There is no limit!

I’ve been having a good time “chatting” with Dave (a beginning shaper) about board design. I’ve already suggested “hot-rodding” the blank he’s got to better achieve the desired shape.

One point I’d like to make is don’t let your materials limit your creativity. Years ago, I stopped buying surfboard blanks, because much of what I was experimenting with lay outside their boundaries. My first move was to the blue Styrofoam insulation. It comes in 2ft X 8ft X varying thicknesses. I bent the rocker into the blank and could make any shape with no boundaries.  

Blue Styrofoam is 2# per cubic foot and tougher than polyurethane of similar density. It does require epoxy for glassing, since polyester resin dissolves Styrofoam. Well the price of Styrofoam went up and I shifted to expanded polystyrene (EPS).

During this time I was also developing “Sailien”, my exotic high-speed sailboat and EPS was the best core material for the waterborne parts. See: http://www.farbeyondsurfing.com/Sailboat.html   I started using 1#/cu. ft. foam and I can buy a billet and cut my cores (hot wire) out of that. I now cut the bottom rocker curve and deck with a hotwire. Note that 1# EPS is not strong so extra glass is required, but the core is very light and again, epoxy resin must be used. 

What I’m doing would not be good for a production shaper, but I just wanted to tell you that not only can you “think outside the box” but you can also “shape outside the blank”. There is no limit to what you can create, except the limit you put on yourself and that is simply the limit of your imagination.

 Bob

Ask me

I’ve been noticing that the most viewed post on this blog is “Unbreakable High-performance Surfboard in a Suitcase”. Too many of us have ruined a surfing day when our boards broke. The replacement cost can also ruin our finances. Additionally, transportation costs (excess baggage fees) and hassles can ruin our travel fun.

I have the solution already prototyped, but it needs to be manufactured and made available to surfers. If you or anyone you know, would like to be involved in the business end of this, contact me at: info@farbeyondsurfing.com

 Another point of interest; I have been seeing searches for specific information such as: “Best shape for Malibu” “What to do if a surfboard tracks” etc. There is a good chance I could help, so ask at the above email address. Also note that many of your questions may already be answered in my book “The Basics of Surfboard Design”, for more info go to:  http://www.farbeyondsurfing.com/Surfing.html

BTW, there is no “best shape” for Malibu (or any other surf-spot). Certain sizes and or types of surfboards work better on certain types of waves, but there are always a number of choices and “best” will depend on the surfer. For example: 1^st Point Malibu has a good line-up but seldom much power or size. Long boards are favored for styling and nose riding; however I would favor a medium length “fun board” for greater maneuverability. The trick is to understand the wave (size, speed, power, length, etc) decide how you want to ride the wave and then by studying my book, you will be able to choose the design elements that fit and those elements combined, will result in the best shape.

Bob

Find out for yourself

One of the problems I’ve been having is trying to get others to understand what it is that I’ve been saying. Many people seem to be unable to read or hear something, ask questions if needed to clarify, and come to an understanding on their own. They look to someone to tell them if something is true or not rather than finding out for themselves. It’s perfectly correct to learn from someone who knows more about a subject than you do (that’s how progress is made) but it is incorrect to blindly accept what some “expert” says without coming to a personal understanding of the truth of the matter. (Many people blindly accepted the false idea that the earth was flat, but those that sought out the truth, brought about progress.)

 Recently I received an email from a well known shaper (10’s of thousands of boards shaped) who stated that he didn’t know how a surfboard worked. Unfortunately he had already made up his mind that I couldn’t possibly know since he didn’t. I replied to his email offering him a sample e-copy of “The Basics of Surfboard Design” but he did not respond. Obviously he didn’t want to find out what I had written, even though it discusses the basic concepts of his livelihood.

Unfortunately, most surfers seem to be like that shaper, they only accept information from their heroes and reject all the rest. I’ve been having the same trouble in my “other life” as a high-speed sailboat designer. Visit my website for more: www.farbeyondsurfing.com  there’s also a link to my High-Speed Sailing blog on that site.

