I just thought that was supposed to help early planing? Maybe I can contribute to the forum that that is not correct?

Maybe my error was not going higher volume, thicker…
But that was the primary objective.

[OSS1]

Ever take a normal board with normal rocker and paddle or ride it tail first?? That is what you are doing. I like the name though. And I got give you creds for doing something few would do. You had a vision and you went for it. Sometimes these things work out the way we want them and sometimes they don’t.

[Kookie1]

There is no tail first though

This is an intelligence test

And I failed

[OSS1]

No failure . You had results.

[Kookie1]

But which is it slowing it down? Rocker? Bottom contour? Outline?

The double end feature isn’t unique. It’s worked before. It must be something more specific?

[OSS1]

Rocker !!!

[Kookie1]

Wow! I thought I went as low as I could go I guess that explains why it’s unexpectedly better at turning than I expected

(by the way, for anyone reading this, if you’re available for a paid consultation over zoom to help me go over my next design, I’d appreciate it)

[OSS1]

Yes I was making reference to rocker when I made my comment about a backwards board. Reverse Rocker.

[Kookie1]

Thanks

Time to try again then!

Copying Emerick Ishikawa’s double ended twin rocker would be great, but there are no photos that I can find of boards like this. It must be possible. It works for him, doesn’t it? Or is it only working for boards designed for better waves?

I think the key thing is that it needs to be more staged. I think I don’t have enough flat section through the middle.

[OSS1]

You may be right about the middle. I believe what you are doing is workable provided you can work out the bottom. I think a combination of rockers that are staged is a possibility.

[Kookie1]

TDLR; small waves not so bad, but want to go flat rocker next time.

Ride report 2:

Very small waves today. 1’ or less. This was the situation I made the board for. Let’s see.
Expectations low after last time.

First wave, only 1.5’, but caught fine. Tried to turn and just couldn’t. Better get that back foot even further way back.

Second wave, 1’, but still caught! It seems it just needs bit of push. It’s not about size. Just trimmed /weak turned using the rails rather than fins. That felt pretty good.

After this, missed a few turn to slow bottom turns, but started getting used to it, only for it to really die below 1’.

Conclusion: I only tested the soap bar tail end. There was a longboard available if I wanted it and I didn’t reach for it, so that’s some proof to myself. It’s actually met its design intention today, catching waves I think I couldn’t on my shortboard, so I caught waves I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Great!

However, I think for the next one I’d like to go completely flat rocker. Firstly, that is very easy to take across builds and communicate. Secondly, I think it’s easier to just keep that as a simple constant while trying to find other ways to get it turning.
Although the board caught the waves, it still isn’t quite longboard territory. I think this design can do more. I’m also debating between totally straight rails or Trinity sidecut for the next one. The sidecut might help turning with the flat rocker hopefully.

[sharkcountry]

I know Emerick, met him about a decade ago, maybe longer. Turned out he once lived where I grew up and knew a bunch of my homeboys, so we became friends. He showed me his double tailed boards back then, most were short, under 7’ and he made them to have the wide point forward or the wide point behind center. That gave him a board that would have more drive for better waves, and also a loose board for smaller fun waves. The longest one was 7’ 6” and it was his favorite until he snapped it on the north shore.
One thing to know about Emerick is that he is a very good surfer, he rips on all kinds of boards in all kinds of waves. When I first saw him he was riding a fish and ripping.
He used to tell me not everyone can ride his boards, you have to be an expert surfer.
I wanted to make his design for years, but every time I started, I ended up making a normal nose rocker board. I finally made one, but I made mine 8’ long. I think that was probably a little too long, but I liked and rode that board as my go to for several years. Mine has a wide round tail with twin fins, and a narrower tail with a single fin. The board is basically like having the tail of a board on each end. It has a hard tucked edge from nose to tail and the rockers are about 2 1/2” on the single side and 2 7/8” on the double side. The single side has a double concave and the twin side if slightly concave but nearly flat. I preferred riding it as a single, the twin side felt a bit loose and not drivey enough for the way I surf. I also think the added rocker helps for the length. I really like the way it would glide and it paddled great, but I had hip surgery last May and have been having issues surfing the way I used to. I made a 8’6” with a little more nose rocker and normal nose and it is working out better for me. Here’s the bottom of my board.

Here’s a clip friend shot of me on that board 5 years ago.

[OSS1]

The man can surf, even on a “double ended”. Nice cutie at the end . Cool Harry. Did you make that board out of a blank you put together or a Marko? I like the “Pollack” art too.

[sharkcountry]

This was another board made from 4 sections cut out of a 4’ x 4” x 13” EPS block was used to be part of a floating dock. I think this was about 2lb foam. I’m thinking of cutting it in half and making 2 boards with normal noses. Not sure though. I made myself a new 8’ board and it will probably be the go to for a while. I’m hoping that by summer when the south side wakes up, I’ll be back to the short boards. I really miss riding short boards. but my pop up isn’t there yet.
I haven’t seen Emerick for a while, I hope he doing well. He was working as a lifeguard at White Plains Beach for a long time, but I’m not sure if he’s still there.