i am in the process of figuring out a downrail noserider in the style of the Peck Penetrator , Cooper Blue Machine,Hynson Stretch etc.I do not want to make a carbon copy of a sixties board but utilize the developements since there heyday.Here are my thoughts and would appreciate any advice if i am going up a dead alley.the idea for the board is to be able to turn and surf first third of the board -and get that magical nose ride- in more critical waves,which are beach breaks mostly.
9"10"
15" nose
141/4 tail
Down rail in first18",blending into 60/40 for middle into eggy last 2’
You’re almost there. OK, nose to mid, then go to 30/70 rail in tail, replace the V with “belly”. Nose rocker 2 1/2’‘, tail rocker 4’‘. You might want a nose width of 16’’ or 16 1/2’’ as a minimum for a true noserider.
Sorry no dims help or shaping suggestions but here’s a link to a shot (see my post almost at the bottom of the page) of a board Jim does called the Max (and this one is blue) which is a kick tail, wing nose board. You can see the wing and the transition. Enjoy.
Thanks everyone for the advice .as for making it smaller i am going through my love affair with the longer of the species at the moment .In reply to thrailkill,would i not need a bit more nose rocker as the waves i would be riding are flawed though sometimes substantial, beach breaks with the accompanying chop.A compromise nose rocker?
High rail in the tail, combined with ‘‘belly’’ rail to rail, and high tail lift, produce a hydrodynamic downward force that requires the rider to move to the nose to counterbalance and maintain trim. Example: Move the convex curve of a spoon into contact with the waterflow of a faucet, and the spoon will be sucked into the stream of water.
You might want to give Dennis Ryder a PM. He shaped both Peck Penetrators and Blue Machines for Morey-Pope in the 60s and could probably give you a lot more info on the shape you’re looking for.
The rail in the tail area can be pinched, if that’s what you prefer. The objective is to create a convex surface in the tail area, for the reason stated earlier. The degree is a matter of personal preference.
I searched the archives without any luck (although it’s probably in there somewhere!)… But is the downrail nose really for manuverability on the front third of the board?
This always seemed a bit confusing to me. Is the rail in the very front of the board what really determines how it will turn from the tip? I understand if a board with downrails through out helped steer from the tip since the entire board would be easier to turn… but regardless of how the rails look in the front, the rest of the board has to turn with you, doesn’t it? Forgive me. I’m still a simple mind when it comes to the subtleties of surfboard design… but I’m interested in info.
I’m especially interested in this thread since I’ve found that my Spoon turns incredibly well from the nose. In fact, when I’m standing over the step in the deck, I can actually kind of pump the board through crumbly sections. I started doing it without thinking a couple of weeks ago and it’s become part of my surfing since. I suspect it looks pretty darned strange. Is it likely that the narrowness of the nose is the helpful factor here?
well i"ve waited for the gurus to answer your questions to no avail so i will try in my amateurish way and hopefully some one with more knowledge and experience will give their pennies worth.
Harder the edge the cleaner the water breaks away and releases the board which than contributes to speed and looseness.This developement started i believe with Hynson at the end of first long board period and adopted full on by short board movement of the seventies.Today most modern longboards use that hard edge at the tail for the purpose already stated.Hard nose -down railer -will give this from the foreward position and on a critical wave- biggish and steep- one will not have to back pedal as often to change direction.Hopefully make the sections before close out.Softer nose will slow things down a bit which is what you want sometimes on less critical waves . I believe you can pump it as you found with your stepdeck.Having never ridden one or seen one i have no idea but i am putting my quids down to find out.
The down rail also acts like an aeroplane wing to give lift,which is handy for the nasal aerobics
Your stepdeck would i imagine be quite eggy in front which was the percursor of the down rail.
Hopefully i am near the mark in answering your questions but i bet there is someone out there who has some practical experience .Please educate us