I know I posted this already, but I was told you guys might be able to help more if I said what kind of surfing I do, and where. I surf in 3-4 foot Northern California waves. I am somewhat of a novice surfer, but I have been snowboarding for about 9 years now, and wakeboarding as well, so surfing is coming to me rather quickly. I was thinking that I would like to create a longboard about 9’6", with a relatively standard shape, nothing fancy for my first try. So could anyone suggest a blank that would make it easiest for me to accomplish this? Thanks again.
I know I posted this already, but I was told you guys might be able to > help more if I said what kind of surfing I do, and where. I surf in 3-4 > foot Northern California waves. I am somewhat of a novice surfer, but I > have been snowboarding for about 9 years now, and wakeboarding as well, so > surfing is coming to me rather quickly. I was thinking that I would like > to create a longboard about 9’6", with a relatively standard shape, > nothing fancy for my first try. So could anyone suggest a blank that would > make it easiest for me to accomplish this? Thanks again. Hi Alex, First consideration how big you are. That has everything to do with where to start. Are the waves you riding slow or do they have a real face you can work? I’ll throw a few ideas after you check back in. I’m sure you’ll hear somethin a little different from everybody. do you just want something for the small stuff or would you like a stick you can manage some larger waves with as well? Good Surfin’ Rich
Hi Alex,>>> First consideration how big you are. That has everything to do with where > to start. Are the waves you riding slow or do they have a real face you > can work? I’ll throw a few ideas after you check back in. I’m sure you’ll > hear somethin a little different from everybody. do you just want > something for the small stuff or would you like a stick you can manage > some larger waves with as well?>>> Good Surfin’ Rich Well, I am 6’2", 170 lbs, and in good shape (paddling isn’t a problem). Right now, the waves I ride are pretty slow, and don’t have much of a face (this is alright, becuase I am still relatively new to surfing). I am (I think?) progressing quickly though, so I don’t want to invest alot of time into a board that will not perform well as I get better. Correct me if I am wrong in wanting this, I may just be getting ahead of myself. I am going to be moving down to Santa Barbara (hopefully, my fingers are crossed) for college next fall, and I am not real sure about the wave shape there.
Ok Alex, Here we go. I gonna hang out some specks for you and maybe someone else will have some different ideas. but you gotta start somewhere. Tale what’s below put them with you own ideas and what ever the other shapers around say and think about it a little before you get a blank. You want a blank with a little meat on it so you can work it down gradually as you just starting but it should have the general lines that you’re looking to end up with. You’re pretty tall so you can deal with some board length but I have to be honest in saying that if a board it to long and wide for you it will sluggish. So here are some suggested specks. 