Opinions sought on small wave boards?

[red]

I decided at some point that 6' was a good length for me (I'm 6'1" and 78kg), so that was one less variable to play with. I like 23 1/2 - 3/4 wide, so that's 2 variables less. I like rounded pins because I need help smoothing my style. Now there are only about 2000 variables left...

Working with Bruce Hart over a few years I bought 3 'similar' six footers (among other things). album_showpage.php?pic_id=3294
They were all fantastic boards - support to "your shaper knows best - don't dictate (unless you are happy to live with the results)".

One was specifically intended for small waves so it had bigger rails and wider tail (18"). It has a pulled in nose so surfs a little shorter. It's a duracel board - it just keeps going and going on nothing. It paddles the best of the 3.

One was an all purpose board for 3-6' waves. It has a domed deck so the rails are refined (1" thick at 1" in at midpoint) and the tail was narrower (16.5"). Its a great board in anything up to 8' or so.

One is in between. Actually built to overcome some of the problems I was having with overwhelming the thin railed board. It had a 17" tail but thicker rails. It is a lot more confident and stable than the thin railed board.

The entry rocker and bottom is similar on all the boards so the distribution of volume was a defining characteristic.

[red]

I'm riding pinnier tails with less toed in fins. I find this suits the way I surf. Even with rounded pins I was having trouble getting the tail as loose as I wanted because I carry such a drivey fin set-up (close to true thruster, rather than the typical stabilised-twin setups). I find that I can push around the decreased tail easier and do the 'positive' tail slide top turns I've been trying to get right for a couple of years. These pins are narrower in the last 4", but still 16 1/2" at 12" up. The decreased fin toe provides the acceleration and top speed I like. This is a board for 3'-6' not mush grovel.

The pinnier tail is matched up with flatter rocker. The rails are quite eggy from 2/3 back. Parksey reckons that the rails can detract from rail burying drive but I'm not finding this to be the case. The rails are also a little puffed-up (50mm at 1" in from the edge, rather than 30mm) which brings me to the "overwhelming" comment. I find that fined-out rails bury rather too easily. This means that I bury the board to the stringer on a turn. Water hits my inside knee and slows me down. It probably wouldn't happen if I wasn't such an oaf but I am so I need to design for it.

[dorjeseahorse]

Interestingly in the reverse from small tail area and a thruster set up....Im finding that when i go from thruster to quad, with rounded square tail, the time on the thruster has resulted in more radical quad surfing in that I attack my turns...im harder at it with pleasing consequences

if ever i have the good fortune of getting to a contest and knew the waves were small and beachy id spend time on the thruster in preperation...if the swell picked up then id still be in the loop

Hey Red what happened on Friday?...no info under that thread heading yet!

[crox]

Great stuff Andrew

Love the look of the board............& so light that it just floats there!
Dreamboard...dream location....ahhhh as you say life is good

It's sunny in Cornwall today but down to freezing overnight.....just looks so warm there...let us know how the board goes.

[john -]

well come on wax...get ya hand off it whats the dimensions...no not the wine class...and it should be Shiraz!

[jadams3]

Headwax.......man, I love the spray job on the board! That design ROCKS.......I might have to copy that on my next Parkes....hope you don't mind. ........Sweet board

[dorjeseahorse]

how strong is the idea that 4 ft is out of range

what did dave say about larger fins at the back


will you surf it in good conditions or grab other

???


dont drink blonk

[Steeno]

Congratulations Andrew

[jadams3]

Headwax........I've got a 5'8" Parkes quad and have surfed it in 6'+ conditions and have not had any spinout issues. The Parkes slab design is thicker and generally has much more volume than my previous Balestar boards. SFKneelo, aka Bob Schiff, and Don Harris convinced me that the slab design was the way to go and I've been stoked on that board ever since. Those guys surf similar Parkes designs that are 5'8" to 5'10" I believe (?) at Ocean Beach in some heavy dredgers with finesse and confidence. I'm only 5'8" and 165lbs. myself so that may play into the equation. Getting used to the fin placement took a few sessions as I was used to fin placement further back on the Balestar's. But you're right about small waves.......my Parkes floats thru sections and provides more speed and drive in smaller junky conditions.