 Bob

A rave?? review!!

 I want to thank “Hollow Daze” for his/her review of “The Basics of Surfboard Design” posted 6 Aug 09 on Amazon. Note that I did not “hire” my friends to write rave 5 star reviews, although normal marketing practice says I should do just that. Amazon has the rating/review system for buyers to post their view intending that to be helpful to potential buyers.

 I will now analyze “Daze’s” review as an exercise for myself to see what can be learned. Daze states “This book is great for those unfamiliar with surfing or surfboards” and claims to be an experienced surfer.

 I did my best to write the book in the most understandable, straight-forward manner possible so anyone could understand the subject. Validation of this by an experienced surfer, suggests that I got it right on that one.

 Daze continues with “(…) I knew most of the information already.”

 This shows Daze to be knowledgeable on the subject, but “most” is not “all”. How many of you (big name shapers too) know that when a surfboard is going “straight” down the line, not climbing and dropping, it is in a continuous turn? (I explain this in detail in my book.) I believe I covered all of surfboard design basics and everything any shaper is doing is just a variation on the basics. (If any of you know of any basic I missed, please let me know.)

 Daze continues with, “… the author has his own opinions … that vary somewhat from the mainstream (the superiority of vertical fins).”

 I’ve never been part of the mainstream, but have always been involved with innovation (got that part right). However, I never claimed vertical fins were superior (to swept fins). What I did write (page 33 of my book) is: “I’m not claiming that a vertical fin is better, it’s just more stable and more powerful (size for size) than a swept fin.” Now as I’ve said before, don’t take my word for it, try it and decide for yourself.

 Daze concludes with, “Overall, a good starter book on the subject.”

 I consider that to be a real compliment; I was attempting to take an arcane, sophisticated, esoteric, and even mystical subject and describe in understandable terms the actual simplicity that constitutes surfboard design. Do not be fooled by the simplicity because the book is also intended for the most advanced shaper as a direct view of surfboard theory. I published the book because much of what I read and heard about surfboard design did not provide a real understanding of how a surfboard actually works.

 I end the book with “This composition is intended to help inspire more new discovery.” I’m asking you to step out of the mainstream and get creative. I hope my book provides a useful take-off point.

 Bob

The wave grab’s the board?

I’ve heard surfers talk of surfboard design features that help the wave “grab” the board and pull it into the wave for easier take-offs. This sounds to me like it might be a misconception by those surfers.

Many of us might think that the water in the wave is pushing us along, but if we examine it, we will see that there is no significant net movement of water in the direction the wave is going until the wave actually breaks.  In an unbroken wave, the water particles of the wave actually make a vertical circle, returning to their starting point after the wave passes (for a fascinating study of this, get the book “Waves and Beaches” by Willard Bascom). Until we get into the breaking or broken lip of the wave, the water is not moving in a favorable direction to pull or push us forward, but the wave energy is.

 We can set up a simple experiment to study this on a table top. Pin a table cloth to opposite ends of the table such that the cloth is snug but not too tight. Place a cylindrical object (like a rolling pin) under the cloth near one end; we now have a crude wave. If you move the rolling pin across the table, the “wave” flows across the table, but the cloth does not move in the direction of the wave. Now place a toy car and something like a matchbox in front of the wave, and move the wave; the car will surf along without ever touching the rolling pin, but the matchbox will stay put, while the wave moves under it. Essentially the car is rolling down the “hill” that the wave forms. The hill however, keeps moving forward so the car is constantly rolling down the same hill. You can experiment with different wave steepness by adjusting the tension on the cloth, and discover that objects without wheels will “surf” the wave when the steepness is great enough to overcome the friction of the cloth surface.

