While discussing my tip of the tail leash attachment over on FB, I was made aware of OGD Industries’ leash plug called “the wedge”, following the exact same rationale that led me to my “kite tail” leash anchor.
I wondered if the same logic had occured to anyone else, and now I know haha!
One benefit they don’t mention is no more leash cuts on the rails.
You know I had forgot about it, but there was a high impact plastic leash attachment around in the late 90’s on the Central Coast and the idea behind it was the same. No “tombstoning”. A local shaper was using them. He may have got them out of Santa Barbara. Ask the guys at Fiberglass Hawaii about it the next time you are in there. I bet Wade would remember having seen them.
so I finally paddled the board out into a few waves, too early for a meaningful evaluation, but at least I eliminated a few doubts.
It was about 3’ and crowded, kinda section-y and not lining up the way I like it. I got a half dozen waves, but only 2 or 3 with any meaningful face time.
I made the drop on several bigger set waves that ended up sectioning out, but just making the drop I could see that its a good paddler, catches waves with relative ease, and I have no problem paddling from up on the nose and really pushing down into the wave on takeoff. No issues with pearling or popping up.
While the nose appears narrow in the pics, it doesn’t feel that way in person. The generous curve, along with the substantial volume of the step deck, gives it a good solid feel.
The board paddles from further up than I thought it would, and it really moves out when you paddle.
The quad layout seems to work good, the board is definitely looser than my other quads. Again, too early to say much, but at least it didnt seem unusually doggy or lacking drive, like my maiden sesh with my stubby did.
It feels like a board you drive more than just ride, in contrast with my other boards. In other words its not a point and trim, you have to work it around the wave face. Which is what I was after, but still a bit of a transition for me.
Got a few comments on the shape being interesting, and on the tail block, a few funny looks at nose but nobody laughed at it or even commented on it, so far 
Hopefully more to come, and maybe some ride pics too eventually.
…hello Huck, so did you do that leash plug but then you always have the leash tight around the board…that s a no no. Happens two things the leash acts as a ballast and you lose paddling power.
-Spuddups the pointy nose is in relation to the outline. Some outlines should be narrow in the nose to prevent pearling in hollow drops.
hey reverb I’ll have to try to break that habit but it keeps the doggone thing out of the way 
Since I’m already fighting my own doubts on these one-offs, its kinda disconcerting to hear others’ doubts too, but in the end its probably a good thing, cuz it forces me to really think through my determination. And to be perfectly honest, Steve Huerta said the exact same thing when I told him the dimensions I had planned - “needlenose!” Can’t wait to get some decent rides on it to see what it can do. Crowd just a bit thick today, the few waves I got out on the face I was dodging surfers like slalom cones.
I like the way you foiled it. That profile shot is very telling. Could you remind me, just for reference, what the final dimensions ended up being?
Thanks new school, I don’t have it here with me, but the board ended up 7’ 10" along the curve of the bottom, a little less if you measured a straight line end to end, 21.5" wide, 11" nose, 15" tail, and I think the very tail was 7". Over 3" thick. The bottom single concave is about 3/16" or maybe 1/4" at the deepest, in front of the fins, and the deck concave about the same, IIRC.
Nice Huck, I like the foil shot also. It came out really well. You are on to something with the “nose ball”. Rubber or silicone nose blocks wouldn’t be so hard to do once the attachment to foam is sorted out. I’ve gotta do some more thinking on that. To me, it is a good idea. Like the Protek fins. Casting a silicone nose block that has a plastic or wood plate with tenon(s) to insert into the foam before glass perhaps. The plastic block could have a rebate or rabbet to accept the glass and have a stopping/sealing point and allow the silicone to project out. Whaddaya think? No?
Surfco has been selling soft nose and tail guards as long as they have been making the proteck fins. The noseguards from Surfco look a lot better than a ball, but may not have as much give on impact. I think they protect the board more than anything.
https://www.surfcohawaii.com/Nose-Guard-s/8.htm
Don’t mean to dis you Huck, but the ball is something I wouldn’t be able to have on my surfboards.
I think you nailed it for what you started out trying to do. The thickest part of the board is where it should be for paddling into waves. The outline should allow you to stay back and ride the turning part of the board more.
