Soft Boards

davo · Post by **davo** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:43 am

Hi
After a bit of advice. I'm looking for a softboard for between the flags surfing (blackball??? in the US). Good way of avoiding crowds and kooks, plus the local has an OK point that is off limits, perfect for the softie. If the surf goes above overhead its "open season" so out with Flaspoint. Therefore the likeley surf conditions for it will be less than that, that is typical Sydney Australia in summer.
Has anyone had a go at the INT 4'11'' Blackball ????
Any other suggestions????

Would a "custom"" from a bodyboard maker work??

Help really appreciated!!!!

toofast3 · Post by **toofast3** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:15 am

davo... C.P.Odom has soft boards for his kids. At ome of the last Newport gathering, I borrowed one to try. It did ok. It`s like any other board, you have to get used to it. I rode it amungest the other kbers. I don`t know it works with the "blackball" area, but I have thought about getting one to ride shore break I believe C P Odom has 2 different brands and shapes.

gene west · Post by **gene west** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:24 am

Toofast....I see a guy with a soft board, fish shape, about 4" thick, 5'11",2 plastic keel fins,and he rips it....I asked my friend Steve,on of the head lifeguards in O.B. if they could be ridden when the blackball is hoisted, and he said no, because it has fins,

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:26 am

you could copy your favorite sub-5' board with waterproof eps/xps....glass the bottom and glue camping pad to the top......just add some pro-tek fins and you could really have an argument for the lifeguards....

could take it even further by using HDPE and a heatgun for a plastic bottom...

davo · Post by **davo** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:06 pm

I'll give it a go. Aussie lifeguards aren't as tough on the fins issue as the US. See plenty of softie shortboards between the flags.
.....but then again another "real" board in the quiver??? Thanks for the help!!

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:37 pm

I'm keen on a softboard too

Bud had something on the go years ago but heard nothing more of it.
I'll see if I can find that link
...
it's somewhere inside here
http://www.blasthawaii.com/index2.htm
but I can't find the actual

added info about soft boards
http://www.rodndtube.com/paipo/RobDiStefano.html

LS Liquid Shredder say they may look at it in the future
...
for now the closest thing they have is the fun fish boards.
http://www.sunset-bs.com/Novedades2.html
I thought of chopping of the rear and re-setting fins.
20 inch is probably a little narrow.
... or the Egg

one of the short Element boards.
http://www.sunset-bs.com/eng/BodySurf-I.html

C.P.Odom · Post by **C.P.Odom** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:15 pm

We (the kids) have two of them, one 5'0" BZ fish and one 5'0" INT. The BZ is a much better Kneeboard, it is a little wider with better rail shapes. It is also a little thicker and is more ridged.

I have Black Ball kneeboarded the BZ at 200lbs with some success. We have never been questioned by the Lifeguards and I do not ask their permission.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:58 am

Kev wrote: ... I'll see if I can find that link

found it !!

http://www.blasthawaii.com/for_sale.htm

MIK911 · Post by **MIK911** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:35 pm

I saw a nice INT 5'10" fish softboard at SunDiego surf shop last wk.
It looked pretty nice, thick, floaty, and I had the same thoughts about KBing it between flags.

re:Fins. some bodyboards have fins installed, and those aren't banned from swim areas. Is it the fins that is the limiting factor? or.........

Length: Is there a maximum length of board that is allowed at black balled beaches? The INT 4'11" softboard is called the Black Ball Beater, but I wonder if a 5'10" would be allowed.

kneelingBROTHA · Post by **kneelingBROTHA** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:54 pm

I believe the max length allowed at most beaches is in fact 4' 11". Sorry! That's why all of the "black ball beater" boards are so tiny.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:58 am

kneelingBROTHA wrote:... max length allowed at most beaches is in fact 4' 11". ...

bummer
probably a bit small for me

even so
I'm still interested in a softie
for the kids
to loan to friends
to leave at the holiday house
in the shore break
...
to try out stupid new manouvers

and basically just for fun

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:13 pm

with summer blackball finally upon and great newport spots off limits ive decided on having a go at building a foamie.....

No blackball beater on the market looks verry good to me,, and i want a KNEEBOARD, not a standup fish...

so 4'11 x 25" x 3"......sound good?

what i need is a resourse for XPS foam which seems to be the superior foam for this application, and for me being a backyard boardbuilder
with blank-making experience....

and... I need a computer program where I can dial in my template and print it out.....

what ya'll think?

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:20 am

ill be using soft EVA foam fins..blackball aproved..

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:31 am

NCountyKneelo · Post by **NCountyKneelo** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:38 am

A friend of mine now owns GLS softboards. http://www.glssurf.com
They have many coastal Lifeguard department contracts for both paddleboards and rescue sleds (back of Jet Skis). I know they can make any template (measurement) you want, probably even a four fin. The thing is cost, cause I am not sure what a one off would go for. They do up to 4 inch thick paddle boards and I think their rescue sleds are 6 inches thick so really any dimension is doable, I think. I am not really sure how much play there would be in the rocker but I can find out. PM me with as much info on your design thoughts, shape and measurements and I will see if it is anything they are interested in doing.