 We all know from experience that the water is moving up the wave face, while we are paddling to get down the wave face. We don’t want the water of the wave grabbing our surfboard at this point or we won’t make a successful take-off. Either we’ll get passed by the wave, or if our take-off is late enough, we’ll get pulled up and over the falls. So what is the real trick? We want the board to feel the wave and get picked up by it early; board length counts and longer is better. We want the board to paddle easily; again board length and also volume (for floatation). Rocker can help by getting the trim optimized for the take-off, and proper rail and overall board shape will help make the board paddle faster and plane easier (wider is better). Unfortunately some of the features that help make the board take-off easier, might not be the best for the way you want to ride the board, so you will probably be looking for the best compromise for you.

 Bob

Fin boxes

My best advice for anyone getting a surfboard is to get one with fin boxes (for every fin). Fin selection and position is a critical part of surfboard design, so the ability to change fins and change the position of the fins can make the difference between an ok board and a great board. Yes it is possible to grind off a glassed-on fin and replace it, but I consider that to be a last resort, desperation effort.

 

There are a variety of fin box systems out there; some allow for adjustment, some don’t. If you have a fin box that doesn’t allow for the adjustment of the fin position, here is the solution; you will have to offset the base of the fin forward or backward as desired. Hopefully the manufacturer has done that for you, by providing a series of identical fins in which the base is positioned differently, so you can select the offset that positions the fin best for you. If he doesn’t, then you will have to make (or custom order) a fin with the correct offset position for you. This can even apply to adjustable boxes if you run out of adjustment before you get to the correct fin position.

 I have read and heard complaints about fin boxes that include; some fin box systems are not adequately strong and are easily damaged, some surfers don’t like the fin “wiggle” (slight shift to the side under pressure) and so prefer glassed-on fins, and of course most fin boxes use a retainer screw, which often becomes a problem (stripped threads, lost screws, etc).

 While I never used a commercial fin box, I did watch what was available. Not long after I started making surfboards I started making my own fin boxes (naturally I’d been making my own fins all along). I tried various designs, eliminating screws early-on; I tried friction (wedge boxes) and other fastening methods, finally settling on a positive lock, snap-in box (no moving parts). I also ran into the common problem of tearing the fin box out of the board when too much force was applied. I redesigned my box to eliminate that problem and arrived at what I’m currently riding.

 The box has a better strength to weight ratio than other systems. You can break the fin out of it without damage to the box or the board. The fin is solidly retained eliminating any fin “wiggle” in the box. Also the fin base is easy to make, so custom fins are as easy as making the fin itself.

 I’ve done a preliminary patent search and this system is patentable, so I’m looking for commercial interest. If you or someone you know would like to make money producing a superior fin box and fins, email me at:

info@farbeyondsurfing.com

 Bob

Unbreakable, High-performance, Surfboard-in-a-Suitcase

Over the years surfers have struggled with the size of the surfboard when they weren’t surfing it, and transporting a surfboard can at times be a struggle. In earlier times surfboards were often left “in the bushes” at the beach, thereby eliminating transportation hassles. With the exception of a few remote areas, those days are long gone. Today, when we’re driving our own vehicles, transporting our surfboard is a minor problem, thanks to car-top surf racks, etc.

 Surf trips to locations that are distant, usually require the use of public transportation and once again taking that surfboard can be a hassle and added expense. We might travel by taxi, bus, train or plane and by even more exotic means. Those of us traveling by airlines usually have to pay increasingly expensive excess baggage fees, and at times our boards have been damaged on our flights. Let’s face it, the airlines really don’t want to see your surfboard; it’s bulky, fragile, requires special handling and is a pain for them. The only reason they tolerate your surfboard is because they want you to pay for a seat on their plane.

 Is there anything we can do to make this easier? Of course with enough money we can pay someone to take care of the hassles for us, but for most of us, earning that kind of money would be an even bigger hassle; we need a better solution.

 Over the years inventive surfers have attempted to solve this problem by making surfboards that can be taken apart for travel. This started in the mid sixties and continues today, but the technology has not been refined enough for wide appeal. If you search the internet for: sectionalized surfboards, two-piece surfboards, take-apart surfboards and similar terms, you will see what’s available.