In the early ‘90s my brother had two 8’ boards that were just short boards stretched out for old guys. One was a BK and the other was a Downing. They were a great alternative to moving up to a longboard. Too bad that he was into a buy sell period and went through a lot of good boards that he never held on to. The Parmenter Stubb Vector is another one, he had several of those, but I don’t think he kept any. I use the template we took off one of the vectors a lot.
http://www.downingsurf.com/?page_id=44
tblank, you noticed I had protek fins - or just commenting in general? I think the most obvious improvement to most surfboard noses today would be to have the very tip stringerless. Cut an inch or two off the board, glue a foam tip on and shape it to match, keep the glass light on the tip of the nose, so it can just compress on impact. Easy to replace. This will be my plan if the little ball falls off. Doesn’t alter the board’s appearance, but there is something to give on impact. The stringer running to the very tip will not give on impact, not without doing serious damage. Anything softer than stringerless foam would only be a further improvement.
People put off by what the little ball looks like should take a look at what an injury inflicted by a pointy nose looks like. I had a friend fall in the whitewater and shoot his board right at me, he wasn’t even close but he had a long leash, the tip of his pointy shortboard hit my hip like a spear. It hurt like hell, I couldn’t surf for awhile, walked funny for a couple months, and now a half year later it still hurts some. My hip was deep purple red and pink, now that really looked awful.
sharkcountry, I have seen those little tips, there is a surfer who uses them at my regular spot, and they look kinda crappy cuz they don’t match the exact shape of the board’s nose, so they always look like a mis-fit. And it doesn’t look like it adds much cushion either, but I’m sure its better than nothing.
The yellow board you posted a link to is right up my alley. I followed a design rationale in my head when designing this board, and it came out to pretty much exactly what a generic shortboard outline is today. i.e. I wanted the main volume in the back half to minimize the need for walking the board, for turning I wanted a continuous curve through the middle causing the nose to be pulled in, and a little width in the tail for wave catching.
I think that the little ball looks kinda like a mickey mouse nose or something, but its not so noticeable that anyone has commented on it yet, which actually surprised me. Probably because its so small, like 1" diameter. I think a jacks ball is the right size, but this is a striking mallet for a tuning fork.
That’s right Harry! They make all kind safety stuff to protect the board and you.
Overall impression after a few sessions is good, but takes a little getting used to. Will give more details after I’ve had a bit more time on it. Here’s a pic on a small wave in at end of sesh.
Huck I agree with you on how the nose guards fit/look. My brother knows Dave, the owner and has been really good about supporting his tech. He gave me a board last year that had the nose and tail guards. I took off the nose guard, but I left the tail guard. I trimmed it a bit to make the water flow better. I have had 2 sets of the protect side fins and I have a 8" single. I don’t like the soft edge for fins. I prefer a solid fin and I feel that the soft edge reduces performance, but, they are good for beginners or kids. I made quit a few round nose boards, but I’m going back to a thick small board shape but with a profile like yours for my next board. I like getting into waves early, but when the waves get bigger at the spots I surf, the longer boards don’t do much for me. I prefer to have the control I have with a short board, so I’ll try a 3" or thicker short board. Dan Mann has shown how to make thick short boards. I can use his rail design to add thickness and still have a small radius curve. I’m moving away from the rail channels thinking that they disturb the water flow moving over the rail. But, one day I’ll get me another George Downing style board. It’s a one board quiver for old guys, and I’m quickly becoming an old guy.
Huck, protective surfco nose guards for pointy noses come in three sizes. Finish yours out to natural foil And I will send a wind surfer nose guard. Have white and gray colors . Nice board.
Charlie! How are U?
I might need to come see you and have you install some Red-X boxes. I bought a bunch for side fins on the softer EPS foam boards I’ve made. I can’t find instructions for installing them. I can make a router hole, but I’m not sure if there’s a special way to keep the resin from flowing through the hole. I guess tape would work.
hi Harry, come by anytime. if you want you can have my red-x jig and the router bit and extra fins. you just need strategically placed tape on the deck side to resin them in. I have no boxes left. A great system for backyard fin makers but pretty much unsellable to users and shops because of the non availability of the system. A surf board manufacturers dream in my opinion. Easy to install, eliminated production time and fore/aft adjustable and double foiled side fins before they were cool.
aloha.
Charlie
If you want to get boxes, Shaper Supply has them. They have 5-fin sets for $17.00 a set. I bought 2 sets. If you want some let me know.
Is that a new board for you? Hope the outer reefs outside your house go off this summer, and you get a chance to do some tow-in surfing. Bernie’s been working 16 hour days for a while, and he’s been too tired to surf, so I haven’t surfed in Ewa Beach or Barber’s for a while.
If I can come by, I’ll call first.
Take care, Harry.
I checked and have 8 boxes a bunch of fins and the router plate to work in the jig. I will never use it so you can come and get it all. The jig is an air pressure suck down type so an air compressor is helpful. Say Hi to Bernie.
Aloha,
Charlie
