So I read and watched the thread re: Planing hulls, those young uns on the bits of styrofoam from soft top boards..that led me to look at the other vid shorts by hydronamica about the paipo stand up surfboards (not to be confused with sup as no paddle used)..which then led me onto looking at mini simmons boards and then I found this link which is a company who make larger simmons

boards.www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=masonsurfboards&e=com

There are prob many who shape them but this was the first one I came across. So now I'm thinking my custom I'll get later this year may well be a big bad boy simmons shape just purely cos I prefer the big rounded nose and width. There's just something about the shape I really like? Anyone know much about the paipo or simmons and any experiences surfing them?

I have one Kagey but it's a belly board. I reckon a really light weight guy could surf it though. Mark Rabbidge made it for me a few years back. It's 4'8 with a kind of crescent tail ,round nose that is slightly pinched at the end,about 2 3/4 thick with a big concave right through it and 2 small side biters down the back close to the rails. There's a guy around here that rides little boards and coolites so I'm going to let him ride it to see what he thinks. I will put some pics up but will let my son do it because I'm not sure how. I only ride it prone but it flies. I usually take it out here when I ve had enough of the crowds.

I have made a 22mm pawlonia bodyboard with the same templates as my normal bodyboards at 45inch long - I am 194cm / 100kg. Straight outline and flat with crescent tail it will be super fast. Did not have concave / channels as flatter the bottom - need to remember that with lower levels of floatation, legs / hips dragging you are unable to get lift as you do on a stand up board. (Yet to test it as I had an issue with a cabinet maker who ballsed up the final deck sanding and now need to start again)

I have spoken to the shaper who is making my new custom bodyboard as he makes pawlonia body boards and he says you can make it narrower than a normal body board template as the wide point of a bodyboard reflects the outside distance between the rails, with no chine on the rails of thinner board is 22mm against 55mm the width can come in.

This is the link to the boards he makes.

http://jarrodgibson.com/paulownia.html

These are apparantly one of the fastest boards around. Can't wait to get it on the points. Certainly different to my 9ft Firewire!!

I have a hull that's a ton of fun to ride. Thing is there's a lot of foam in a small board when your talking hull or mini simmons you really don't need to go to big.

There's quite a few Aussie shapers making some great hulls and simmons around as well.

I am half way thru building a hollow timber 5'9" by 23" wide mini simmons, big fat tail of 17"... and 3" thick theres plenty of float in it. Looking fwd to finishing it and trying to ride it...

have a look at www.swaylocks.com forums for info on mini,mid and long simmons, heap of crew building them and enjoying the ride

Excellent feedback, I was thinking maybe something in the 7' region or maybe 8' ? Dunno? I'll do more research, shame I can't demo one to find out what I'd need. Just love the shape and concept and that it's slightly different... Well at this time.

Hey Kagey, maybe have a look at the FireWire site, they have some fairly high volumes boards, fairly short though.

Here ya go Kagey . Its probably not what you are looking at but a paipo just the same. Heaps of fun prone and like I said I reckon a lighter good surfer could stand on it. She's not pretty either.

^ I think Sean takes the title of the highest board turn around. Seems like every 2 months there's something new.

6'10" - and float like you read about.

Here's a few more Crazy that I've had but I'd be nowhere near the board count of Mac or Simondo.

I fibbed on the last one. That's a Tak DT4 that I almost got but went with the Evo 2 instead.the guy from HPD sent me that pic. It was a difficult choice.

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smh said...

I fibbed on the last one. That's a Tak DT4 that I almost got but went with the Evo 2 instead.the guy from HPD sent me that pic. It was a difficult choice.

I want it!

So do I .

Here's the top view. Those red pin lines set it off. Imagine how good it would go in decent sized waves.

Lots of fun heaps of speed.Suprising really as it is beautiful yet ugly.Wait till Wibz gets hold of this thread.

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EB said...

Lots of fun heaps of speed.Suprising really as it is beautiful yet ugly.Wait till Wibz gets hold of this thread.

Very nice EB . Is there a flip side pic ?

Yep I just really like the shape they're so interesting, thanks for the replies. Has anyone surfed these boards standing up? That's my idea for getting a larger version.

I have seen the Firewire boards yes, I have a 6'7" custom mock up of the Sweet Potato. It has a huge amount of volume and I haven't really had enough goes on it to form an opinion yet. I'll try n take it out over the west coast tom morning before work..see If i've improved from several months ago when I last used it?

I think a large Simmons is what i'm leaning towards. The interview with Mickey Munoz about the difference between long n narrow vs short n fat was interesting (in those hydronamica vids)

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Kagey said...

Yep I just really like the shape they're so interesting, thanks for the replies. Has anyone surfed these boards standing up? That's my idea for getting a larger version.

I have seen the Firewire boards yes, I have a 6'7" custom mock up of the Sweet Potato. It has a huge amount of volume and I haven't really had enough goes on it to form an opinion yet. I'll try n take it out over the west coast tom morning before work..see If i've improved from several months ago when I last used it?

