Opinions sought on small wave boards?

[scoop]

Andrew
I could'nt be bothered to read all that...
All I would do is get one that is different to any you have now
Easy

cheers matee

Tony

[Steeno]

a small wave tip.....less is best, flat is faster

[willli]

paralysis by analysis

what struck me was the "ride off the tail" comment

works good when there's power to burn

but mush surf?

Take a good look at Bud's stub vector

think about moving off the tail and moving the skegs with you

you'll have less board in front of you and plenty of lift behind

for really mushy mush consider riding ala twin fin

fat rails work cos low power/speed means rails are sinking always

thin rails allow the board to submarine into the face

blocky rails "push (float)" away from the face grabbing more wave energy to put to use

[Bryn]

My small wave board is 5'10" X 24" wide and turns on a 50pence piece! Tri fin with back fin in front option is perfect balance of drive and release. Round pin to keep the area where its needed and plenty of curve to fit in tight spots. No wingers. Clean simple outline to keep the water flow even and unbroken. Thickness on the stringer under the knees but rails still nicely foiled to generate extra drive while on edge. Flys over flat spots and doesn't miss a beat! Spiral vee underneath.

Got to agree with Steenos on the less is best but if you balance entry rocker with the right amount of tail lift it doesn't have to be flat to be fast.

Bit of random mind spillage but works well for me. Cheers!

[willli]

Look at Eric's newie in the photos!!!!

I'd start from there.

plus you have to think through what flavor mush you're talking about

I deal with windswell alot. truly gutless surf. but there's long period mush as well, depending on wave shape. only you know what mush you're mucking in. I do have standards though. 3 foot mush is the lower limit of my patience, 3 foot mush with off shores is actually considered a good day round here. but nobody designs for those days. you're always wishing for better. our choice in shapes often reflects desire over reality.

[surfhorn]

My 6'0" x 22 3/4" round tail quad/five fin (no wings) works really well in smaller surf. In the old days, I would have just gotten on a longboard when the waves dropped below 4 foot. Now I'm back to KBing full time - no matter the wave size or condition. And it surfs large California surf well also.

I agree - just get any new board with boxes (so you can experiment with various fin sizes/shapes)........and leave the designing to the shapers.........KB shapers, that is!

[red]

Full concave loosens up the tail (ala reverse vee). Its a strong element that dictates almost everything that the board does. I think the flatter you surf it the looser it gets, but the outside fins get in the way when the board's flat through a turn (hence the big fin camber is needed).

Have a look at Al Merrick's boards on the net. Beautiful thickness foiling in the small wave boards. If you're strong enough off the tail then a square tail is the go and you can keep a little puffiness in the tail thickness. But very few kneeboarders muster the kind of power to sink a square tail so a swallow is probably the next best option. Because the swallow maximises rail length you can cut overall length (but not too much because, as Steen says, flat is best for small stuff . Length over the curve will be shorter in a flat board).

Similarly for tail kick (progressive rocker in the last 1' or so). If you're strong enough off the tail then this may work for you. Just remember anytime you leverage off the tail to turn you put the board in a stall situation, shedding speed.

In order to preserve curve through the tail to compensate for the flat rocker, you can try pulling your rails more parallel through the centre of the outline. This will make a faster plane shape and force more curve into the back 1/3.

[dorjeseahorse]

flatish in the rocker

rounded square tail thinned out for some versatility....just incase the swell picks up

nice stickers to look at if there is a lull

[splashy]

Specialty small mush wave boards ROCK!!!

I love my newest mush board (I'm the same height and weight as you). The board is:

- 5'8" x 23 3/4"
- Quad
- Double flyer rounded pin tail to get all that extra area down into a really nice curve in the tail
- double concave running into a fairly flat V out the end

This is the second board of this type that I have had. The first one I got shaped on Dave Parkes' suggestion for the Worlds on the Sunshine Coast in '02 or '03 (can't remember the year).

It was a little rocket and turned on a dime. A real dynamic board. In very very small waves you can do full bottom and full top turns. Great stuff.

Only problem was that when it was small and quite fast, there was too much curve in it and you couldn't drive off the edge.

So, when it got worn out and replaced, I asked Dave to try to maintain the turning ability while giving it some extra legs....and he did.

I think the board is a little straighter, and the edges of the concave on the bottom or a little harder (if that's the right word). So it retains the turning curve on the outline, while putting straight line for drive in the bottom shape.... maybe.... I guess ..... I just ride 'em, not too sure about how they work. That's why I don't shape and let/trust the shapers translate my needs.

Anyway, to sum up...

1 - Get for a small wave board if you think you will have a need. You will never regret it. The ability to paddle out in any old mush and still fly is great.
2 - Maybe don't think of it as a "small" wave board, but as "a board for when it is really gutless and the waves are breaking straight in instead of running down the line" (small dredging waves are great on my straighter board, but the "small wave" board is excellent for 5 foot gutless mush)
3 - Trust your shaper who knows how you surf.

New boards are cool. I love getting new boards.

[cs]

"New boards are cool. I love getting new boards."

Ahhh.... something EVERYONE can agree upon! Finally!

cs

[wino]

Yeah, it's a bummer when you have to use them.

[K-man]

your shaper will get you squared away Leave all that detail stuff to him.

[dorjeseahorse]

for the sake of debate k-man

is not fun to sit in the bath and dream about all the possible board designs that might work for one


why should the shapers have all the fun?

[kneecaps]

Seems it also depends on the type of wave. Smaller mushy waves... I like boards a bit longer and glassed light. Small hollow beachbreak throwing hard...