This might help (Quoted straight from Swaylocks Archives):
how does rocker affect (short)board performance and paddling/getting into waves? i am asking because the current board that i am riding works really well in a variety of conditions, but sometimes it seems like it paddles a little slower than it should, so sometimes its hard to get into really steep and jacking waves and i get pitched a lot. is this just me being a kook or is my board contributing to this?
its an al merrick flyer, and it has a lot of nose rocker, which seems to be characteristic of al’s boards.
i just got a 7’0 semi gun that i haven’t been able to use yet, but it has a good deal less nose rocker than my 6’6 merrick, so i’ll see how that handles…
can anyone give me the low down on nose rocker? i think i have tail rocker down, if its flatter it the board is drivier but stiff, and if its more tail rocker the board is loose and skatey, right? so how about nose rocker? it seems like it wouldn’t affect performance because the nose is hardly ever in the water anyway… and i know that the more planing area of the board is in the water, the faster it paddles… so would less rocker make it paddle faster and get into waves earlier? if this is true, how would nose rocker affect performance, if at all?
help!! please
[/url] <div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-weight:bold">Re: understanding rocker.....</span>
cdb – Monday, 11 February 2002, at 8:27 p.m.
how does rocker affect (short)board performance and paddling/getting into
waves? i am asking because the current board that i am riding works really
well in a variety of conditions, but sometimes it seems like it paddles a
little slower than it should, so sometimes its hard to get into really
steep and jacking waves and i get pitched a lot. is this just me being a
kook or is my board contributing to this?
its an al merrick flyer, and it has a lot of nose rocker, which seems to
be characteristic of al’s boards.
i just got a 7’0 semi gun that i haven’t been able to use yet, but it has
a good deal less nose rocker than my 6’6 merrick, so i’ll see how that
handles…
cKINDA TRICKY QUESTION HERE; but I’ll try to help—yes nose rocker affects paddling especially on a short bd. now it gets hard to determine because of all the factors in place—it could be as simple as body placement on the bd.or your riding an under sized bd—both would cause you to push water thus making it hard to get into waves—proper rocker placement should not change the paddlability of a board and this puts most of the rocker in the front 20% of the bd with a slight lift under your chest area & now having said that you get into thickness flow and where the meat of the bd is that too affects your paddling—not knowing Merrick’s exact thickness flow & rocker combo on this model its hard to say buut he probably has it somewhat down since I don’t see Kelly struggling—another food for thought is paralell to having too short a bd . is too narrow a front 1/3 to support your body mass its almost the same as too short but w/ a slightly different slant—so w/out any specifics all i can offer is food for thought and tell you to talk to the most honest surfboard designer in your area and ask him to dial you in if possible or tey suttle variations on other bds till the light goes on .Hope some of that helps------ anyone give me the low down on nose rocker? i think i have tail rocker
down, if its flatter it the board is drivier but stiff, and if its more
tail rocker the board is loose and skatey, right? so how about nose
rocker? it seems like it wouldn’t affect performance because the nose is
hardly ever in the water anyway… and i know that the more planing area
of the board is in the water, the faster it paddles… so would less
rocker make it paddle faster and get into waves earlier? if this is true,
how would nose rocker affect performance, if at all?
help!! please [/url]
Re: understanding rocker…
tom – Monday, 11 February 2002, at 9:41 p.m.
It all comes down to a clean overall rocker curve rather than exact placement. As far as paddle power, the best is low tail rocker with a gradual nose rocker rather than flat middle with a kicked nose. To really understand what makes a board paddle well, check out a paddle board, Unfortunately, what makes a great paddle board doesn’t always make a great surfboard.
aloha [/url]
Re: understanding rocker…
smokin resin – Monday, 11 February 2002, at 10:02 p.m.
The flyer model is probably one of his most paddle friendly , wave catching high performance surfboard he makes. It’s a bit wider then the rest more planing area wider tail ect. His boards may seem to have a lot of nose rocker but it’s pretty much a flat center to more of a gradual flip towards the end. A modern high performance shortboard on the faster side is probably around 5 inch nose rocker. Lower then that you start getting into modern fish ect. Plus 5.25" and over is for bogging or shredding depending on your talent level. Hope that helps. P.S. as in the other message I think Al knows what he’s doing.
