Duckdivability?

[bongoman]

Hi there

On the verge of getting a new board (aren't we all?) and have been thinking about what I want.

Is it wrong to even think about how easy a board is to duckdive as a design decision? I've been thinking about my 6' quad, 23.5" board and the thing I dislike about it the most is how fricken' hard I find it to duckdive. Not sure of the thickness right now.

Now I know that the only real considerations should be how a board surfs but it gets to the point where I'll choose to take another board out rather than this one as I know it's just going to really hard work getting out.

Maybe I'm just getting soft in my middle age and feel free to flame me for even asking the question, but the reality is that I want a board that surfs well AND I can push under easily. I just want to have fun basically.

[southpeakbrad]

Hey Bongoman,

I'm only 145# or so and when I got a Flashpoint for bigger surf I asked Bruce about being able to duckdive because it was going to be a 6 footer with a bit more volume. He assured me I'd be able to and he was right He pulls in the nose on his boards a tad more than on some other boards and there's definitely not too much foam there either, but the thickness flows nicely from nose to tail...
Good luck!

[skansand]

I swear to god i can duckdive my 6'1 x 23" x 2 1/4" flashpoint better then my 5'3 X 21 1/2 x 2 1/2 Boxy railed fish!!!


a revelation i had the other day getting caught inside in big beachbreak with the fish...

[surfhorn]

I've always kept the ability to duckdive my KBs as one of the design elements I use to create a board. I usually have a more narrow nose but also thin out the front part of the board back to the point just in front of where my shoulders/chest would be if I were laying on the board paddling.

My current board has a 17" nose but is thin and can push under really well.

[K-man]

my foiled boards definately sink better than my fatties.Less foam to deal with.But....If it's tiny,I'll go with the fattie.ducking not being an issue.

cheers

Saw a bit on the surfing museum.Good interview dan.... 8)

[TC]

I would always take into consideration how well a new board is going to duck dive. If you can’t get out it does not matter how well a board rides, (unless you have a pier near by). My 5’8” Freeline quad fish is a master duck-diver and the one I use when it gets big. Not only does it hold in well on steep waves but It's the one I can paddel out. Good luck with your quest. Cheers TC

[KneeBumps]

Bouyancy is certainly a factor- my two EPS/Epoxy boards are noticeably more buoyant than my PE/PU boards, and harder to duckdive (although great for no paddle takeoffs), even though the EPS boards both seem smaller in overall volume. I have yet to successfully duckdive my 6'2" EPS fish. Might just be a matter of slightly different timing, though.

[red]

Trick I learnt that is good for kneeboards:

Just angle the board slightly when you push under, so you are not pushing the whole nose area under, but rather sinking a rail. Lets you get deeper regardless of volume.

Hope it helps.

[Scott]

Thanks for the tip, Red. I'll try that one.

Truthfully, I can't imagine ability to duck dive as a factor in choosing a board. It's how the board performs on the wave that should be the 99% focus. Of course, I ride Blast boards, which tend to have a lot of foam in 'em.

[bongoman]

Truthfully, I can't imagine ability to duck dive as a factor in choosing a board. It's how the board performs on the wave that should be the 99% focus.

Yeah, I know, which is why I was a little sheepish in even asking the question. Maybe it's really a matter of following Red's advice and just getting better technique.

[jdc]

The duckdive is an issue in step, deeply penetrating waves. At 13th beach a few breaks at 3 to 4 ft are harder work than others at 4 to 5 ft and more likely to snap a board.

Ive got three boards, a parkes, a Island and a flashpoint.

The flashpoint is my choice for steep grinding waves. A - because it never nose dives and B - it ducks under these a lot easier than the other two.

so is there a connection?


There other conditions/breaks when the flashpoint stays in the car and either the parkes or the Neil Luke are perfect.

hart once mentioned something about the degree of curve in his boards even before he began pulling in his nose. My flashie is quite old.

so it might be a horses for courses question ( having a steep wave deeply grinding board) tied in with technique and coversations with your shaper...but it does seem to be a flashpoint trade mark in that they dont catch much underwater tubulance.

[Paul]

Hey Bongoman...
Great question and one I don't think that any one would flame ya for. Ya spend 95% of your session paddling and 5% actually riding the waves. If you can't duck dive it, then it's probably not the best board for riding anyways, is it? Ok, a big fat thick board will get you through some gutless or choppy junk days, yeah, but that not going to be your 'go-to' board when the waves are more enjoyable, is it?
I concur with what everyone else is saying about the flashpoints, though. I currently have an Island, a Blast, a Freeline, a South African ...Lost, a Parkes and one each from local shapers in Bali and Puerto Rico, and the Flashy ties for first for 'duckdivability' with the Raymundo board from PR. Both have teased out rails and start with a thinner center. The only reason why the PR board ties, is that it's thinnest and glassed heavier.
Duck diving well means getting back out there faster and getting more waves. Getting more waves and spending less time getting worked seems like a no brainer. So, yes, take 'duckdivability' into consideration when designing that next board!

[Kauaikneelo]

Keep at it.

I see skinny guys on giant guns paddle through mountains. They push those trees under some how!!

Take that nose and send it south, not just a little under the surface, but DIVE,DIVE, DIVE, and kick like you mean it.

PS good timing helps, "wait for it....wait for it...GO"

[Howard Lorney]

I definitely notice the difference between my two Parkes boards, 5'10"x23.5" and 5'6"x23'. Haven't had the pleasure of trying a blast yet. The 5'6" is easier to dive but I also know that I don't have a great technique even after all these years. (obviously lots of practice doing it the wrong way means I'm now really good at doing it the Wrong way)
Some times ya just time it right and have the right technique for the conditions and you come up wishing it went like that all the time.

Technique and timing are obviously the key here and any tips on these would be great. Then I guess it's just a case of time in the water and practice, practice, refine, and practice.

[KneeBumps]

I'm more familiar with that scary feeling that I have not pushed down enough, and am inexorably being pulled up, up, up, and over...