Just starting to think of a new template for my next board - thinking of putting the wide point further back than usual - maybe 4 - 5 " back from centre. The board will be 6 9 x 14.25 tail x 20 wp x 11.5 nose x 2 1/4 thick (bert’s influence!).
Usually I put my wp @ 2 " back from centre - but interested in experimenting and pulling it back. How far back is too far?
You can put the WP back but you must compensate with a rocker change, fin placement, etc. You lose some drive and projection so you need to make up for that, unless that’s what you’re after; more more vert surfing. With a more rearward WP you’ll be standing more on the tail so you’ll have more board out in front of you also.
Yeah, that’s what I thought - do you mean flattening the rocker a little and maybe toeing the fins a tad less? Seems like what ever you take away, you gotta try and put something back…
but how far back can u go before the board ain’t happy?
I’m just finishing up a 7’7" for a buddy; 7’7" 12 x 20 1/2 x 13 1/4 x 2 1/2 I put the wide point 3 in. back of center. Seem like a good organic shape. He prefers a pulled in tail so putting the wide point any further back would have resulted in a 1980-90’s tear drop shape. Putting the wide point back depends on the length to width ratio. I probably wouldn’t go any further back that 4 in. on the board you described, If you do it might get too punchy, and not very drive
My 10 cents worth,
-Jay
Silverback,
I’ve spent some time recently pondering the same questions re: widepoint on a big boy and I’ve come to different conclusions to the rest of the replys.
If you move the WP back you are making an oversized shortboard which would work if you are oversized in terms of height, but unless you are like 6’7" or so tall or have a really wide stance, your feet wont be far enough apart to stradle the sweet spot and surf in true shortboard fashion (you know, surf it without moving your foot positions)
Instead, I am starting to like the idea of the Rusty T2 and I’ll quote the ad copy so you’ll know what I’m talking about:
“The T2: Built for a larger, more powerful surfer, this design bridges the gap between our performance shortboards and the Desert Island.Typical shortboards have a tail width approximately 3” wider than the nose with a wide pointpoint about 3" behind center. The T2 runs 2" to 2.5" wider in in the tail with the wide point around 1.5" to 2" behind the center. The key to maintaining template curve is added width in the middle. A 6.6" would typically be 19.5" with every 2" increase in length adding about .25" in width. An 8’.0" would run about 21.75"."
I’m just throwing that point of view in because its making sense to me and because I have a few BBs up to 7’0" with the WPs pushed back, out in the garage, that I have built or bought that don’t seem to go all that well, but that might be just me (I do tend towards having a narrow stance) and at 41 years, I don’t have the fast twitch going on to surf them the way they need to be ridden.
On the other hand, you said you wished to experiment so let us know how it works out for you either way
One of my old 7’6" x 18.5" single fins had WP SIX inches behind center, with a wide squash tail, and a long, really pointy nose.
Worked fine, snappy quick turns, super early wave catching…the nose tips downward anytime a wave gets near, needed a touch MORE nose kick and/or tail rocker for steep drops.
Shaped by Bob Wise!
thanks for the replies guys - but i’m thinking wp further back would suit someone with a narrower stance better - not worse - ie the sweet spot would be moved further back?
this nonsense or what?
yep silverback ,your reasoning is sound there…
widest point back , makes a longer board surf shorter ,widest point forward makes a board surf longer…
the length of the tail determines the arc of the turn ,
ive seen a guy ride solid 10’ surf pitching monster truck barrels on a 5’-10" ,it had the widest point forward , like a mid seventies board …coz the tail was longer it drew long arcs and drove solid bottom turns around sections …
i have a good friend i often travel with , he always trying to get me to go extreme wide point back …4 " is as much as i will do …
his last one was 7’-6" with the widest point 4" behind centre ,
the length gives him the extra paddle , but because his widest point is back , his board really has the tail of a 6’-10" , in 3’ waves ive seen him go 12 o clock on the reos , because hes working off a tighter arc in the tail outline…
i had an 8’ performance longboard set up the same way , some times in 2’ surf i would be going crazy real tight top to bottom snaps , then all of a sudden i would bury the nose coz it stuck out so far , my first thought was " o yea , forgot i was on a mal"…
like you thought silver back you actually focus the sweet spot in a smaller area of the board ,so you set your feet and forget them …
as long as your rocker and fin setts harmonise with the package ,
if your going to set up your outline to surf tighter off the tail , then your rocker and fin setts plus bottom contours have to be sett so it all works together ,
if you run to much tail rocker , it will bog when standing on the tail…so straight away you would have a conflict of interest…
i would probably blow the center out to 20 1/2 …ill just run out the back and click my all time favourite small wave board,had this one six years and cant top it waist to head and a half…stats …6’-9" x 20 1/2 x 2 1/2 , tail 14 1/2 , nose 10 3/4
the widest point is back only 2" but it carries the width into the tail…it may be 14 1/2 at the 12" mark , but its about 18 1/2 at the 18" mark …
i would question the thickness ,this one has had the deck pounded into submission for the last 6 years …its barely 2" now …
the bottom is clean not one dent or mark…the deck is a patchwork of 5 minute araldite , slackass gota get back in the water repairs,ive come unstuck on some air landings and punched right through the deck…
all i have on this board is 2 oz either side of the wood…
it floats in the air if you drop it flat…
low weight is part of the magic in this one …
regards
BERT
thanks for your reply bert - always interested in what you’ve found to be best - not many bigger shapers out there who really know how to surf and what it takes to get high masses going like they’re light uns