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Re: understanding rocker…
joeblaga – Monday, 11 February 2002, at 10:18 p.m.
" It all comes down to a clean overall rocker curve rather than exact
placement. As far as paddle power, the best is low tail rocker with a
gradual nose rocker rather than flat middle with a kicked nose. "
ok, maybe that’s it. it seems like the board has a really kicked up nose, so if anything that could be it. the board is definitely not too small, narrow, or lacking in volume…(it’s 6’6 by 20 1/4 by 2 5/8)
also, this is not a long term observation based on months of sessions, this is just what i’ve noticed the past few times i’ve surfed really hollow, tricky waves on this board (like solid OB). it is certainly not a trend, just a speculation as to what might have been the cause of my problems (most likely its just that i’m a kook). i should have stated before that i have noticed hardly any problems at all in waves ranging from mushy to pretty hollow, it was only at thumping, offshore OB that i was having a little trouble.
thanks for all the info, guys…
now another question - how would a board’s (say a 6’4 or 6’6, slightly wider and thicker than “normal”) performance be affected if you lowered the nose rocker in favor of getting into waves earlier? say instead of having 5 or 5.25 you had 4.5 inches, or something reasonably lower like that? [/url]
Re: understanding rocker…(and offshores)
John Mellor – Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 1:08 a.m.
Offshore thumping O.B.? Sounds like a challenge on any board! A flatter rocker makes for a longer waterline and easier paddling in flat water. The other side of the coin is that a flatter nose rocker may be easier to paddle but also easier to pearl. A moderate rocker as you describe, with a slight belly (as opposed to a concave) may be the ticket to easier take offs especially in offshore conditions. Concaves can trap air under the board in offshores making takeoffs particularly difficult. Sometimes you just have to take off later than normal - paddle harder and get to your feet a little quicker. At some point, strong offshores make surfing impossible.
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Re: understanding rocker…
Ross – Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 11:13 a.m.
i should have stated
before that i have noticed hardly any problems at all in waves ranging
from mushy to pretty hollow, it was only at thumping, offshore OB that i
was having a little trouble.
Hey Joe, I’m not a shaper but I live at Ocean Beach and can share a few observations. I also saw your post on surfermag.com and can tell you’ve already learned a lot. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert but I have gone through the learning curve (well, still going of course). I’d stick with your 7’0" for a while (on big days you’ll still be undergunned). The Beach demands a little more board simple because of the amount of water that moves around out there. You’re going to spend a lot of time paddling against the sideshore currents that go with the tide. The bigger waves tend to be pretty fast too and after you get a little tired it’s tempting to go late (bad mistake). Don’t know if you saw that 10 guys were picked up by the Coast Guard on Sunday. 2x-3x overhead with a tide going from 6.5 to -0.5 = call the Coast Guard. OB is lousy on an incoming tide and I think that’s when you were out. That’s when you get those waves that double up and then dump on the inside sand bar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come up with my full suit filled with sand. From your description, I also think you got stuck in this weird no-man’s-land around Balboa St. On an incoming tide it turns into a cauldron of junk with waves that just jump out of nowhere. Your only option is to throw yourself over the brink usually with the results you experienced. Stick with it and you’ll get it. Go out a lot when it’s shoulder to head high. At the very least you’ll get to be a really good paddler. [/url]Re: understanding rocker…
joeblaga – Tuesday, 12 February 2002, at 5:06 p.m.
wow, thanks a lot… now i’m convinced it wasnt my board, it was just me… and the conditions.
i dont plan on surfing OB, or anywhere, any bigger than double overhead, max, thats why my biggest board (besides a longboard) is that 7’0.
it was exactly as you described it, right in front of balboa, just doubling up and slamming… with some serious late drops required.
i think you’re right about surfing it on small days to start out… like when i just need to go surfing and its tiny everywhere with clean conditions i’ll head back to OB.
thanks for the info.
