Is anyone trying to make a board that performs ok with or without fins. Put fins in for waves and take them out for mucking around and learning new tricks in flat water?

Mark _australia said..
Design brief:

5'1" x 18" - fairly conventional rocker - channeled
Thruster
Experiemental / try something new.....

What isn't being done / offered now and might work? (with the exception of construction method)

This is a pretty good board IMO, its 5'1" x 18 and 24.9ltrs suits smaller waves up to 1.5 head high. I'm riding it with the M size Quobbas although recently got size L Quobbas and have been using it with size M centre fin and size L on the sides and will try the reverse when it stops raining enough and we have wind.
Epoxy over glass and carbon on a poly core.

Straps

^^^ Lovely boards but I think you've got me all wrong

I'm building it...


It will certainly be as many have suggested above ........ channel, swallow, blunt nose, flatter rocker, thin blah blah ........... but I'm looking for very different ideas. Customer is looking to experiment a bit.


So far, Chemtrails..... I'm liking that idea as very short = low swing weight = rotates nice. Wider gets the volume back and pops nice. After this one I may well do just that. Will PM you

Strapless>?... then minimise the weight.

Before you splash out on an experimental peice of custom made loungeroom wall art, try buying a cheap 2nd hand kids shortboard.

especially for the overpowered conditions we get up here in the midwest so often.

you might only get 5 or 6 surfs on it before it breaks, but it will be worth it.

I'm currently riding a paper thin 5'8" i bought for $70. Probably put $50 worth of resin over all the dings it had though :) . Its now my favourite board, somehow its survived a whole season and i'm questioning why i ever used anything else. Going back to a heavy overglassed typical kiteboard is like.... horrible. No thanks

Im dreading the day it snaps... which will probably be tomorrow :(

edit... you beat me to the reply button mark - if your building it all good - but seriously try someithing super light weight if you havent yet.

yeah i had a lovely tomo SB... lasted 2 seasons but shes dead now. well worth the $400 2nd hand price though. its an challenging comprimise - if your investing the time and effort to build a custom you dont want to snap it straight away.

but its just so much better when theyre light weight. i reakon cheap surfboards are the best bang for your buck. plus you get 4 or 5 boards for the price of a new kiteboard so can try different things. its working for me so far.

anyway back on topic of the OP - 5'1 is crazy short. im looking forward to seeing it

Do not get some of these posts Mark brief is Strapless freestyle Not wave boards ?? Which are heavy thick rails blah blah But saying that I did do bagged/ vacuum carbon Cut off nose board /planning hull/ thin rail / grab rail for waves But-this baby just won't s to jump at 1.8 kg 5'2 x18" X 2" and sick pop and also using Quobba medium fins

Can someone please explain the attraction to short wide tail boards aside from freestyle? Aren't they bouncy? And how do you control them at speed in a decent surf? I've always found wide tails mean I can't control the board - it's more like it's controlling me.

Thank you vendeavours. I'm with you. I love the way you have managed to keep the sides parallel / straightish but still have a small tail with those steps. Helps if the boards not too wide I guess. Nice job.

vendeavours said..
Do not get some of these posts Mark brief is Strapless freestyle Not wave boards ?? Which are heavy thick rails blah blah But saying that I did do bagged/ vacuum carbon Cut off nose board /planning hull/ thin rail / grab rail for waves But-this baby just won't s to jump at 1.8 kg 5'2 x18" X 2" and sick pop and also using Quobba medium fins

Oh yeah freestyle righto my bad...

you proably want heavy strong boards for that

Ive found that the parralel rail can hinder loading the board to pop. If the tail is too wide, it's hard to load.

No nose is fun in small waves and reduces injury.

Too much width in the nose just adds weight or helps if you are paddling into waves. When you ride it sits out of the water.

In saying that, there is a good medium. Smook get it, Warner gets it. But a lot of big brands seem to me made for market trend, not performance.

This board is the ultimate fun machine. If you're over 85kg try it's big brother the Duke.
oceanrodeo.com/product/jester/?v=7516fd43adaa

Surfer62 said..

Peahi said..
lightweight is good except this happens

Was that the kite FST consttuction or standard tomo ?

Standard construction... I knew it would snap sooner or later especially with a poor repair in the deck but for $200-odd has been the best fun board, and not my first or last.

A mate has offered to fix it but I imagine would be much heavier and lose its mojo.

Straps.

Plummet said..
Straps.

Customer does not want straps.