I'm wondering if there is a relation between the bodyshape of a rider and the ideal shape of his waveboard?

Let's take for exemple 2 80kg guys, the first one is 165cm tall and the second is 195cm. They both want a 85l. How does this size difference affect the shape of their board?

Now what about weight? Still on 85l waveboard, my third guy is 60 kg and my fourth is 90kg. Of course the light one want to use the board in 10 to 25kts whereas the heavy target the 25 to 40 kts range.

And finally what if the 60kg guy is actually a girl?

You are categorizing and generalizing, not modern thought.
Specific cases require specific answers.

You can't ask questions like that . This is 2021 !
What if the taller person wants to identify as a shorter person ?

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LeeD said..
You are categorizing and generalizing, not modern thought.
Specific cases require specific answers.

Of course it can be generalised.... what kind of universe do you live in where physics is different for every person?

Genaralised rules of thumb:
- body-weight -> light-wind = board volume + 15l, high-wind = board volume
- Rocker-shape -> FSW for onshore conditions, wave-rocker for side-shore
- board-width -> wider for light winds, narrower for stronger winds.

As for rider-height or gender - there doesn't appear to be much in it... mostly the board choice depends on the conditions (waves/wind) and rider (weight/skill).

That said, boom-diameter _does_ come into it -> women tend to have smaller hands for the same height vs men, and taller people tend to have bigger hands than shorter people... which are generalisations.


( I'm not a board-builder ... just a weekend-warrior ... so that is my take on it. )

At first I wouldn't think body height wouldn't make any difference . Then thought how boom height affects things quite a bit . Taller rider = higher boom . So then board design could counteract boom height difference .
Lower boom = looser , so a flatter rocker to compensate.???
Higher boom = more pinned down , so more rocker to compensate.???
I understand there is sooo much more in it but to answer the question , I think yes.
So with aboves boom height theory , taller person = higher boom = more mast foot pressure = more nose pressure =slower turning , so should have more rocker in board design .???
Possibly something like that ?
Or should I stop picking field mushrooms ?

Imax, I think you're missing a detail here. Boom height changes rake angle for the same height rider, a taller rider with higher boom has the same rake angle. I think that rake angle change, affects weight distribution between the feet, causing the differences in board response. So I feel that rider height has minimum difference on optimum board shape.
The big thing here is footstrap placement, particularly the front foot, there been cases here where lighter/shorter riders have had to shift the front strap back past the rear holes to achieve good board trim.
However rider weight has a big bearing on board trim, a heavier rider is going to sink the tail more, making light wind sailing harder, and a light sailor in high wind will find it harder to "unstick" the board, it will want to sail flatter, and be harder to sink a rail to turn, this can be compensated for by tail shape and rocker changes.

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decrepit said..
Sorry Imax, I think you're missing a detail here. Boom height changes rake angle for the same height rider, a taller rider with higher boom has the same rake angle. So I feel that rider height has minimum difference on optimum board shape. However rider weight has a big bearing on board trim, a heavier rider is going to sink the tail more, making light wind sailing harder, and a light sailor in high wind will find it harder to "unstick" the board, it will want to sail flatter, and be harder to sink a rail to turn, this can be compensated for by tail shape and rocker changes.

I thought I may be missing something , a lot of things actually
Sill , I read somewhere , that the best body shape for slalom is around 100 kg and six foot . If this is true , then a 100 kg five foot tall rider has an disadvantage .
If the boom height effects how the mast bends and how the sail reacts , ( the first thing I do in a squall is lower the boom to get me back to land ), then to keep things equal for short and tall riders the design of the sail would have to change . But it doesn't . So wouldn't that make the board react differently .? Not that I could tell , but in theory.
Sill thinking height could have an effect on sailing so therefore could be adjusted with board design .
Its probably negligible, if any.

yes agreed ideally sail/mast design should be different for different weight riders. When Bugs was making sails for Jennifer Crisp, he used shorter masts with tip extensions to make them a bit softer.
Height has the advantage of more leverage a taller guy can hang on to more power that a shorter guy of the same weight.
I tried increasing the thickness at the back of the board to give me more leverage over the sail, but that also gave me more leverage over the fin, so it became harder to trim a small speed fin, and made the board less stable. So I tried to compensate for my light shortness, but failed.

Another possible factor is that height also varies arm length and leg length, and therefore how far away from the board the rider gets to place their mass. I'm tall, with long arms and I suspect I can ride "light" by getting off the board and letting the board fly more than some others.

I'd also say that ever board feels different to every person and a lot of it is how it actually feels not what some formula thing tells you.

Weight and height would determine how much of the rail you can bury but like I said its a feel thing or " The Vibe" as Dennis Danito would say.

Lighter people usually sail softer masts but again thats a personal preference.

I'd say that anyone who's after a specific board for their size and style of riding should get a custom.

