I was wrong but now ?

jdc · Post by **jdc** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:52 am

also add a bit of length to your board as well as keeping it thick, but glassed a little lighter and you get a 40 years plus kneelo machine.

red · Post by **red** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:26 pm

..and here I am trying to drop volume from my boards.
I'm currently riding one that is 6'2" and 41liters (I'm 75kg)
Since pro surfers ride 26liter boards, I figure that I could get down to, say 34liters and still be ahead.
So I'm dropping thickness and volume overall, but keeping thickness more consistent throughout the length. this means I'm shooting for 2 1/4" thickness by the time I'm 50 (all too soon now).

Steve, maybe we could meet somewhere in the middle - you coming off a low base and me coming off a high one ; - )

By the way, there's been a lot of discussion about whether a 'sinker' catches steep waves better because the board does not get sucked up the face so fast.

Shelfbreak · Post by **Shelfbreak** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:04 pm

I usually lose ground duckdiving alongside guys on pointy nosed shortboards and so am somewhat wary of going for too much volume as it is usually getting back out where my age/fitness level become evident.

Mind you I'm not sure I have ever raised the issue of volume with a shaper directly

jdc · Post by **jdc** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:33 pm

red wrote:

(I'm75kg)

By the way, there's been a lot of discussion about whether a 'sinker' catches steep waves better because the board does not get sucked up the face so fast.

Red at 75kg your outside the parameters of the conversation - which is a positive from most angles

My best steep wave board is a 10 year old 5'10 flashie that im technically to heavey for, or at least a lot heavier than I was - it aint the weight with this one its the shape!

Headwax. · Post by **Headwax.** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:33 pm

To paraphrase Stevea "if you're fat make it thicker"

(to catch waves easier)

Great motto. !

Few years ago I was out in the surf with a whole lot of boogie riders and they were sitting twenty feet out from me and picking up waves that I wouldn't have been able to get from their spot. I asked myseld how where they catching them, when obviosuly they had less flotation and way less planing area.

One of the answers (not the only answer) was they have "no" rocker.

Time passed. I asked Parkes to design a board for small waves (two foot and under). He made the rocker very flat, made it 23 and 3quarters wide, and ameliorated the lack of rocker by a nice curvy planshape to keep the rails etc from digging. Added to this is a big through concave which makes the stringer line extremely flat.

Board is thick as well. But the flat rocker is a boone to catching waves....
The board is only five nine.

looking forward to those pics Stevea

cheers

surfhorn · Post by **surfhorn** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:26 pm

That's the ticket: planing area with less rocker. Too mush rocker that will push water at slower speeds.

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:42 am

width of potato chip

Full Bore Board

5 feet 7 inches

22 inches wide

[/img]

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:56 am

Cannot believe I did this, completely lost my orginal post, so the potato chip comment is meaningless.

Basically was saying for many, many years at weight of 85 kg height of 183 I have ridden a very thin board 5 ft 7 in 22 wide, and extremely thin, with kneewells that almost hit the bottom glass. I love the boards.

After reading this site, and being brought back into the world of surfers, I bought a blast 5 years ago, jumped on it an fell off repeatedly. Last season August, I commited my self to learning the blast, and now it works excellent.

Then I pushed myself again, to switch to the Freak 6 ft and excellent float.'

I love to ride the very thin boards in most all waves, however the blast and the freak, in the very sucky waves do not catch rail, no dig the nose.
The 5.7 board had a round nose, and I guess I we extrapolated, and extended the lines, it would result in maybe a 6 ft board.

Seems that once I am in the wave, all the boards do great, even a plywood board. But once the take offs become more challenging, then ...

Kauaikneelo · Post by **Kauaikneelo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:44 am

Sometimes the board can be shaped specific to one break or one kinda wave that we ride all time. So we get that board wired in that kinda break, but take that board somewhere else with big differences in the wave and find "the board" didnt perform well.

I think all the points made so far are valid and make me think more of the kinda wave I gonna ride and which board works better.

I dont want to blame my poor conditioning

, old age, or full size man frame,

no. no its gotta be the board and those tricky waves.

Keep us up on how it goes.

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:24 pm

absolutely agree, its gotta be the board

"always blame our tools"

stevea · Post by **stevea** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:27 pm

I guess most aspects of kneeboard design and their outcomes are relative to the individuals required response ie the boards that i thought were so so right for me before( i still love them )but after 12 months of not much surfing a longer thicker board became inevitable
Red i would love to know how to do the litre equation ,during my thinner is good phase i felt that reducing volume in front of the knees was crucial getting down to around 2''just before and maybe 2.25 under my knees and a thicker than usual tail .The problem was i changed too many aspects at one time: less area ,length and thickness .
Griz a couple of photos are coming if my attempts work will post a couple more
As far as rocker goes the basis of every board ive ever made is less is more ,placement of concaves relative to depth and profile of vee provide the fulcrum for turns ,not to mention a dozen other aspects of design and the thousands of variables
Headwax thanks for reminding me about the paddling weight loss program ,i think its working

Headwax. · Post by **Headwax.** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:10 pm

Heh

No problem

Must put myself on that same regime.

Thanks for sending the pics. Wonderfull looking board. That curve in the tail hits the spot.

Beautiful place. Awesome.

cheers

(send more when you get a chance)

barry · Post by **barry** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:03 am

Hi Steve
I have been on the thicker is better program for a little over a year now.
(not that I have gotten any thicker) but my boards are up to 3" thick now
I really enjoy the extra volume, and by blending the thickness out the nearer you get to the rails it does not adversely affect the way the board handles.
my rails are the same shape/same volume as my 2"5/8 thick boards

works unreal in wave that are kinda phat n mushy.
also I find the extra volume aids in dealing with chop, wind bump,etc

enjoy the ride mate,
Barry

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:54 am

I have never been wrong. I thought I was, once, but I was mistaken.

Barry, I agree, totally with you last post. Did find it hard to punch through in SF beachbreak though. It was more viable for point break surf.

barry · Post by **barry** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:16 am

Bob
I find it to work great on either type of wave.
as for the duckdiving I just started grabbing it farther up
towards the nose to achieve a different leverage point

so she still goes down fairly easy

Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

I was wrong but now ?

low float or no float

Re: low float or no float

its gotta be the board

I was wrong but now ?

fatty

duckdive