Surfing Waves

Hi,

I'm reading and watching and browsing surf mags, pics, videos and shops.. just to enjoy the beauty of the surfboards and the skills of the riders. (still no waves here.. )

But as I don't know much about shapes, few questions rise in my mind:

-how a rocket nose influence the ride and/or behaviour of the board?
-does it have something to do with nose ride?
-what about rocket tail?
-When you say parallel rails, what do you really mean? Symmetric? This may be a stupid question but I don't find any single board with parallel rails!
This is the closest to parallel I found: http://www.blackapachesurfboards.com.au ... logs-pigs/
I'm speaking about the first, green board. And yet, it has less then 1/3 of the length parallel.

And so: how about parallel rails? what they make you do better? Why you'd want them?

-What happen if I move the central big fin forward?

I know they are a lot of questions and they require a lot to answer, but if someone can put down just a general idea of how this things work it would be very helpful, also regarding my future next board!
Thank you.

Let's take you on a little journey into the world of surfboard shapes and an area where there is a lot of misdirection and hyperbole.

I'm curious as to what you mean by "rocket nose and rocket tail" I'm suspecting you mean nose and tail rocker?
They do have something to do with all aspects of how a board functions. Rocker is a vital element of board design! After you read my reply we'll come back to rocker.
It is also covered in the forum's guide to surfing terms.
You are wondering about parallel rails they do exist but only as part of the boards over all shape and the tail invariably curves towards the tail shape of various kinds to facilitate turning.
You are right in your estimation of the 1/3 parallel rails of the Black Apache Log ( BTW fine Rolls Royce level surfboards as customs beauties)
There are also rail shapes to consider.

At your learning stage the 9' 2" board you're riding will do everything you need for quite sometime yet. ( I say this after reading all your posts)
Most of the boards on the Black Apache site are eye candy and are specific to individual taste and skills by more advanced riders at prices that match this!
Now about fins have a read of my fin primer and see if that gives you some insight

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16523

You could also look at this viewtopic.php?f=20&t=8441 for terminology and other thoughts.
There is a bucket load of stuff to browse on site and it shows that the things you are looking at have often been asked before.
My over all advice, when there is surf, SURF! when there is no surf browse through the site.

Ahahah!!

Yes! I meant rocker
Sorry, I wrote it while the plumber was fighting with the dishwasher! And my english still fails me from time to time.. still better then that time when I wrote: there's a tap licking instead of there's a tap leaking!!

Back to your reply: thanks again Jaffa. I apologise if my questions have already been asked. I'll go through the links you posted.
I'm not buying anything yet, it's just that I need to understand what people talk about so that I can look at any surfboard with a better eye.

Sorted If English isn't your first language where have you come from curiosity on my part! I hope your tap stops licking. BTW my wife is Austrian and she often spells things the way Aussies pronounce their words.
I hope the links help, don't stop asking the questions if not for you but for someone else who may read the answer!

I ride a scooter and have lots of pizzas!

I came to OZ few years ago and surfing was just something you see at the movies..
And now I'm here.. checking the forecast every day

Hi Jaffa,

I'm reading all, but there are things that are not clear yet. The definitions of board parts are fine, but it's not evident what feature does what. Or what reaction they cause.

For example I think I understood that a square tail should give you a faster turn.
Nevertheless this board here:
http://www.soulsurf.com.au/new-surfboar ... -longboard

says: excellent board to turn.
And on Smorgasboarder mag: easy cut-back and re-entries.

Well.. I think not as easy as with another similar board with a square tail! or not?
But I don't want to waste your time with this now. I was just making my point.

Instead, I'd like to ask you what you mean with this:

Jaffa's quote:
"A beginner is easy to spot because they are always slower than the wave is offering and not making sections because they cannot get speed from the board"

What does it mean "to make sections?"
Thank you!

312T4 wrote:Hi Jaffa,

I'm reading all, but there are things that are not clear yet. The definitions of board parts are fine, but it's not evident what feature does what. Or what reaction they cause.

For example I think I understood that a square tail should give you a faster turn.
Nevertheless this board here:
http://www.soulsurf.com.au/new-surfboar ... -longboard

says: excellent board to turn.
And on Smorgasboarder mag: easy cut-back and re-entries.

Well.. I think not as easy as with another similar board with a square tail! or not?
But I don't want to waste your time with this now. I was just making my point.

Instead, I'd like to ask you what you mean with this:

Jaffa's quote:
"A beginner is easy to spot because they are always slower than the wave is offering and not making sections because they cannot get speed from the board"

What does it mean "to make sections?"
Thank you!

I don't mind answering your questions it doesn't waste my time, I choose to do it gladly. ( It is something I am doing as an exercise in getting my writing gland going as I'm writing fantasy books now I've retired ( especially when the surf gods don't provide distractions.)

The board you are looking at is a rounded pin, with the pointed tail not being too extreme, so if you'll pardon the pun it's an all round board and will turn well. If you move the centre fin towards the nose the board will turn more easily and as you move it back the board become stiff and requires more effort to turn.

There are many schools of thought as to which are the best shapes to ride, but it depends on the waves you ride how you want to ride and your level of skill.
The easier boards IMO for learners and intermediate surfers are the rounded pins, the rails then allow a progressive transition in direction as you turn, stingers wings and acute rails really allow the more skilled surfers to get a bite into the wave face and it provides a fulcrum to direct their power into a more radical turn.
The reason there is direct answer is there are subtle combinations of things including what happens under the board while you are doing something.
Now square tails give an extra pivot point in a turn but can catch and throw you off balance, the fin positioning helps here BTW put the fin too far forward and you get a skateiness and the potential to bog a large section of rail particularly at the lower speeds that beginners work at.

That brings up the next question SECTIONS, simply put: the wave doesn't always break across its face at the same speed some sections are faster some are slower, and it is the wave's response to the shape of the bottom contours in rock or sand.
Being able to vary your speed to make or avoid a SECTION is a vital skill, being able to read the ongoing wave is most important and will enable you to meet the changes of the wave

".. to make or avoid a section.."
then I assume when you say section you refers to a slow section.
ok.
Thanks a lot.
I'm at the point in which I know if I have to go forward on the board or go back. Or point straight down or stay at middle face. But this all happen on micro waves. Since august we had probably 3 days of waves larger then 3ft and I've been able to be out in just one of them, and there were so many people that I couldn't do anything.
I'm so looking forward to catch some bigger (for me) waves and try out some new concepts.
if only I could get a good couple of hours it'd be great help..

Thanks Jaffa.

Sections can be fast or they can be slow they are just a section of the wave doing something different. You need to change your speed to suit the section do it right and you make the section.

Think a little more about what my last statement about sections suggests
That brings up the next question SECTIONS, simply put: the wave doesn't always break across its face at the same speed some sections are faster some are slower, and it is the wave's response to the shape of the bottom contours in rock or sand.
Being able to vary your speed to make or avoid a SECTION is a vital skill, being able to read the ongoing wave is most important and will enable you to meet the changes of the wave

312T4 wrote:"I'm so looking forward to catch some bigger (for me) waves and try out some new concepts. if only I could get a good couple of hours it'd be great help...

The lament of every surfer - if only I could get a few hours of the waves that are perfect for my level of skill, I would get so much better so much quicker... I think it to myself every time I go surfing (in waves that don't match my skill level).

Welcome to the 'club'!

hehehe...
now I change my complaint: there are waves for me but also too many people around!

Ha you wanna try Noosa. Talk about a crowded line up. cant wait til the school holidays are over.

yea, maybe tomorrow (monday) I'll be there..