Offbeat split flex tail 6/4 fin
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- Legend (Contribution King!)
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:19 am
- Location: Cornwall, England.
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Offbeat split flex tail 6/4 fin
Some new photos of the board in the album -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14562
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14561
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14560
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14559
Shots before high density foam insert [& three photos before this one]-
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14291
The shaped blank [& previous 2 shots]-
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14110
I've now surfed the board....report so far -
The first surf was in 2 feet weak swell...I had the larger fins in [as in the shots before the insert] the board felt stiff!....but what I gained from this outing was the knowledge that its a case of demand & supply....you need a wave with a bottom to get a return out of the board....my other feeling was that the slot [before the insert was added] was gripping the water in turns [part of the cause of the stiffness]......this was not the case in a bottom turn [just the odd wave] where the long projection didn't argue with it!
The board has now been totally transformed & is far better than I could have hoped for.The two front fins are still the same but the rear 4 are smaller.....& six fins work! I surfed it yesterday in 3 - 4 feet light onshore conditions....& it was a completely new feeling!.......FLOW!....the board just bent to where I wanted it to go....so smooth....it feels alive......no sense of separation of board & wave...just amazing smooth suspension....no effort or imbalance in cutbacks & smooth floaters.....it makes me realise how much a conventional design argues about the direction in which you wish to make it go.
I would love to get it in a reeling point break.....just to make the feeling last longer...just load & release.
I'm thinking about fixing a spring bridge on the deck between the two tails.....I would insert fixings [in the same way as a deck plug] that could be screwed into....& have a selection of different strength bridges.....for really powerful surf, a strong bridge so that at full stretch the buried tail rail could start to receive strength from the other tail. This would also have the benefit of strengthening the tails if a heavy lip impacted the bottom [the weakest spot]
The insert is closed cell high density foam & is glued in place...& doesn't inhibit the flex at all.
The turning ability also opens up the possibilty of wider tails & straighter outline....boards that fly in weaker waves but will readily turn....tuning the flex would be important here.
Just can't wait for the next decent swell.....much fun to come tuning fins & flex....hope to get some shots of it surfing.
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14562
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14561
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14560
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14559
Shots before high density foam insert [& three photos before this one]-
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14291
The shaped blank [& previous 2 shots]-
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14110
I've now surfed the board....report so far -
The first surf was in 2 feet weak swell...I had the larger fins in [as in the shots before the insert] the board felt stiff!....but what I gained from this outing was the knowledge that its a case of demand & supply....you need a wave with a bottom to get a return out of the board....my other feeling was that the slot [before the insert was added] was gripping the water in turns [part of the cause of the stiffness]......this was not the case in a bottom turn [just the odd wave] where the long projection didn't argue with it!
The board has now been totally transformed & is far better than I could have hoped for.The two front fins are still the same but the rear 4 are smaller.....& six fins work! I surfed it yesterday in 3 - 4 feet light onshore conditions....& it was a completely new feeling!.......FLOW!....the board just bent to where I wanted it to go....so smooth....it feels alive......no sense of separation of board & wave...just amazing smooth suspension....no effort or imbalance in cutbacks & smooth floaters.....it makes me realise how much a conventional design argues about the direction in which you wish to make it go.
I would love to get it in a reeling point break.....just to make the feeling last longer...just load & release.
I'm thinking about fixing a spring bridge on the deck between the two tails.....I would insert fixings [in the same way as a deck plug] that could be screwed into....& have a selection of different strength bridges.....for really powerful surf, a strong bridge so that at full stretch the buried tail rail could start to receive strength from the other tail. This would also have the benefit of strengthening the tails if a heavy lip impacted the bottom [the weakest spot]
The insert is closed cell high density foam & is glued in place...& doesn't inhibit the flex at all.
The turning ability also opens up the possibilty of wider tails & straighter outline....boards that fly in weaker waves but will readily turn....tuning the flex would be important here.
Just can't wait for the next decent swell.....much fun to come tuning fins & flex....hope to get some shots of it surfing.
