First off, great forum you guys got there. Lots of info and knowledgeable folks around. However I still have some basic questions before jumping into the build. Here is some background:
I’ve always been attracted to surf, but living in Montreal (Canada) makes it some kind of an unpractical hobby. I was quite reluctant to do a surf trip down south and waste the first few days just learning to stand on the board. However, I recently found out that there was a good stationary wave nearby so I figured this could be a good starting point. If I could learn the basics here, this could make a surf trip much more enjoyable. Anyway, here is the wave:
Now, after reading on different surfboard outlines, tail shapes, rocker amount, etc, I am a bit confused. In the two above videos, they seem to use short gun boards but I could be wrong and I can’t see the tail shape. So first question:
1)What shape would be recommended for this kind of wave? And general dimensions for my weight (6’1 @ 160lbs)?
I have started fooling around with Aku but I’d appreciate some general pointers so I can have a functional board for what I want to do with it.
I’d like something not too “beginner” (stable). I don’t mind having a tougher learning experience if this means I could have a fun board when I get better a it.
My second question is about foam. I have decided that I’d go for a Polystyrene-Epoxy build. At the hardware store, they have to kinds of polystyrene planks that look like this:
I am guessing that the first one should be used (stiffer and i doubt the bubbles in the second material would yield a good finish), but I could be wrong… Just want to make sure.
Tell me where that "bitchin' " wave is and I'll give you all the secrets and tips you need to not only learn to surf, but also how to build a righteous stick to ride said waves.
That wave is right behind the “Habitat 67” on the Canal Lachine. Google map “habitat 67” and you can see the white line from the wave on the water. You can’t miss it!
I'm thinking you need something along the lines of a late '80's Thruster. More meat in the chest area thru the tail. A typical shortboard rail, but softened to absorb the bounce and mushiness of the wave. AND------------ Yes for your weight you could shorten your ride. If you are a beginner leave a little thickness and length in it this time until your ability improves and shape something quite a bit shorter the next time around. If you leave the thickness in the chest and tail you could drop to 6'4 or 6'2 on this shape. A good surfer could easily ride something under 6' even in this mushy wave provided there was some size to make up for the lack of power. I'm thinking a round-tail or rounded pin, with a little extra width. Basically an 80's single fin without the channels and equipped as a three fin thruster.
By the way the guy with the black/green neo is surfing a 5’3 x 18 1/2.
At first a river doesn’t really limitate you to one type of board.
The most important thing will be that you have enough glide, otherwise you won’t get the wave. And the board has to float you very well at the beginning. The takeoff on your wave will be much harder to learn than in the ocean. So go for a flat rocker, you don’t have steep takeoffs, you don’t need a highly rockered nose, only a kick in the front part to not dig it under water.
Please forget your minigun, you won’t have fun on it. Also your height doesn’t have influence on the length of your board on a river. I know 6’0 guys surfing above 5’0 boards. Go for something about 6’0, if the board is too long it gets too difficult to turn it. I myself won’t go over 5’6 in my personal boards.
MCDing foam under your chest is the reason many shortboards don’t work good in a river, but the point with having it in the tail is the way to go!
The most needless feature is a typical pointy shortboard nose. Cut it off or go for a round nose.
The wider your tail the easier you stay in the wave. I wouldn’t do a pintail. Important is a bigger surface area in the tail so do a squash/diamond/fish tail.
Thruster or quad is only a point of personal preference.
My board to go would be my 5’5’’ x 19’’ x 2’’ or as the wave seems really flat perhaps going a bit longer to 5’9 x19 x 2 1/8 and I am 5’9 and 170. But as you are a beginner I would shape a 6’0 x 21 x 2 1/4. If you want a bit more compromise go for 20’’ width.
I want to redesign my current board with AKU, when I’m done I can send you my file.
Well I'm not a "river surfer" and it's not likly that I ever will be. So my knowledge is limited to designing and shaping boards for Ocean waves The idea of extra thickness in the chest is to ehance the ability of the rider to catch the wave. Twenty inches is good. Alot of the boards I was referring to from the 80's were in the twenty inch range. You ability level is what it all hinges on. Be realistic, but shape something that will challenge you. The offer of a free file/template is something you should accept. It will give you a starting point.
Will do for sure! That would be much appreciated. I’ll be
waiting for that before making my templates. Anyway, I’m still in the
process of setting up my shaping room (got to move some big machines to make
room!), so I can wait a bit.
Quick AKU question: when I’m in “side” view of the board, if I click on the “N
rocker” button to adjust it, the bottom left info field says “Use up/down arrows
to adjust nose rocker”. I have tried every arrow I could find (keyboard/screen
on two different computers) and none of them seem to modify the rocker. I can
move the keypoints manually but this does not give good results. Any idea of
what I’m doing wrong?
This is good news… The sharp pointy shape seems harder to glass. I would
expect having a lot of trouble avoiding goofy folds in the glass fabric.
Even better news… Since I’ll be making my own blank from scratch, this will
save me a lot of work.
Just rip the front door off on the way out and save all the stress, if that don’t work try the back door or one of the hollow core internals. Sort of ya poor mans Alia
Oh, careful of the door handle, can be known to rip your balls out if you take gas. But leave the doorbell on,as it really lets 'em know your comin and remember…the postman only knocks twice.
Shit ya may even get pizza delivery or a foxy Avon lady drop in on ya…the mind boggles
anjinsan, if you havn't figured out how to do the nose & tail rocker button on aku yet, on my computer (pc) you use the up/down arrow keys on the keyboard. It goes in pretty small increments so you might have to hit it a few times to notice. Also, if you have the mouse curser over the nose/tail the rocker measurements that show change accordingly.
Hey, thanks to you Sparky, it now works. Was very simple in fact: After clicking the “T Rocker” button, I was leaving the mouse cursor in the menu, thus pressing up/down arrows was just switching the selection in the menu. When I hovered it over the nose as you suggested to see the measurement, pressing the arrows will affect the rocker and no longer the menu.
Rocklobster, don’t know where that came from, but I had a good laught.
Ace, good idea… waves are very similar behind a boat. I’ll go take a look at how they are made in a shop tomorrow.
As for my foam questions, I didn’t notice the difference (exTRUDED and exPANDED) on the label at the hardware store. Found my answers now.
Be careful with a boat wake board. Most time they are too small for your wave. In a steep wave they are ripping machines, but your wave is ways too flat.
Attached is a pdf from my board (5’3 x 18 1/2 x 2) that I scaled up a bit to fit you. Sure you can go a bit smaller but this would be my beginner/intermediate board to go to be sure I’ll have fun on the wave. Going to small in size and tail will frustrate you if you can’t get a wave.
