-Lindsay Lords’ 1963 naval Architecture of planing hulls (thanks to whoever posted the pdf here)… By the way if anyone has a hard copy they would be willing to part with, I would be interested. Please PM me if so.
-Theory of Wing Sections, By Ira H Abbott and Albert E. Von DoenHoff
and
-Essential Surfing by George Orbelian
I am looking for more books of this type (leaning more towards the genre of the first two where it is pretty heady, scientific type stuff)…
If anyone has any they would add to this list I am all ears!!
I have either the 1946, or the 1954 hard cover printing. I can’t remember the print date for sure. If I can find it, I’ll part with it. It’s in good shape.
“Surfboard Design and Construction” by James Knistle
Back in the '70’s when I was about to shape my first board from a square-edged blank (before close tolerance), I got my copy of the book…I knew nothing about shaping…Never seen a board shaped, barely knew which tools to use…The drawings of the rail cross sections inspired me to look at boards as a connected series of cross-sections…For me it was an ephiphany…
Its still online somwhere my phone dowloaded it by itself last week I have no idea where from though. I pulled it out of my pocket to check the time and there it was.
Edit
Just checked my download history and its showing the source as hollowsurfboards.com
well this is a first attempt to post . “waves and beaches” - willard bascomb “applied hydrodynamics to highperformance sailing” marchaij and richard davies “coastal landform analysis”
Surf mags from the 60’s before the clothing companies took over. I mean how could you dispute the multi page Dewey Weber and greg Noll ads? How bout the super advanced Cooper Blue Machine by Morey Pope and the John Peck Penetrator. On the East Coast we had the Holmsey Sidewinder. All advanced designs for their time.
Probably more influential than any book, because of the interactive nature, for me its been internet forums, Swaylocks surfboard design forum, and Tree-to-Sea, the wood board builders forum. I just can’t discount the vast array of questions - design, technical, practical, theoretical, aesthetic, cosmetic, etc, that have been answered for me on these two internet forums.
I got that book by James Kinstle in 1978, it was a paperback edition. It helped me make the first 2 boards I ever made, but both were re-shaped from older boards, and I did everything. The book more instrumental in the physcal task of making a board than it was for designing boards. By 1978 I was making enough money to buy boards, so I didn’t do another board until 2005 or so. I figured that the boards I could buy were so much better than what I could make. My brother got a couple other paper back books in the early 2000s, but Swaylocks has been the biggest influence on designs, and most importantly, alternative designs and alternative materials. Here in Hawaii we were really stuck in the tried and true designs popularized by pros and the better non pro surfers. Swaylocks has shown me a whole other side of surfing and surfboards I never knew existed.
I Just ordered “waves and beaches”… all the other ones are on my list now…keep 'em coming!!
Also… I, Too didnt know who the book Surfboard design and construction was by…and COMPLETELY forgot I had downloaded it as well (and it was/is on my phone) til it was mentioned here! GREAT resource and i built my shaping stand using their plans in the back!.. I dont know if the pdf I have is the full book though. Mine ends on pp.135 (in the text not the pdf)…
I love reading about this stuff. and re: what I meant by theory… basically anything that is more scientific-minded that might make me a better board builder in the future… for both foam and wood.
I agree that sways and treetosea are priceless resources and I am continually thankful for all the help and encouragement from veterans … I love this place!
Thanks for all the pdf links too! All have been filed for study! I put together a binder of helpful information for me to go through and little tidbits ive learned on the forum. Im old school even though Im only 28, I like to write everything down still.
If you do not have an engineering background, this book provides a good readable discussion about fluid dynamics and drag. I picked one up for $3 or $4 at abebooks.com
Shape and Flow: The Fluid Dynamics of Drag, Ascher H. Shapiro
Also for a great review (video tutorials) about the physics of fluids/Bernoulli, I highly recommend the online Kahn Academy:
One thing that you can’t get from any book is what the ocean is doing at any given beach on a certain tide, wind, and swell. That must be learned through many hours of experience. Waves can be so different at a break that is only a short distance away from another break. Boards that work better at one of those breaks may not work well at all at the other break. All these variables are learned through experience or passed down from one generation to the next. That’s why the people designing boards need to have a lot of feedback from the riders. I feel that for this reason, you are better off getting a board from someone who knows the places you want to surf well. You still need to work with that person to match your style of riding or the board won’t be that good for you.
Luckily I have a pretty good understanding of the ocean as I was a lifeguard for many years on the ocean… Bit it seems the knowledge I have is compartmentalized ; i can understand what the ocean is doing based on swell direction, bottom topography, tides, winds, periods, moonphase etc… But I think what I lack is knowledge of foil dynamics and how the characteristics of each board effect the ride on each wave.
I think in my mind its like give a man fish he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. I want the lifetime knowledge not just to buy a board off someone.
Im willing to put in the hours for experience. I just need to be pointed in the right direction of where to find the info! Such a wealth of knowledge here im thankful every day!