old school rocker question

[DrStrange]

I used to ride stand up eggs from Tracy Richmond at Channin in SD. Rocker had max curve in nose and gradually got flatter as move toward tail w/ totally flat area behind fin; think French curve. They were super fast and could carve long and go vert. pretty well (at least for mid 70's single fin)

Anyone familiar w/ this rocker configuration I'd love to hear comments on its applicability to kneelos. They were tail riders so would likely need to ridden like old school fish.

By the way, all you grizzeled old Sunset Cliffs/Big Rock rockers--did any of those fish have this type of rocker or were they more like conventional only much less total curve?

[skansand]

at ecsurfboards.com.(under-construction).theres a 5'8 egg shape that looks like an awsome kneelo...its called the Fonzer Freeride..yes bonzer setup...i beleive theres footage of it being ridden in the Golden Breed surf movie.....looks way sick....it doesnt give a wide point or rocker dimensions...sorry....why is tail rocker not practical for kneeriding?.....while surfing huntington i felt i want a kinda foam kick in the tail to assist in pointing the nose at sections....

[DrStrange]

Tail kick can be good thing. Depends on how you want it to ride. Swaylockians inform me what I refered to is called "progressive rocker". The idea at the time was to generate the least turbulance/drag possible off the tail for max speed. Kick adds looseness and generates some drag/slows it down a bit. Always a trade off somewhere.

Couldn't get into that site to view the pic of the Fonzie sorry Fonzer

[hart]

I used to ride stand up eggs from Tracy Richmond at Channin in SD. Rocker had max curve in nose and gradually got flatter as move toward tail w/ totally flat area behind fin;

think French curve.

Dr Strange

I think more Hyperbola (hyperbolic curve)..a truer curve than a french
curve (geometrically speaking)

And I still try to replicate this type of curve today..

hart

PS

The more things change, the more they stay the same



Just lose the amount of 'S' in your deck-line as a result of a straighter tail and you have a 21st Century foil..(it is 2006 isn't it?)

It's only ever as hard as we choose to make it

(if we pay attention to past mistakes, that is..)

[stu]

Hi Guys
If you go to www.holysmoke.jp you will see the fonzer etc
The japanese seem to be knocking out some realy nice boards
and the seem to be big into Bonzers
I am just finishing a convertion to an old board of mine making it a 5 fin Bonzer just to see if the whole Bonzer kneeboard thing works.
On a differant note does anyone have a copy or could make a copy of the Forgotten Island of Santosha Iwill happly pay for the time and effort as the only copies that seem to be available are in China on uninteligable web site's :shock
Stu

[red]

My experience with increased tail kick is that it encourages me to sit on my ankles through turns. I try to avoid sitting on my ankles because I believe it puts the board into stall mode that has to be overcome at some stage in the turn, bleeding speed.
Just my limited observation when tail kick is accentuated beyond the norm.

[DrStrange]

Thanks for all the feedback. Esp Hart--good info. Hard to see for untrained eyes. Just rode one of yours today a couple waves. Do you ever hyperbola to flatness in last bit of tail or always some amount of curve off the back? Just curious as I am currently making flextail fish so lots of flat but may go to full foam on my next project. Tons o' fun in the garage!

Crap grovelers w/ K-man. He tried my Mandala quad fish. We both liked both! No surprise there. Very different but both fine boards and fun.

But oh, that surf. I have some sort of curse these days. I seem to always be working on the good days or misjudge the winds and end up being there "ya shoulda been here yesterday...." Feel a bit like that Joe Blzntsqt or whatever his name in Li'l Abner comics; the guy w/ the little black cloud over his head. Everybody runs when he shows up because everything always immediately goes to •¶?£ when he arrives. The good news is I got a new 5/4 Hotline w/ hood for $284 incl tax and it is warm as summer (eat yer hear out O'Neil) and fits perfectly. Took trying on about 6 suits in 4 different brands but happy now. I sprung a leak on the paddle out and could still feel the wet spot 10 minutes later it is that water tight

[DrStrange]

Rocker chart from Lis fish pdf.file on Swaylocks from some design book:

nose 3 1/4
63" 3
58 2
52 1
44 1/2
37 1/4
tail ---

[KenM]

That chart is from a book by James Kinstle that came out in 1975 called "Surfboard Design And Construction". Lis puts considerably more rocker into his boards these days.

[K-man]

Hmmmmm,seeing that doc's boards are fairly short[5-4'']more than 3-1/4 inches of nose rocker may be overkill,especially in small waves
I could be wrong though......



Good here last night Swell jumped,3-5-+...Good lefts...Rub it in.....Just a little

[surfhorn]

Old school rocker?

Whats rocker..................... lol

[DrStrange]

Ken, does he still use same distribution i.e. "progressive"? How much total in your 6 footer (however you measure nose and tail rocker the two added should come out the same)?

[KenM]

I have a 5'10"x21" made in 1985
N:3+1/2"
T:3/4
A 6'0"x23" Made in July '03
N:4+1/2"
T:1"
A 6'1"x22" Made in July '05
N:5"
T:1+1/4"
Maybe the best thing would be for you to grab your straight edge, ruler, french curve, parabolic mirror, and a couple of beers and come over and look at them side by side.They look pretty different to me but I'm not too sure I could descibe how very well.