Surfing Waves

It's been a while since I shared my latest surfing stick, I used to post each and every board I had shaped and the reason for it and such. Here is my latest iteration. I lost about 25lbs so went down in size. I have ridden 5'10" board but decided to go a little bigger to keep being a wave hog, I seldom catch less than a dozen waves.

This one is 6'1" x 19 1/2 x 2 3/8, for my 177lb body it is working awesome. The blank was made special, they put it together at the factory without a stringer, glued down the middle, to keep the board lighter. Because of my weight I had carbon fiber strips placed on both sides down the middle for strength while keeping it super light. Although the tail looks like a squash it's actually a thumb, my preference. Less rocker and flatter rocker with slightly more nose and tail volume but still digs into the wave face with ease. I'm having a blast on it. Now I want to get the same thing in epoxy carbon fiber, see if I can get it even lighter and think out the rails even more.

Cool - I'm liking all the new manufacturing methods. I mean, all my boards are still only style PU with fibreglass, but I'm definitely hearing some good things (finally, you might say) about the new materials.

What kind of fin configuration do you use with it? Oh and congratulations on losing 25 pounds

Hey IB Surfer

Nice looking new board and cool approach to removing the stringer. Realistically what weight does that save and does simply putting the carbo fiber down the middle going to give the same strength? Will be interesting to see how you find it performs etc.

I got an epoxy board in Bali lastyear that is epoxy and with a carbon patch on the back instead of a stringer. It's 6'2 x 20 x 2 1/2 so just a generally bigger version of yours by the sounds. I reckon your new boards dimensions but in this construction would be a winner.




Another board I have which is made by an NZ company uses a process that they call 'futurelite'. I believe the construction was invented by them?
They made an epoxy board but add a carbon rod down the middle of the board on the deck and also run carbon rounds round the outline of the base.
The result? Apparently a design that gives lots of strength, spring and flex like a PU board.

In order:

1) I mostly use it as a thruster in hollow surf and quad in mushy waves. I prefer DHD's and PC5 fins.

2) yeah, the carbon fiber strip adds strength to the stringer that I took from the wood. The weight saving is about a half a pound, but every ounce helps. I'm actually thinking of having it re-made in eps also, all my other other boards are epoxy, I gig EPS. This one is PU is actually out of my norm for me but I dig it, so I am going to order it in EPS after I save a few bucks.

Why the thruster for hollow waves? I am probably going to get a 7'6" thruster/quad 5 fin set up soon. I think I will surf it in thruster configuration initially just because I haven't used one in a long time but thinking maybe switching out fins in certain conditions if I ever notice enough difference.

oldmansurfer wrote:Why the thruster for hollow waves? I am probably going to get a 7'6" thruster/quad 5 fin set up soon. I think I will surf it in thruster configuration initially just because I haven't used one in a long time but thinking maybe switching out fins in certain conditions if I ever notice enough difference.

This is my take on quads after riding them 15 years: I usually surf size 5 in front and GX centers or sides in back when I do quad. The smaller size fins means less drag and the board just seems to glide right throw slow pockets, but when it gets steep and I try to cut back hard the tail slides some, which I can compensate for and turn wider. With the quad I feel like I can catch waves easier and paddle around faster. With a thruster set up the bigger and centered back fins cuts out the tail slide, but the center position and bigger size creates more drag so I used it on bigger & steeper days.

It does beg the question why not just use bigger size back fins to compensate for the tail slip, and I've tried different combinations, M3's in back , double 5 centers, etc... which I have tried. The result is that when you do bigger size back fins you end up with about the same feel as you would a thrusters, so stopped tinkering with it and do as I stated above.

I was watching a surf video and Slater was using a quad with big back fins at Indo, so maybe he figured out something I didn't. Then again, I don't surf Indo and I'm not Slater LOL

I have only been surfing my 8 foot quad lately. I find it easier to do powerful cutbacks in steep waves and end up doing slower ones in slower waves. I think it's easier to set the rail in a steeper face. I keep thinking about trying to move my front foot to the inside rail prior to a cutback when I try it on less steep conditions but so far I haven't thought of it at the right time

What's ur thoughts on the 25lb weight loss as it correspondes to board size? Do you know the liters you were surfing to what you are now? Curious as what your experience has been because I am working on going from 225 to 200 which will include a couple new boards along the way. Mostly interested in the length and volume you moved to & from

Ok, so someone mentioned if inked epoxy boards and u love them, and have a great shaper for it. Staring a new post of the EPS version of this board

Nice board!!