spoons

[DrStrange]

Tell the missus I'm sorry but really, if anything less stamina cause you only need short sprint for take off. Paddling out, caught inside etc you can cruise slowww and easy, just swim it down under and ride the surge out when waves come. Easy pleasy. Such a boost from the deep surge that I used to beat fast paddling stand-ups going out as they had to push thru and go backwards a bit for every wave and I would go deep and get a bit of a free ride. Unless of course it was too shallow, heh-heh-heh-scrunch

[lowrider]

Has anyone out there seen, surfed, or shaped a hybrid fish/spoon?

now, I've never built or surfed a spoon but the 'fish' tail seems to me to be of no benefit for a spoon.

With the flex properties of the deck/tail, its like saying ' crack here'
at the internal junction of the 'pins'.
Also, I guess that the 'gears' referred to are partly due to the flex & return of the tail, so surely a big 'ol square tail is the go?? like having another flipper/swim fin??

you could always cut the fish profile into the tail later if you're curious...

Just my 2c; I'm sure there are guys here who know more about such things

[kidrock]

First of all, CONGRATS to Bryan Jackson---I'm a Fish guy, but really appreciate the aesthetics and thought process put into experimentation. That really is a beautiful board.

And, speaking from inexperience, I've noticed a couple of comments about how everyone would ride the spoon, if it were truly advanced.

Not everyone rides fishes, not everyone rides slabs. It's a matter of preference. The common theme I've heard from spoon riders over the years is that the board won't work unless the waves are big, hollow and/or dredging. Supposedly, they are "magic" in those conditions. Plus, they don't float well while waiting for a set, and are somewhat different to paddle (set back on the tail and kick-paddle like crazy).

Every shape, done correctly, is valid. I don't think Romo would continue shaping 'em (and charging $$$) if this weren't the case.

[MTBarrels]

Has anyone out there seen, surfed, or shaped a hybrid fish/spoon?

now, I've never built or surfed a spoon but the 'fish' tail seems to me to be of no benefit for a spoon.

With the flex properties of the deck/tail, its like saying ' crack here'
at the internal junction of the 'pins'.
Also, I guess that the 'gears' referred to are partly due to the flex & return of the tail, so surely a big 'ol square tail is the go?? like having another flipper/swim fin??

you could always cut the fish profile into the tail later if you're curious...

Just my 2c; I'm sure there are guys here who know more about such things

Nearly all the kneeboards I've built (~70 to date) have been spoons to semi-spoons with flex. But there are lots of types of flex. I like what I call "rail flex"--as illustrated in the attached pics. In this concept, the centerline is kept quite rigid (addn'l layers of uni-directional cloth down the centerline of the tail) and flex is minimal here in order to maximize speed (i.e. definitely does not act like "another flipper/swim fin"). To enhance turning in the absence of tail rocker, the rear portion of the rails are allowed to flex. During a carving turn, this flex acts like rocker along the wetted portion of the board remaining in contact with the water.

None of my boards have had a fish tail, so I can't comment on how that tail would work. However, the tails of most vary between a nearly square tail and a squash tail. The board shown (for smaller waves) is an exception has a crescent tail. One can imagine that a fish tail would be something inbetween this tail and those of my other boards. I like the crescent tail a lot, and so I would expect that a fish tail utilizing the flex rail concept would also work well.





mtbarrels

[DrStrange]

There's a FOS (friend of Steve [Lis}) in San Diego Steve Pendervais I think is name, making flex tails on solid boards much like that. Leaves stringer and rail foam I think and cuts out lot in between and then fills it with deck pad after glassing. Or something like that

[uriah]

Pendorific! There is a reef down here that is referred to by some as Pendonesia. My Pavel was scooped by Pendo. He was an apprentice of Frye. His boards are by word of mouth though.

[wino]

Pendo is a mad scientist. He has scooped out the tail of two of Tom Lintons (Dogman) boards, shaped by Barto for flex. Tom swears by them. I believe that Pendo (Steve Pendarvis) still is working for Diamond glassing. He is a master craftsman when it comes to working with fiberglass.

[W.G. Facenda]

I met him ,he is a very nice guy and loves surfboards.He gave me a big chunk of eva foam for a new board i picked up at Diamond. His flex boards and soft decks are very cool.

[flexspoon]

Don't look now but that is a 2 foot wave I'm riding on a 4'9" Greek spoon. I must have been crazy to think my spoon would work in those waves!

Seriously there are different spoons for different conditions. A "Velo" type deep hull spoon does need very steep, powerful waves to "work". Greenough's later "edge" boards would work in a multitude of wave conditions. And the "Greek" spoon in the photo I personally rode in 1' waves all the way to 15' Sunset and 10' Pipeline. 4'9" X 20.5"

Very similar to the "original Greek spoon" at romanoskykneeboards:
http://www.romanoskykneeboards.com/html ... poons.html

Oh yeah...I also had cut the square tail into a "fish" tail and never experienced any cracking or failures in that area.

Make your spoon for what you will ride. Enjoy the feeling!



The path less traveled...

[uriah]

Where did Greenough put edge? Was it similar to a Lis, but with a more subtle displacement hull? Any info would help.

[Flexman]

.

[stevea]

my view on the spoon has always been how steep the learning curve would be for the aust east coast kneeboard surfer ie any photo or footage of GG he was surfing waves of consequence a learner in this type of surf would get limited opportunity to advance due to prevailing onshore slop over summer and i never have seen any one able to surf one within a light year of George that is not to say i dismiss the design so many aspects are still evident in the evolution of todays boards i just think you need to understand what waves Greenough surfed and how he surfed and consider if you are ever going to have the same opportunities .Learning to surf in waves of consequence good luck still i wouldnt mind some flex in the quiver or a spoon on the wall

[hart]

Don't look now but that is a 2 foot wave I'm riding on a 4'9" Greek spoon.
Seriously there are different spoons for different conditions.

The path less traveled...

flexspoon..

how cool is your post!..

may I ask..(please ?)

how tall are u and what do you weigh and where are u surfing in the pic?

flexman..

your pics (courtesy of the spoon) resemble what I try to achieve in foam..not fibreglass..

That way it is at my fingertips (read shaping)..and not in my sanding (read 60 grit)..ha

but I don't have the freedom but.



hart

and 2 'buts' in 1 sentence never works..

so I deal with what I can

and Artis has a point..Greenough was (is) more than a mere mortal in regards to surfing.

fullstop

[flexspoon]

The photo above was taken in 1974 at Pt. Mugu Naval Base. I weighed about 180 lbs and 5'11" tall.

These were taken yesterday
A little flex in the tail:



and a little flex in the nose/bottom:



The path less traveled...

[flexspoon]

Hey flexman,

It just hit me after playing around with my board yesterday and looking at the images and video at the dolphinglide.com website.

Greenough designed the edge board tail to emulate the dolphin tail.
The fin on the board is the dorsal fin on the dolphin and the twisting, flexing, shape-changing of the board's "body" is the muscular, constantly changing body of the dolphin!

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=185554
http://biomechanics.bio.uci.edu/_html/n ... olphin.htm