SDF no4 (US blanks green Pu 5.10RP)

[krusher74]

After recieving the custom ordered US blanks 5.10RP, green density, old growth redwood stringer blank I have ventured into my first attempt at shaping foam (done one previous board in wood see no3 thread)

Slow going getting used to how foam shapes and the tools cut, but no hurry.

This board is inspired by my wider nosed bodyboard, and will be my "fishy" paipo. Going with full surfboard rails (no chine) for an experiment.

Will be back in the shack tomorrow to get it finished

Card template I made in the background.

[Pes78]

That's looking good. What dims are you going with? How long did it take to get the blank, was thinking of doing one in that density. But I want to see how mine holds up.

[CHRISPI]

Where are the wings going? On the tail in the centre. May be a bubble curtain hull with co2 connected to a boost button.

[krusher74]

There is one supplier of US blanks in the UK and they get a container in about every 2 months, so how long it takes to get the blank depends on whether you just caught the container being packed or missed it and had to wait for the next one,I think it took around 3 months to show up. My Shaper friend uses orange/red and blue on his shortboards and said it seemed sturdy, of coarse by the time over 50% of it is n the floor I have cut way deep into the soft centre, so that's why I went for green.

My first board was Blue foam, 6oz bottom and 6+4oz top and got pretty badly pressure dented and sunk but it has a really hard life with over 500 surfs on it and several overseas trips through extreme temps, my second was double 6oz top, which I sold to a friend after about 20 surfs, he does not surf it often but its is looking very clean so far.

Anywho, just finished the board at midnight (with some much needed help from my shaper friend) , not even measured it yet but about 3'8" by 22' by 2 3/8"

It has 60/40 normal surfboard rails with a little tuck in the last 6inches, So this will be a baptism of fire to see if they work/hold finless

Its wide in the nose and tail like my fave small wave bodyboard and pretty straight railed. , I took the width from 23" down to 22", so I can get my arm round the thing!

[Pes78]

That looks really clean krusher. Would you look at glassing it in epoxy to help in durability and even s cloth? May be worth it if you put it through that much. That's not to bad of a wait, I don't think I could wait that long. I was looking into getting a blank from Surfblanks Australia sent an email about it and I'm still waiting.

[krusher74]

That looks really clean krusher. Would you look at glassing it in epoxy to help in durability and even s cloth? May be worth it if you put it through that much. That's not to bad of a wait, I don't think I could wait that long. I was looking into getting a blank from Surfblanks Australia sent an email about it and I'm still waiting.

I have emailed a lot of companies about about products and many are very slow or never reply you would think they would want to sell there product!

I thought being in cali you would have quick access to US blanks, marko foam and varial foam, what do surfblank Aus have they cant supply?

I Tried an epoxy/eps board and did not like the feel of it, so sticking to foam and fibreglass for now I think it will be S glass, will find out when we glass it.

Hopefully I can try one of nomas's eps board in the future to see how I like his EPS/epoxy. I think the one I made was to soft an EPS and too thick an epoxy glass job and
ending up feeling like a pop out.

If you want your mind blown with to many choices go through all the different choices lost offer in the "technology tab" top right of the screen http://www.lostsurfboards.net/technology/hydroflex/

[Pes78]

I was looking to make a greenough inspired spoon and they have a blank that would fit what I was trying to do. There is a distributor of theirs here in SD but I 've moved on from that. But never say never though.

[krusher74]

I forgot to say, seeing I was getting a green foam custom blank I also got an old growth redwood stringer and -1/2"T /1/2T rocker too.

[nomastomas]

Nice shaping job! I really like what you did with the tail bottom. A thickness of 2-3/8" seems like a lot of volume to me, maybe (25-26L) but only because my personal TB is 23L. Is that the typical size you ride? I'd be interested in hearing your reasons.
I use to shape all the TBs from PU foam, typically the 6-8RP blank because it had flatter rocker in the middle (With the WP back shape of the TB, I had to reverse the blank 180deg so the outline would fit) I would take almost 1" off the bottom in order to leave as much surface foam on the deck as possible. That was after cutting about 12" off each end. Seemed like a lot of wasted foam, but I don't think there's another solution if you use PU foam. Your idea to go with the much denser "Green" is an interesting solution, from a durability standpoint. Raises the question of board weight, and what weight works best? My guess is, without going to extremes, belly board weight has little impact on performance. If I sum board weight and rider weight for "total load", the board weigh is only 2.5% of the total load. Hardly enough to significantly impact performance, doubling the weight of my board only increases the total load by 2.5%. Unless you consider the times that the rider is not riding the board "per se", but more or less just holding it. Like on a very late drop, you can literally be flying through the air with little or no contact with the board until "touch down". Its nice having a board that easy to hold onto in such circumstances....sorry to wander off topic. Again, nice shape, looking forward to the ride report.

