New guy question about board length

ClanB · Post by **ClanB** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:21 am

I started bodyboarding when I was 16 and did that for a year or so then kneeboarded for the next 16ish years. I got married/family etc and didnt surf for almost 10 years..now Im back and Im too fat for my board so I made a few plywood piapos and been getting back into shape. Im looking at all the cool kneelo stuff on the web and man what the heck has happened? kneeboards are 6' plus now! My boards never were over 5'8" and the last 2 were 5' 5.5". I also have a 5'6". all are 23" wide and one is 23.5" wide. All the same template as the old Timpone boards. Im 5'10" and now 226 after dropping 19lbs this month...woohoo! My normal wieght is about 185-190 and I should be rolling on my old sleds soon. BUt anyway can someone explain the change to standup short board lengths? also I noticed nose and tail widths are more narrow too. Thanks yall!

Bud · Post by **Bud** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:47 am

It's easily explained.

Most kneeboard surfers these days are old guys.
Longer boards help.
You can make them thicker too and still keep the ends and rails foiled nicely.

Imagine your old 5' 5" board was made of Jello.

Pinch both ends and pull to 6' long.

The curves will elongate and the ends will be narrower and thinner.
If you leave the fins in their original position, they will naturally be further from the tail.

Bend the rocker to keep the ends from snagging while you ride.

Now you have the "modern" kneeboard.

An Australian fellow named Simon Farrer has been an active competitor attaining a few world titles.
He surfs on a kneeboard very well.
He likes to ride the longer style boards with the fins set kinda far up from the tail.
His wife has been following him around for a long time filming him surf.
He edits the footage and makes cool videos.
He sells them.
They are popular with many kneeboard surfers.

After seeing him rip it up with his longer style boards, now many enjoy playing "Simon Says".

Imagine you have the strength and flexibility of being 20 years younger.
You truely don't need much board.

(When Simon was younger he mostly rode shorter boards to.)

ClanB · Post by **ClanB** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:19 am

I spoke to Simmon many many years ago when he had switched to the longer boards but at the time it was only him and other kneelos in Austrailia(as far as I knew) but here in the US we all still had our short boards.
I talked with a long time freind after many years apart and he just told me his shaper(mine too) has, with out telling him, lengthend his knew boards an inch or so at a time and he is now riding 5.10s instead on the 5.6s we all rode. I ran into a kneeboarder the other day and he had a Cleary that was 6.1.
Maybe I needa give a longer board a shot? I dont even know what length I would get at 5'10" 200ish lbs.

ClanB · Post by **ClanB** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:23 am

I spoke to Simmon many many years ago when he had switched to the longer boards but at the time it was only him and other kneelos in Austrailia(as far as I knew) but here in the US we all still had our short boards.
I talked with a long time freind after many years apart and he just told me his shaper(mine too) has, with out telling him, lengthend his knew boards an inch or so at a time and he is now riding 5.10s instead on the 5.6s we all rode. I ran into a kneeboarder the other day and he had a Cleary that was 6.1.
Maybe I needa give a longer board a shot? I dont even know what length I would get at 5'10" 200ish lbs.

analbirth · Post by **analbirth** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:51 pm

clan, buds right we're all getting older and thicker

recently iv'e been making more boards for the 90kg [200lb] brigade as well. So thicker in the body thicker in the board. I'm only 70kg so for smaller hollow waves i can get away with a thiner board, where you need to be able to bury that rail. You need more floatation for full slow waves, someone your weight needs a thicker board to start with [ displacement ] your heavier so the board will sit lower in the water, too thin and it will feel like a log. You don't have to go super long, 5'10 - 6' would be fine for your average 3-6' surf. It all depends on what kind of waves you want the board for.
You could start with a 5'10 - 5'11" and 3" thick.
[unless you go a styrene blank so 2 3/4"]
I have 4 boards i use on a regular basis starting from
5'9 - thick and flatter rocker for small mushy surf up to 4'
5'10 - thin and more rocker, nose & tail kick for smaller sucky surf up to 5'
6'- med. thickness fine rails and tail extra nose & tail kick for 5-7' punchy surf
6'7" - thicker for paddling into bigger surf but still with good nose and tail kick so you can still throw it around in the big stuff. for 6-12' surf
Hope this helps Al

DYdamo · Post by **DYdamo** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:26 am

Bud wrote:
(When Simon was younger he mostly rode shorter boards to.)

