bajoman wrote:Hi Guys,
Quick follow up: I took out the sidebites and moved the center fin back just a little and went out in a waist high day. INSTANT LOVE! I could definitely tell there was less drag as I paddled and caught (many more) waves. The looseness of the tail felt great and made a big impact on me. I suddenly felt like I was flowing with the board instead of fighting it and trying to muscle it into turns. I am definitely a convert! Turns are much easier and more natural. Now the question is- when (in my progression or depending on conditions) will I want to put those sidebites back in (if ever)? I'm still working on the noseriding part, too but not much new there. Along those lines, I noticed watching other longboarders that most guys stay back on the tail the whole ride, whereas I feel the need to move forward to the trim spot (for speed or to make a section) at some point on almost every ride. Not sure why that is?
glad to hear it man, stoked for you.
there's two main ways to generate speed: trim your board and leverage the rail, or pump your board and leverage your fins. a lot depends on the shape of your board as to which you should/could use; but it's a style choice too. my $0.02: embrace the trim method. it's more conducive to your fin setup, it'll help you learn noseriding, and really, it's more fun. Jaffa's right, imo those working only the tail on a LB are missing out.