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Imax1 said..
You can't ask questions like that . This is 2021 !
What if the taller person wants to identify as a shorter person ?

I identify as short for my weight.

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Imax1 said..
You can't ask questions like that . This is 2021 !
What if the taller person wants to identify as a shorter person ?

Totally on point, sorry to those little giant I offended. Who am I to say 165 is shorter to 195? It s all relative in the end. I m still thinking like in 2000...

But m my point is the tall guy has his center of gravity higher, hence more leverage (he probably has longer feet as well) . And he can shift his weight further in every direction. So this both advantages and d?savantages. He can act more torque on the board but he is ultimately less stable.
So I would suggest longer, wider board is better for him. With wider stance and longer distance between mast and front foot.

For the light VS heavy, I believe the lighter benefit from a wider board with a flatter deck, for better planning threshold, slogging stability. And maybe some some thinner Rails in the mid section.
Heavy boy needs thickness for structural strength, not so much width for control in rough sea and bigger mid section rail he can push on with a fully loaded sail.

What do you reckon? I sometime read the opposite about width VS weight...

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Nicko29 said..
I'm wondering if there is a relation between the bodyshape of a rider and the ideal shape of his waveboard?

Let's take for exemple 2 80kg guys, the first one is 165cm tall and the second is 195cm. They both want a 85l. How does this size difference affect the shape of their board?

Now what about weight? Still on 85l waveboard, my third guy is 60 kg and my fourth is 90kg. Of course the light one want to use the board in 10 to 25kts whereas the heavy target the 25 to 40 kts range.

And finally what if the 60kg guy is actually a girl?

Good question. Sorry I can't answer it but I think it's definitely a valid consideration. Surfboard length (short boards ) is often related to how tall the rider is.
''Ride your high performance short board the same length as your height''
''Ride your small wave groveller 3 to 4 inches shorter than your standard short board''
ETC.
Wavesailing is very closely related to surfing ( the waveriding side of it I mean ) and therefore I like different length boards depending on the waves I'm in, the same with surfing. Bigger wave, longer board.
But to simplify it I would think that if two people of similar body weight but greatly differing heights were sailing together on any given day, the taller guy or girl would get on better with a longer, narrower board and the stockier rider would prefer a shorter, wider board.
But there are simply too many variables and we are limited to what is available as stock shapes unless you go custom.
This really is a question for a shaper. Any shapers out there who would like to enlighten us ?

Gee....ya think?
6'6" guy can gave size 15 feet. Or size 12.
5' guy typically size 6.
5'10" guy can be 8.5 tru 13.

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LeeD said..
Gee....ya think?
6'6" guy can gave size 15 feet. Or size 12.
5' guy typically size 6.
5'10" guy can be 8.5 tru 13.

callate pendejo

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philn said..

LeeD said..
Gee....ya think?
6'6" guy can gave size 15 feet. Or size 12.
5' guy typically size 6.
5'10" guy can be 8.5 tru 13.

callate pendejo

Should have been wearing a helmet .

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stonny said..

Nicko29 said..
I'm wondering if there is a relation between the bodyshape of a rider and the ideal shape of his waveboard?

Let's take for exemple 2 80kg guys, the first one is 165cm tall and the second is 195cm. They both want a 85l. How does this size difference affect the shape of their board?

Now what about weight? Still on 85l waveboard, my third guy is 60 kg and my fourth is 90kg. Of course the light one want to use the board in 10 to 25kts whereas the heavy target the 25 to 40 kts range.

And finally what if the 60kg guy is actually a girl?

Surfboard length (short boards ) is often related to how tall the rider is.
''Ride your high performance short board the same length as your height''
''Ride your small wave groveller 3 to 4 inches shorter than your standard short board''
ETC.
Wavesailing is very closely related to surfing ( the waveriding side of it I mean ) and therefore I like different length boards depending on the waves I'm in, the same with surfing. Bigger wave, longer board.
But to simplify it I would think that if two people of similar body weight but greatly differing heights were sailing together on any given day, the taller guy or girl would get on better with a longer, narrower board and the stockier rider would prefer a shorter, wider board.
But there are simply too many variables and we are limited to what is available as stock shapes unless you go custom.
This really is a question for a shaper. Any shapers out there who would like to enlighten us ?

Actually this is exactly what I had in mind. But as a matter of fact, turns out nobody has a real clue about it! ??

I guess one interesting question would be:
"Should a tall person be on a Stubbie board?"

A better question might be: "Should anybody be on a Stubbie board?"


The answer in both cases is: "Yes, possibly..."

In truth, board design is about ability, and about the local sailing conditions found.
Within that chosen design, you then need to get the board size right for your weight and physical fitness.

6'6" x 180 lbs. guy here uses the same board as his 5'6" x 180lb bud.

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LeeD said..
6'6" x 180 lbs. guy here uses the same board as his 5'6" x 180lb bud.

Fascinating