IS that supposed to be some sort of "piss take"
I was gonna launch into a big rant about simon's board length and WHAT works for him (and hundreds of others) but you would'nt understand.....
keep doin'what your doin'Bud it's making it easier.................
Ive lost interest

jdc · Post by **jdc** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:06 am

Bud's point might have been what works for Simon perhaps does need to be what works for everybody else

if a one armed one eyed man in his fifties who makes boards and surfs sunset uses a bit of wry and irreverent humor in regards to SF to make a point then

a, im sure simon has had enough adulation to have a hide thick enough to cope

and

b, what was that about cement and hardening up

kneeboarding should always be about the anti hero (within reason)

of course then theres DP whose never said boo on this site but that says alot in itself about trends, marketing and the support of your riders.

eqKneelo · Post by **eqKneelo** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:01 am

ClanB:

Go to www.legless.tv

Decide for yourself.

If you like what you see, guys who are riding "longer" boards generallly ride boards around their height. Little shorter for small waves, little longer for big waves. Biggest concern should be "float".

I'm probably about 220lbs in a Wetsuit, and tall (which causes all kinds of other problems)... I can get away with a 6'0"x18"x"25"x3" for under head high, but as soon as there is juice, I ride a board my height. (6'4").

Simon is 6'0". I believe his Main Quiver is 5'10", 6'0, 6'2".

Pretty much every World Champ of the last 20 years was riding a board their Height or longer. Current World Champ Albert Munoz won on a board 4" over his height.

Many guys try them and hate them... But check your local line-up... There's a reason so many guys stick with them.

Oh... And My Brother has a 5'10" PARKES Tri For Sale for $225

PM me for details.

DYdamo · Post by **DYdamo** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:47 pm

jdc wrote:

b, what was that about cement and hardening up

kneeboarding should always be about the anti hero (within reason)

.

Touche' dorje...............
or should that be douche..........'kneeboarding is kneeboarding there's no
stigma or labels to it .........it is what it is..........if old bud wanted to help this guy he would've pointed him in the right direction instead of disecting what simon(and Bec) do for fun and to try and make some money on the side............(albeit not much)............and also I think Im one of the only people on this site that has known simon Pre-surfing........yes little 10-11 year olds playing baseball on a saturday morn.........I have respect for the guy,but as any aussie would know "I ain't gonna piss in his pocket"......
I'll get off my box now ..................

analbirth · Post by **analbirth** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:28 pm

some of you guys must have supernatural powers or something funky going on, cause i reread Buds post and again didn't get any of that other shite

i thought he was trying to help the guy.......

ross · Post by **ross** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 12:09 am

slurp, gargle, slurp

jdc · Post by **jdc** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:36 am

er

merry christmas

red · Post by **red** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:19 am

ClanB
What happened is that in the 80's Aussies figured out that you can overcome a lot of the problems inherent in riding a short kneeboard with the fins way back if you create a long rail line and then move the fins forward to maintain looseness (That whole length at the water line thing). The result has been boards that handle chop, can maintain speed in flat waves and through turns, especially in weaker surf (they don't have to be "stalled" to turn).
I surfed some of the biggest, heaviest waves in my life on rear finned 5'8"s in the 70's and 80's, but always was on the edge of control. I've since surfed similar waves on longer boards with the fins forward and felt a LOT more comfortable.
As Ed says, around your own height is a good marker for all round boards. Micro wave boards can easily be 6" shorter.

maxb · Post by **maxb** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:32 am

Try a few different boards,then,RIDE THE ONE YOU HAVE THE MOST FUN ON,TO HELL WITH TRENDS,isn't kb'ing about doing what YOU want? Not what,somone says you want. Simon,Albert,Chayne ,and a few others could rip on ironing boards,go with how it feels to you,not somone else.
WHEW!!!I'm tired now
Max

Fossil Man · Post by **Fossil Man** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:08 am

Hey Clan B, Max is right about trying a bunch of shapes/sizes. Maybe you could hook-up with some of the Kneelo Cove crew and do a couple"test drives". I went from 5'-7" to 5'-10" when I ordered my first Blast from Buddy. He had to talk me into that length because the shape and fin positioning worked most optimally with more length than what I was used to. I'm 5'-11" and then was 220 lbs. ; he was right , the modern rockers and fin set-ups make a longer board still feel like they're 3'' shorter. Bud's boards and fin positioning are a good landing point between the more traditional kneeboards we grew up with and the " fins way forward " designs , some of which can take some getting used to. Good to hear you mention Timpone, he's a good friend and lives/shapes here on Maui in Haiku. You should look him up if you're still coming out in July. Never mind the board length, dude, how did you lose 19 lbs. in one month ? I went from 220 to 160 over the corse of a couple years but it was a bitter battle...whats your secret ?

Robert