I think a large Simmons is what i'm leaning towards. The interview with Mickey Munoz about the difference between long n narrow vs short n fat was interesting (in those hydronamica vids)

Flip side is this.Have not got a picture of the black ones skegs but the blue one is similar. Yes I have ridden the black one standing up as it is the only way too surf[}:)]as far as going for a long one I think you would have trouble getting the rails too bite.Due too the combination of width,flatness and lack of rocker these boards are very fast.The black one is 5'6" from memory IMHO I would not go longer.

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EB said...

Kagey said...

Yep I just really like the shape they're so interesting, thanks for the replies. Has anyone surfed these boards standing up? That's my idea for getting a larger version.

I have seen the Firewire boards yes, I have a 6'7" custom mock up of the Sweet Potato. It has a huge amount of volume and I haven't really had enough goes on it to form an opinion yet. I'll try n take it out over the west coast tom morning before work..see If i've improved from several months ago when I last used it?

I think a large Simmons is what i'm leaning towards. The interview with Mickey Munoz about the difference between long n narrow vs short n fat was interesting (in those hydronamica vids)

Flip side is this.Have not got a picture of the black ones skegs but the blue one is similar. Yes I have ridden the black one standing up as it is the only way too surf[}:)]as far as going for a long one I think you would have trouble getting the rails too bite.Due too the combination of width,flatness and lack of rocker these boards are very fast.The black one is 5'6" from memory IMHO I would not go longer.

Thanks and the boards look awesome.

I just read the 10 pages of the topic on swaylocks and there are numerous designs being tried..very interesting. I am reading between the lines here but the Firewire sweet potato has a large v in it to cut the shape in two as it is so wide (really?? ) and on that swaylocks topic there is a part of the thread explaining the use of this on the simmons type board. I'm going to do more research but I think some larger models may work but i'd need to find a shaper who knows whats what. There are some cool looking versions within the thread. I'm looking at my fat potato and thinking another foot or so with a simmons nose would prob be a goer? I'll have to talk to Roger Hall or a guy near Te Arai who's business is called super sessions as I know they do unusual designs or not main stream.

Kagey I have a 5'10' sweet potato and love it. The wide tail area gives you heaps of floatation under your feet - which is exactly where you want it if you ask me when its small. I could easily ride one of these a few sizes smaller but this was the only one I could find second-hand when I was looking around. I did not want to pay full ticket price on something that I was not even sure I would like. After 4 surfs I did not like it. But from the 5th onwards its been a dream. Its real quick - some of the sections I have made on 2ft crap waves on my backhand have left me speechless. Its the type of board that you always want in the car as you can go out in almost anything. Having said that once it gets over head high its a nightmare. Far too loose and skatey for me to control!

i think most average surfers will be going wider and thicker. i know i cant have riding those wafer boards. my egg is wide and thick and it is so much fun. hence when it does get bigger it does bounce a lot. love that board now i just have to make my mind up on a more h/p board mmmmm

I have been doing these for a few months...I call them free range eggs...they are a bit Simmonesque come sweet potatoe..a better small wave board you will not find...go shorter than you think though...my personal board is 5'8"x21 1/2"x2 5/8"... it's too big for me...I'm 68kgs and my next one will be 5'6"....gave my 5'8" to a mate who is 90kgs and he loves it...go small and have a ball

Nice looking board there arkgee, lots to consider now. I took my fat potato out the other day, on the one hand it catches waves fairly easily but on the other its just a little too wide and thick..too much foam, it seemed corky to me but then again i'm a fairly crap surfer. Need more time getting up quicker on these shorter boards (6'7"). I guess more practice will sort that one out. Oh it was 2/3 ft on this particular day and not great quality. I wonder if it costs less to have a board stripped down and some foam taken out of it so a bit narrower and thinner, than have a new one built from scratch? Does anyone know?

Still keen on the mini simmons shape, have spoken with a local shaper who funnily enough has recently started shaping them. We've discussed what dims will poss b right for me and when I get back from my travels I'll be ordering one!

Just found this vid and thought i'd share it

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Kagey said...
I wonder if it costs less to have a board stripped down and some foam taken out of it so a bit narrower and thinner, than have a new one built from scratch? Does anyone know?

Don't bother, just get a new one shaped if that's what you want

Great Vid, I'm in awe of anyone that can shape a board by hand mainly cause I can't.

Good clip with the shaping and the surfing. The board looks heaps of fun. On a negative Id much rather the Stones version of Sympathy for the devil. Whoever sang that butchered it.

My total board count over my life is less than 35. All boards, all craft. Throw in 1 or 2 foamies that I can't remember, and it sort of hits 35.

The count;
Foamie
6'10 single
Surf ski
Body board - a crap one
5 x good body boards after that.
McT Carver
McT 9'1
6'6 Egg, etc...

Maybe a total count of 33 actually. Tops....

Mac, Asea, and SMH would be higher ?!

I think you would have to go by age Simondo. From what I can gather Asea is probably pushing 70 and Macs 50 and I'm not that far behind. So they have probably had more than me.
You could probably start a whole new thread on this one.

Get a Merrick biscuit...its more short board than keel parrallel rail throwback but **** me does it float a fair weight and still deliver the goods....I ride my 6'2 from 1 foot to 6 foot and it goes great...I had a go on the sweet potato and found it to easy to over power and it really flattens out your surfing