Reshaping the 'better half of a longboard'

Symplar · Post by **Symplar** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:11 am

This is my first post, I am so pumped there is a community based around knee surfing. I hope I will be a good addition!

So I ripped all the glass of an old longboard and this will be my first time shaping a kneeboard. I've read a bunch of articles on this forum, but here are some question I have.

1. Do you guys scallop/carve out some spots for your knees? The design I am going for will have slight increases where my knees meet and on the outside of the board as a means to really dig into turns.

2. I am going for a fatter nose than tail, I don't have much foam to play with so this is a necessity. What do you guys think of this?

3. Thinking about keeping as a pintail...

4. Lastly, I recently snapped the FCS plug out of my shortboard on a chest high day. I had a thruster setup and tried to loosen it up by taking out the center fin. On a set wave the inside fin ripped out the box on the bottom turn. If I use FCS for my kneeboard won't I be running the same risk if I go with the dual fin plan I've been going with? I like the idea of being able to switch up fins... but not at the $expense$ of losing a fin/having to do another repair... i am broke : (

5. Actual last... what do you all think of the 'lock box' system? How do they compare to FCS in weight?

Thank you all for your input... I know some people will complain telling me to search the forums more! But just don't answer if it seems redundant to you!

albert · Post by **albert** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:20 pm

are you sure you are going to have enough width?

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:05 pm

I'd say 22 1/2 is the narrowest you want for a kneeboard. Stay away from FCS plugs, go with Futures boxes, or something else.
I doubt you will ever see any dug out hulls for your knees.
Rubber deck pads will save your knees.
Lots of pintails around, swallowtails, tri fins, quads, etc...
Look at the BOARD section for pics.

KenM · Post by **KenM** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:44 pm

Lokbox are light and handle large twin fins just fine.

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:52 pm

Most boards - well most of mine anyway -

end up with knee depressions after youve "worn them in" ... After a while you can feel if youre knees are in the sweet spot on takeoff

mmanners · Post by **mmanners** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:51 am

My first two kneeboards, I shaped from longboards, over 30 years ago. A few tips I may offer are, keep as much width as possible, and don't do anything to the deck unitl you get your bottom rocker, kneewells will take away foam they you'll probably need for floatation once you're planed down for the rocker (you'll get them with use), make the rails sharp through the tail (more so than a typical short surfboard),and finally KISS, don't do anything too elaborate, this is already a reborn board, so go easy on the "creativity" and above all ENJOY THE GLIDE.

Welcome to the tribe, we're a mixed bag and everyone has an opinion, but we usually have more fun than most standie's on any given day.

M2

Riq dekneelo · Post by **Riq dekneelo** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:57 am

This is like back to the future;
kneeboards shaped out of what's left of the longboard/vintage malibu, memories

knee scoops, yeah

my first custom had them to stop me flying off the side great idea..... terrible in execution due to the undue stress of having all one's weight on the sternum while trying to paddle. Alternatively the whole scoop deck thing gave you this weird paddling action from the elbows as you raised the rest of your arm to get over the scoop.

have a look at some classic shapes and do the russian reverse engineering thingo, remember have fun

Riq dekneelo · Post by **Riq dekneelo** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:11 am

following on the knee scoop thang

album_showpage.php?pic_id=6473

vintage screaming yellow zonkers special, 5foot mini gun with knee scoops and handles, a fin right at the back hence the need for the other features. As you can see from this photo the turns were executed by pulling as hard as a grommet can and trying to get the board to follow while simultaneously dragging the opposite hand a deep as possible to try and aid the turning process.

definitely preslab era
riq

analbirth · Post by **analbirth** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:23 pm

if you've got fcs fins go with the fcs "fusion" system they're as strong as anything else on the market contrary to what some people think. Saves getting new fins. As a first board i'd keep a bit of width in the tail which will give you much needed flotation for paddling into waves as well as speed in slow sections and off the lip , even a round tail if you want that look. Your rocker will probably be a bit flat using a mal blank though. Can't do much about that unless it's a thick one.
Although for the price of a KB blank it would be a better option. Good luck.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:20 pm

Al they look good, I didn't know about that plug.

analbirth · Post by **analbirth** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:00 pm

Mike, they initially developed them for EPS blanks but i'm fk'd if i know why anyone bothers with the old ones even in PU they bust out way to easy.
The only advantage they have is you can group them for fin adjustment.

Symplar · Post by **Symplar** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:08 am

Thanks for the replies, inbetween the time I posted and got responses I used this soft insulation foam to add a bit of foam to the tail. Unfortunately I do not think this stuff will work once glassed... too much flex will probably just crack/shatter the glass.

This might end up being a throaway because I dont think I have enough foam under me!

albert · Post by **albert** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:13 pm

why dont you take the bits of foam you cut out and glue them to the sides of the blank?

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Reshaping the 'better half of a longboard'

Reshaping the 'better half of a longboard'

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