My new KSUSA designed board...not yet but have questions

KAVA · Post by **KAVA** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:16 pm

IM 6'6" and 300 my boards are 6' and 6'1", it would be nice to have more board avail for the paddle out. As far as wave catching/riding they are great! heh heh you should see me on my 5'9 sort of like Andre the giant riding one of those little horses

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sf_firestarter · Post by **sf_firestarter** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:58 am

Man, even more good info. Problem is now you've got me questioning every aspect of my board. To add some additional information, at 32 I'm young enough to be loosing my hair. When I refer to 12' I'm referring to face not back as the Hawaiian’s do. I also ride bodyboards quite a bit especially for those on the beach drainers or bumpy conditions. I think that effects how I feel about board size quite a bit. If I can paddle into the same wave on a bodyboard that is only 42" than do I really need all that extra length?

As for tail shape affecting volume and overall surface area. I considered this and I feel its one reason my board feels large. My choice to add the swallow to the round pin is not to get any real performance advantage but to increase the volume of the board. In essence ending up with a board that has the volume of a board that as a roundpin would otherwise be an inch or so longer.

I chose the width of 23" for the board as I thought reducing the length would require some added width for volume but that if I am going to use the board in anything over 6-8 feet going to 23 1/2 which I did consider would make the board unstable. Maybe I'm wrong on this.

The thickness of the board at 2 1/2" rather than my current 2 3/4" was in response to my feeling that my current board is to buoyant. After reading all the comments though I'm thinking that with the other changes that 2 3/4" may be more appropriate for my weight.

Keep the discussion flowing as I still have some hair to pull out.

Thanks all...

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:03 am

surfhorn · Post by **surfhorn** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:08 am

I'm happy with my 6'0" x 22 3/4"; fins forward. I'm about 5'8" 185# and have found its a good all around board. Looking towards a 6'3" + KB stirctly for big surf - a bit more gunny.

But I also
sheez - gotta run some kid is trying to cut some other kid's hair with a pair of scissors

W.G. Facenda · Post by **W.G. Facenda** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:48 pm

I guess, when wave catching ability is the main focus, length and overall board size is the priority.With the size and age of the average kneeriders TODAY, I would expect boards to be increasing in size for yrs to come...

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:52 pm

Headwax. · Post by **Headwax.** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:32 pm

sf

maybe you need more than one board - I have a board which is good for barrels, another for fat waves, another for very small waves, another for four to six foot - and different fins and fin positions for lefts and rights in some of those boards. Eventually I will have a six foot plus speciality board - which will be (in length) six foot plus

maybe ask yourself where your present board excells and then design a board to fill in the gaps

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:24 pm

sf_firestarter · Post by **sf_firestarter** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 9:07 pm

What about the change in construction as a consideration affecting size. As I stated the new board will be closed cell foam which sheds some weight over a comparable Clark blank. Standard fiberglass rather than carbon fiber. But I have not decided on one construction aspect. Polyester or epoxy resin?
All of my surfing and kneeboarding experience is on polyester boards although I have quite a bit of comparative experience with polyester and epoxy windsurf boards. Without a doubt the epoxy boards with closed cell foam are lighter and more floaty.

Therefore, I was thinking that the resulting weight loss and increased bouyancy would also offset some volume loss.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:59 pm

SF try a Blast quad made by Bud, I tried a 5'10" in Indo, and I feel I could ride anything on it. I say leave the designing up to the pro shaper, especially if it's your first kneeboard unless you are building the board yourself and going through a learning process. Your board at 6'x22" sounds like a standup board. Am I wrong?
And I wouldn't compare riding or catching waves on a boogie board to anything made of fiberglass.
Just my dos centavos

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:03 pm

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:49 pm

if your using eps then use 1.5 density......2 pound is harder to shape and i hear it rides wierd....(just what i heard).......

.i use a surform,pumice bar,and a electric sander ......no planer...itll chew the foam up.........DONT SPACKLE the foam........i did this to get better art-work...its basically a drywall filler ....now my board weighs 25 pounds and is verry prone to delam(although it hasnt happened yet)........

.....as for epoxy or polyester.....epoxy is easier to use and affords you more time to work out any air bubbles, its way stronger and it doesnt smell...........i use resin research....$90 for a 1 board kit(youll have alot left over)......

.....if you want to use polyester then your gonna have to lay three layers of Behr house-paint over the blank before you glass.....less then that and your blank will dissapear!!!!..more than that and its just added weight.......i use a paint-roller.........25 dollars for a gallon plus MEKP catalyst...you can do three boards with that!!!!........its all up to you man

sf_firestarter · Post by **sf_firestarter** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:00 am

Mike Fernandez wrote:SF try a Blast quad made by Bud, I tried a 5'10" in Indo, and I feel I could ride anything on it. I say leave the designing up to the pro shaper, especially if it's your first kneeboard unless you are building the board yourself and going through a learning process. Your board at 6'x22" sounds like a standup board. Am I wrong?
And I wouldn't compare riding or catching waves on a boogie board to anything made of fiberglass.
Just my dos centavos

Mike, you're the second person that has recommended that exact board. I guess he's making some good stuff.

The current board is a KB I had it custom built about 5 years ago. After doing some additional measurements last night I realized I screwed up the initial measurements and the board is actually 22 1/2". The nose is 15 1/2 at 12, wide point is 1" ahead of center, and the tail is 16" at 12".

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:40 am

sf_firestarter · Post by **sf_firestarter** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:48 am

I guess I should have spoken to who will be building the board but as I don't know yet I didn't want to add another variable to the equation.

I would like to do it myself but my lack of a proper or really any area to do this is a factor I would have to resolve first. Most likely a friend and shaper will be building the board. He is old and new school a former shaper for Lightning Bolt Surfboards in Hawaii and now owns a windsurfboard company that uses some of the most cutting edge construction techniques.

As for construction, if the board is a standard blank it will be polyester if it is EPS it will be Epoxy.

Either way its going to be my design for better or worse.