A poster asked about wide board shapes and started me wondering… Optimally, my next shape will be too wide for the intended user to carry under one arm. I’m thinking foot straps or maybe inset handles on the deck. Has anybody made permanent handles on a superwide board? How did you do it? How did it carry? How did it surf? I’m worried about tripping over handles, or hurting the surfer.
… If you can’t get your fingers to wrap the rail, consider creating finger slots in the rails… Paul
Noodle: I just repaired a board for a guy that had something I haven’t seen in a long time. Knee boards used to come with handles that were simply 3/4" or so diameter quality woven nylon rope. Two holes drilled into the foam at the rails and resined in place. This particular board was a gun headed to Puerto and the leash loop was done like this.(last time I was in Escondido I didn’t care to be attached to my board) You might try something like this, outboard on one edge with a flat and tight nylon loop you can’t trip on too easily. Tom>>> A poster asked about wide board shapes and started me wondering… > Optimally, my next shape will be too wide for the intended user to carry > under one arm.>>> I’m thinking foot straps or maybe inset handles on the deck.>>> Has anybody made permanent handles on a superwide board? How did you do > it? How did it carry? How did it surf?>>> I’m worried about tripping over handles, or hurting the surfer.
Noodle:>>> I just repaired a board for a guy that had something I haven’t seen in a > long time. Knee boards used to come with handles that were simply > 3/4" or so diameter quality woven nylon rope. Two holes drilled into > the foam at the rails and resined in place. This particular board was a > gun headed to Puerto and the leash loop was done like this.(last time I > was in Escondido I didn’t care to be attached to my board) You might try > something like this, outboard on one edge with a flat and tight nylon loop > you can’t trip on too easily.>>> Tom My father is 65 and rides a 9’6" that is basically a windsurfer blank. I could ask my brither the dimensions. But, let’s just say I’m 6’5" with a super with a 6’6" wing span and I can barely get my arm around my dad’s board. Dad uses a sling to carry his board any distances at all. 2" flat webbing that he had Pete at PBI stich into an over the shoulder sling with two loops on it to hang the board from. It works just fine.
Thanks for the great ideas, guys. One of the tough parts of this scheme is guessing, in advance where the finished balance point of the board will be. Paul, I like the rolled glass handle idea. It doesn’t leave something flopping around to trip on. The down sides… 1) Rolling and squeegeeing glass into the handle could be tough. 2)If you catch your little toe in that handle, it won’t move. Tom, You gave me an idea, an expansion on the kneeboard handles. I could install four of those through-board leash plugs, pre glassing, in the rails. Cut nylon straps and sew loops into the ends. Run nylon chord through the strap loops, and anchor them in the leash plugs. I could stretch the straps pretty tight. Neither the plugs nor the straps would be very intrusive. Maybe the surfer could even use the straps to hold onto in the wash. Thanks again.
My bad. You already had the straps stretched. That’s what I get for waiting to post. Good idea!
My bad. You already had the straps stretched. That’s what I get for > waiting to post.>>> Good idea! Then on the other hand. We make a urethane handle that is often used on life sleds. They used to be screwed onto boogie boards with the nylon screws we make to secure our soft surfboard fins. Now we have a nylon grommet that is used on the opposite side of the board which receives a S/S flat head machine screw that screws into a nut set in the handle for the life sleds. BZ is starting to use this grommet and S/S fastener system to secure their soft fins.
Then on the other hand. We make a urethane handle that is often used on > life sleds. They used to be screwed onto boogie boards with the nylon > screws we make to secure our soft surfboard fins. Now we have a nylon > grommet that is used on the opposite side of the board which receives a > S/S flat head machine screw that screws into a nut set in the handle for > the life sleds. BZ is starting to use this grommet and S/S fastener system > to secure their soft fins. That takes the cord fastener out of it. I like it. But it sounds like your fastener is designed for mounting on water tight materials. Would fastening your setup through a foam blank leave a moisture hole for leaks? Maybe running your screw through a through-deck, glassed-in leash plug could directly attach the strapping and prevent leakage. Could your setup be used in this way, or does it already have a through-deck, watertight plug? My daddy taught me it’s better to sound ignorant than to be ignorant. What does “S/S” stand for? Thanks for the idea.
Noodle, S/S means stainless steel. The urethane handle and nylon gromet would probably create some side load pressure against the glass. To be done properly you would need to glass fiberglass tubes as thru-board fittings to make our handles work. But, if you wanted something as strong as can be glassed correctly this handle scenario would be extremely strong.
tom@daum, …no hill for a climber. Do you have a link or picture for your handle?
tom@daum,>>> …no hill for a climber.>>> Do you have a link or picture for your handle? No, But if you get me your address I can send you a couple with a couple of grommets. If you decide to use the S/S screw method the I’d suggest drilling a hole on the top of the mounting towers to seat a nut on each side of the handle.
Here’s a diagram of a rescue board that utilizes our handles. Scroll down this link to rescue board. http://www.northwater.com/Professional__Rescue/Rescue%20PFD%20%26%20Gear/Rescue_PFD___Gear.html
Thanks for the view. Lots of curve there, but pretty intuitive. I might try and fashion stretched, flat web straps first, but with S/S screws. Thanks again.
Windsurfers have been using Delrin rod as a strap mount for years. Drill a hole in the deck, resin the rod in, drill a pilot hole and use s/s screws and flat washers with some nylon webbing to make some straps. Four rods (two on each rail) to anchor the webbing down. Tom@daum’s idea sounds good too.
Windsurfers have been using Delrin rod as a strap mount for years. Drill a > hole in the deck, resin the rod in, drill a pilot hole and use s/s screws > and flat washers with some nylon webbing to make some straps. Four rods > (two on each rail) to anchor the webbing down. Tom@daum’s idea sounds good > too. John, Thanks for the tip. I’m printing your post to look for Delrin rod. Sounds like this stuff is solid for sealing the backside, but still provides through-board strength. -Noodle
John,>>> Thanks for the tip. I’m printing your post to look for Delrin rod. Sounds > like this stuff is solid for sealing the backside, but still provides > through-board strength.>>> -Noodle Noodle, I machine the valve plugs for my surfmats from 3/8" Delrin rod… it`s a very useful material for various kinds of tooling. My source is Tap Plastics. They also have a lot of other interesting things relevant to surfcraft experimentation. http://www.tapplastics.com/plastics/rods/421_acetalrod.html Dale
Noodle,>>> I machine the valve plugs for my surfmats from 3/8" Delrin rod… > it`s a very useful material for various kinds of tooling. My source is Tap > Plastics. They also have a lot of other interesting things relevant to > surfcraft experimentation.>>> http://www.tapplastics.com/plastics/rods/421_acetalrod.html>>> Dale Dale, Thanks for the link. I bookmarked it for my next board material order. Crowded lineup today. I moved down the beach, and proved again that beach breaks aren’t random. Lineups exist all the way down open beaches IF a person knows what to look for. -Noodle