9’3"x16"x22.5"x14.5"x3" 4.5" nose rocker, 3.5" tail rocker. Keep the bottom flat and Make the rails soft up front and as you reach the center of the board bring them down, sharpening them as the reach the tail. Put a slight vee and the tail. I think a rounded pin is the best and most responsive of all. But it’s more prone to being dinged. Second choice is a squash tail, which will give give a little more lift. Have someone help you place the fin boxes. Standard box central and furtures on the rails, would be my choice. Glass wieght is up to you but don’t make it super heavy cause it slows down responsiveness. These are just some general ideas to start with. They’re really pretty conservative and the board will catch waves easily but still handle larger faster waves pretty well. In closing I must add that you’d be well advised to rent a few boards to see what works well for you before embarking on construction. If you think 9’3" will be too long then throw everything I’ve said out the window and start from scratch. Good Surfin’ Rich
I like it! The Clark 9-5S below would be a good starting place. Here’s a template matrix. I added a tad more nose and tail width for paddling, and subtracted a tad of tail rocker for glide. The mid-board rail is forgiving, and should blend into the nose and tail rails you described. Outline: Length , Outline , Rocker 0 , 0.00 , 3.40 0 , 0.00 , 3.40 0.5 , 1.34 , 3.31 1 , 2.02 , 3.22 2 , 2.98 , 3.06 3 , 3.70 , 2.90 4 , 4.30 , 2.76 5 , 4.82 , 2.62 6 , 5.27 , 2.49 7 , 5.69 , 2.36 8 , 6.06 , 2.24 9 , 6.41 , 2.13 10 , 6.73 , 2.02 11 , 7.02 , 1.92 12 , 7.30 , 1.82 13 , 7.56 , 1.72 14 , 7.80 , 1.63 15 , 8.03 , 1.54 16 , 8.24 , 1.45 17 , 8.45 , 1.37 18 , 8.64 , 1.29 19 , 8.82 , 1.22 20 , 8.99 , 1.15 21 , 9.15 , 1.08 22 , 9.30 , 1.01 23 , 9.45 , 0.95 24 , 9.58 , 0.88 25 , 9.71 , 0.83 26 , 9.83 , 0.77 27 , 9.95 , 0.71 28 , 10.06 , 0.66 29 , 10.16 , 0.61 30 , 10.26 , 0.57 31 , 10.35 , 0.52 32 , 10.43 , 0.48 33 , 10.51 , 0.43 34 , 10.59 , 0.40 35 , 10.66 , 0.36 36 , 10.72 , 0.32 37 , 10.78 , 0.29 38 , 10.84 , 0.26 39 , 10.89 , 0.23 40 , 10.94 , 0.20 41 , 10.98 , 0.18 42 , 11.02 , 0.15 43 , 11.05 , 0.13 44 , 11.09 , 0.11 45 , 11.12 , 0.09 46 , 11.14 , 0.07 47 , 11.16 , 0.06 48 , 11.18 , 0.04 49 , 11.20 , 0.03 50 , 11.21 , 0.02 51 , 11.23 , 0.01 52 , 11.23 , 0.01 53 , 11.24 , 0.00 54 , 11.25 , 0.00 55 , 11.25 , 0.00 56 , 11.25 , 0.00 57 , 11.25 , 0.00 58 , 11.25 , 0.01 59 , 11.25 , 0.01 60 , 11.25 , 0.02 61 , 11.25 , 0.03 62 , 11.25 , 0.04 63 , 11.24 , 0.05 64 , 11.24 , 0.07 65 , 11.23 , 0.09 66 , 11.23 , 0.11 67 , 11.22 , 0.13 68 , 11.21 , 0.15 69 , 11.19 , 0.17 70 , 11.18 , 0.20 71 , 11.16 , 0.23 72 , 11.14 , 0.26 73 , 11.11 , 0.29 74 , 11.08 , 0.33 75 , 11.05 , 0.36 76 , 11.01 , 0.40 77 , 10.97 , 0.44 78 , 10.93 , 0.49 79 , 10.87 , 0.53 80 , 10.82 , 0.58 81 , 10.76 , 0.63 82 , 10.69 , 0.69 83 , 10.61 , 0.74 84 , 10.53 , 0.80 85 , 10.44 , 0.86 86 , 10.35 , 0.93 87 , 10.24 , 1.00 88 , 10.13 , 1.07 89 , 10.01 , 1.14 90 , 9.87 , 1.22 91 , 9.73 , 1.30 92 , 9.58 , 1.39 93 , 9.41 , 1.48 94 , 9.23 , 1.58 95 , 9.04 , 1.68 96 , 8.83 , 1.78 97 , 8.61 , 1.89 98 , 8.36 , 2.01 99 , 8.10 , 2.13 100 , 7.81 , 2.26 101 , 7.50 , 2.40 102 , 7.17 , 2.55 103 , 6.80 , 2.71 104 , 6.39 , 2.88 Rail: Width , Deck , Bottom 0 , 2.06 , -0.84 1 , 2.06 , -0.84 2 , 2.06 , -0.84 3 , 2.06 , -0.84 4 , 2.05 , -0.84 5 , 2.03 , -0.84 6 , 1.99 , -0.84 7 , 1.93 , -0.84 7.5 , 1.88 , -0.84 8.0 , 1.82 , -0.84 8.5 , 1.73 , -0.84 9.5 , 1.49 , -0.84 10.0 , 1.31 , -0.84 10.2 , 1.22 , -0.83 10.3 , 1.17 , -0.81 10.4 , 1.11 , -0.79 10.5 , 1.05 , -0.77 10.6 , 0.99 , -0.73 10.7 , 0.92 , -0.69 10.8 , 0.84 , -0.64 10.9 , 0.74 , -0.58 11.0 , 0.63 , -0.50 11.10 , 0.49 , -0.40 11.20 , 0.29 , -0.23 11.25 , 0.00 , -0.00 
you might consider a little smaller board for your first shape, maybe a 7’-8’ egg/funboard. a 9’+ board’s a lot of foam to deal with and something more manageable might be a better place to start. you might see if you can get your hands on a second’s blank(try calling foam ez and see if they have anything laying around.) just to practice on. besides if you snowboard and wakeboard my bet is your gonna get over longboarding/noseriding anyway. just a thought. have fun, go slow, look at a bunch of boards and, most important, keep those tools SHARP…
I lost the nose outline numbers. Here’s the WHOLE outline: Length , Outline , Rocker 0 , 0.00 , 3.40 0 0.00 3.40 0.5 , 1.34 , 3.31 1 , 2.02 , 3.22 2 , 2.98 , 3.06 3 , 3.70 , 2.90 4 , 4.30 , 2.76 5 , 4.82 , 2.62 6 , 5.27 , 2.49 7 , 5.69 , 2.36 8 , 6.06 , 2.24 9 , 6.41 , 2.13 10 , 6.73 , 2.02 11 , 7.02 , 1.92 12 , 7.30 , 1.82 13 , 7.56 , 1.72 14 , 7.80 , 1.63 15 , 8.03 , 1.54 16 , 8.24 , 1.45 17 , 8.45 , 1.37 18 , 8.64 , 1.29 19 , 8.82 , 1.22 20 , 8.99 , 1.15 21 , 9.15 , 1.08 22 , 9.30 , 1.01 23 , 9.45 , 0.95 24 , 9.58 , 0.88 25 , 9.71 , 0.83 26 , 9.83 , 0.77 27 , 9.95 , 0.71 28 , 10.06 , 0.66 29 , 10.16 , 0.61 30 , 10.26 , 0.57 31 , 10.35 , 0.52 32 , 10.43 , 0.48 33 , 10.51 , 0.43 34 , 10.59 , 0.40 35 , 10.66 , 0.36 36 , 10.72 , 0.32 37 , 10.78 , 0.29 38 , 10.84 , 0.26 39 , 10.89 , 0.23 40 , 10.94 , 0.20 41 , 10.98 , 0.18 42 , 11.02 , 0.15 43 , 11.05 , 0.13 44 , 11.09 , 0.11 45 , 11.12 , 0.09 46 , 11.14 , 0.07 47 , 11.16 , 0.06 48 , 11.18 , 0.04 49 , 11.20 , 0.03 50 , 11.21 , 0.02 51 , 11.23 , 0.01 52 , 11.23 , 0.01 53 , 11.24 , 0.00 54 , 11.25 , 0.00 55 , 11.25 , 0.00 56 , 11.25 , 0.00 57 , 11.25 , 0.00 58 , 11.25 , 0.01 59 , 11.25 , 0.01 60 , 11.25 , 0.02 61 , 11.25 , 0.03 62 , 11.25 , 0.04 63 , 11.24 , 0.05 64 , 11.24 , 0.07 65 , 11.23 , 0.09 66 , 11.23 , 0.11 67 , 11.22 , 0.13 68 , 11.21 , 0.15 69 , 11.19 , 0.17 70 , 11.18 , 0.20 71 , 11.16 , 0.23 72 , 11.14 , 0.26 73 , 11.11 , 0.29 74 , 11.08 , 0.33 75 , 11.05 , 0.36 76 , 11.01 , 0.40 77 , 10.97 , 0.44 78 , 10.93 , 0.49 79 , 10.87 , 0.53 80 , 10.82 , 0.58 81 , 10.76 , 0.63 82 , 10.69 , 0.69 83 , 10.61 , 0.74 84 , 10.53 , 0.80 85 , 10.44 , 0.86 86 , 10.35 , 0.93 87 , 10.24 , 1.00 88 , 10.13 , 1.07 89 , 10.01 , 1.14 90 , 9.87 , 1.22 91 , 9.73 , 1.30 92 , 9.58 , 1.39 93 , 9.41 , 1.48 94 , 9.23 , 1.58 95 , 9.04 , 1.68 96 , 8.83 , 1.78 97 , 8.61 , 1.89 98 , 8.36 , 2.01 99 , 8.10 , 2.13 100 , 7.81 , 2.26 101 , 7.50 , 2.40 102 , 7.17 , 2.55 103 , 6.80 , 2.71 104 , 6.39 , 2.88 105 , 5.93 , 3.06 106 , 5.42 , 3.27 107 , 4.84 , 3.49 108 , 4.16 , 3.74 109 , 3.32 , 4.03 110 , 2.21 , 4.38 110.5 , 1.43 , 4.59 111 , 0.00 , 4.85