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- Local (More than 25 post)
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:49 pm
- Location: Sunshine Coast, Qld
offbeat split flextail
crox
i'm speechless - what a fabulous bit of work. is the flex simply the natural blank flex? are there any stringers? there are enough variables in that one board to screw with your head for life.
my outer island / mitchell rae flexie used carbon fibre and its still in perfect condition after 10 years - i wish the rest of the board was in as good condition as the flex panel. its quite stiff compared to the last of the greenough spoons but who wants to sand down a work of art!
keep us all up-dated as you get your head around your creation. I dips me lid!
i'm speechless - what a fabulous bit of work. is the flex simply the natural blank flex? are there any stringers? there are enough variables in that one board to screw with your head for life.
my outer island / mitchell rae flexie used carbon fibre and its still in perfect condition after 10 years - i wish the rest of the board was in as good condition as the flex panel. its quite stiff compared to the last of the greenough spoons but who wants to sand down a work of art!
keep us all up-dated as you get your head around your creation. I dips me lid!
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- Legend (Contribution King!)
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:19 am
- Location: Cornwall, England.
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Hi Mark, thanks for your comments
The standard stringer runs from the slot to the nose.
Added suspension in the form of inset rovings as shown in this shot -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14110
The variables are going to take a lot of testing ....got to think of a suitable material to make the spring bridge from.
Fins are going to be very interesting because they will have so much less work to do to steer the board.
The standard stringer runs from the slot to the nose.
Added suspension in the form of inset rovings as shown in this shot -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=14110
The variables are going to take a lot of testing ....got to think of a suitable material to make the spring bridge from.
Fins are going to be very interesting because they will have so much less work to do to steer the board.
- Mike Fernandez
- Legend (Contribution King!)
- Posts: 2396
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:30 pm
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Great work Crox, I can't wait for some pictures in clean 6ft. face surf. Should be a good test aye
I am a traveller of both time and space, a weaver in and out of dreams, I see worlds seldom seen.
www.michaelfernandezphoto.com
Rocky Point/Black Rock
http://www.youtube.com/user/kneelocoveproduction
www.michaelfernandezphoto.com
Rocky Point/Black Rock
http://www.youtube.com/user/kneelocoveproduction
Crox
Thats a very interesting approach, and one that will surely only work on a kneeboard (standups eat your hearts out!)
Must have been a bit of a bitch to glass and sand that 'butt crack'!
It will be interesting to see how the 'hinge' area of the deck stands up to repeated flex cycles, maybe some carbon tapes bridging that area could be in order?
Fin configuration could be even more interesting, on a point wave, you really could set up assymetric fins, 2 fins spaced apart on the bottom turn, 3 on the top turn side?
Keep us updated on the progress.
Cheers
Mark
Thats a very interesting approach, and one that will surely only work on a kneeboard (standups eat your hearts out!)
Must have been a bit of a bitch to glass and sand that 'butt crack'!
It will be interesting to see how the 'hinge' area of the deck stands up to repeated flex cycles, maybe some carbon tapes bridging that area could be in order?
Fin configuration could be even more interesting, on a point wave, you really could set up assymetric fins, 2 fins spaced apart on the bottom turn, 3 on the top turn side?
Keep us updated on the progress.
Cheers
Mark
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- Legend (Contribution King!)
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:19 am
- Location: Cornwall, England.
- Contact:
Just to keep this thread updated....latest 4 fin flextail -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24398
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24398&mode=prev#TopPic
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24397&mode=prev#TopPic
album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=24395
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24412
This was number 2 flextail 4 fin......flex without split....I turned it into a split tail & it went better still! -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=19352
album_showpage.php?pic_id=19353&user_id=102
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24398
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24398&mode=prev#TopPic
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24397&mode=prev#TopPic
album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=24395
album_showpage.php?pic_id=24412
This was number 2 flextail 4 fin......flex without split....I turned it into a split tail & it went better still! -
album_showpage.php?pic_id=19352
album_showpage.php?pic_id=19353&user_id=102
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- Grom (25 or less posts to site)
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:29 pm
- Location: Central Coast/Forresters Beach NSW
Off Beat
Crox
Does Off Beat Kneeboards have a webb site?
I'm very keen to get my hands on a carbon quad
Krusty Australia
Does Off Beat Kneeboards have a webb site?
I'm very keen to get my hands on a carbon quad
Krusty Australia