[krusher74]

Nice shaping job! I really like what you did with the tail bottom. A thickness of 2-3/8" seems like a lot of volume to me, maybe (25-26L) but only because my personal TB is 23L. Is that the typical size you ride? I'd be interested in hearing your reasons.

As I don't have a whole load of experience my boards are inspired from my fave bodyboards which have no volumes given.

I tried modelling my first PU paipo in AKU shaper (imported photo) and it gave me 25L, that board floated me sat in the water about the same as my bodyboard (bit above my my button water line)

I then gave 25L to endeavour who built me a prototype, this floated me a load more, so I now think the OG PU board was more in the 23L range, the first board was 2 3/8"

The OG 23L (ish) is my performance board works great in powerful waves (but also ok in the small stuff)

The 25L board works better at wave catching in weak welsh surf, but is some what hard to control when the waves have juice. (paipo minimal)

I'm hoping this next board is somwhere in between, I have been surfing a lot of knee to waist high waves in the 6/7sec period range lately

If I was in cali I would be happy in the 22/23L range. (I saw the other day philipe toledo rides 23.5L stand up! )

And weight of the board does not bother me at all. green being 10% more dense it isnt going to weight more than 1 lb more.

I need a volume measuring thing anyone got any ideas that are a simple big water displacement tank. Hmmm maybe a padding pool!

[CHRISPI]

How important is the weight of the board in the big picture, when I am riding on a wave my board weighs 110 Kg when I bottom turn it adds a few more, if my board weighs 5 Kgs thats 4.8 % of the running weight a few Kgs more or less cant make much difference to prone riders ?

[nomastomas]

Board weight is an interesting topic. I don't think it affects the board's performance per se. A heavy rider has more impact on board performance than a heavy board. But, board weight does impact the rider. I've found that heavier boards provide different "input" to the rider than "lighter" boards.

[krusher74]

More progress on the board.

Single 6oz on the bottom, and 4oz + 6oz top with 4oz extra tail patch for my knee duckdiving, blue tinted resin.

The name "bigfoot" was inspired by a mix of the wideness of the template, the old grow redwood stinger and a solo surf I once had after a hour hike north of shelter cove where I sat in the water looking at the forest feeling like bigfoot was going to appear any minute.

[nomastomas]

Nice work! Are you going to pinline the lap?

[krusher74]

Nice work! Are you going to pinline the lap?

I don't think so!

[bgreen]

I ride boards that range from around 4.5 to 10 lbs. On a specific board, where one board weighs just a little more than the other, the difference may be less significant.

However, I think weight can make a difference especially when conditions get choppy or windy. Momentum style boards, that don't have initial speed rely more on weight as well.

Bob

[krusher74]

Its Done!

FCS now do coloured leash plugs and fin mounts!

Flat here this weekend , not even a ripple, net day off is wednesday for a maiden voyage! Waves from hurricane Joaquin coming

Now to decide on a cork deck patch or not

[jbw4600]

That's a crazy looking board. I am sure it will fly.

[krusher74]

Ride report:

Took it out in a local weak reef break 2/4ft, catches waves well, holds a rail fine without the "chine" made a couple of barrels, so far seems very loose, and not had chance to put it though some hard bottom turns, more surf on the weekend, should be able to try some differing conditions.

Happy so far!

[krusher74]

We had a good run of swell so I got to try the new board out a lot.

surfed 5 times now in knee high to over head conductions, the boards catches waves well in all size waves, whether steep or sloppy on the take off.

The main difference I am finding is the surfboard rail lacks grip and drive, it almost feels likes its not there, where my chined rail boards have a very definite feel of connection to the wave face, with a very positive knifing/locked in feel on a hard bottom turn, with this board it feels somwhat unconnected, almost like when your foot is numb from cut ff blood, its works but you cant feel it.

I feel there may be a little to much sharp edge and release from the hull to the rail in the last 12", there should be enough resin there to blunt the edge over, so I will try that to see if I get more bite.

I think it would be great with a small twin fin set up, but I like doing 360's to much give up finless for now.