 The real reason take-apart surfboards have not become popular is function. Those of us that are not riding take-apart surfboards are not riding them primarily because they do not function as well as the surfboard we do ride. The primary problems are added weight and a shape that is different than what we want. Other problems can include different flex/stiffness than we want and added expense.

 What if it was possible to make a surfboard that was of any shape desired, was light weight, was “unbreakable”, and could be taken apart to fit in a suitcase for travel? Note that the shape and light weight will provide a ride equivalent to what your current board provides. The fact that it’s “unbreakable” makes it better than what you are currently riding, and the fact that it fits in a suitcase means that you have no hassle or added expense when you travel by air or other public transportation. By eliminating excess baggage fees you will save substantially when traveling by air, so even though the surfboard might cost a bit more; just one trip is likely to more than pay for the difference. Additionally, if your regular surfboard were to break, this surfboard, which didn’t break, would be much less expensive, especially if you were at some remote surfspot.

 Is this possible? Yes! Does it exist? Yes! Can I get one? Not yet, the board exists in prototype form only at this point. I am looking for someone interested in getting this into production, so traveling surfers can benefit.

 If you have an interest in this or know of someone who might, email me at: info@farbeyondsurfing.com

 Bob

Vee or convex tails?

In “The Basics of Surfboard Design”, I discuss Vee-bottom boards and how they were a “solution” to the problem of rolling (banking) a wide tailed single fin board over onto its rail for a turn. The vee-bottom tail did make it easier to roll the board into a turn, but it slowed down the response of the board. In watching the boards being surfed, I could see the board shift from one flat (side of the vee) to the other, and then the turn would begin. I never did like that lag or that the board would favor being on one flat or the other.

 I did make a couple of vee bottom boards for a friend, but didn’t continue with that design feature. I have always been striving to make boards that are “neutral” in response. What I mean by that is that the board will respond instantly to what the rider demands by his weight shifts, it doesn’t favor one position over others, and the response is even. This allows the rider complete freedom and total control. Many surfboard designs have shortcomings that the rider must compensate for and often surfers get so used to compensating for these design “flaws” that they think it’s the normal way a surfboard should ride.

 At one point I decided I’d experiment to see if I could make a surfboard that would roll into a turn as easily as a vee-bottom but without the flats. Instead of vee in the tail I made the tail with a low convex from rail to rail. This did eliminate the flats and the tendency of the board to favor riding on one flat or the other; the board did roll easily into a turn, but it still had a lag from the time the turn was started till the time the fin “bit” and the board actually turned. I had improved on the vee-bottom design slightly, but the lag was unacceptable to me.  I stripped the glass off the tail of that board, reshaped it flat and the board rode great.

 Many design features on surfboards are the result of an attempt to solve a problem with the surfboard. Later refinements can make those features obsolete, but often a feature has become so much a standard part of board design that it gets retained by diminishing it without eliminating it.

 Bob

Pop-out or custom?

There has long been a controversy over “custom” surfboards verses “pop-out” (molded) surfboards. A lot of noise and BS has gone round about this; let’s see if we can make sense out of it.

 At one extreme is the pop-out in which the shape is fixed when the mold is made; the fiberglass is placed in the mold, the liquid foam inserted and the mold closed while it all goes off. At the other extreme is the totally custom board in which the shaper establishes a totally new set of lines (curves) and even fin placement. If templates are used they are only for a rough guide and the final lines will be unique to that board. Between these two extremes, we have most “custom” surfboards.

 My own definition of “custom” is: a surfboard that is made specifically for one surfer (I’m not talking about color or graphics etc. just the shape.) Yes, that means if you buy a hand built surfboard off the rack, since it wasn’t made for you, I don’t consider it to be custom. I am not trying to be elitist or snobbish about this, I just want us to get a broader understanding. The important point is not whether a surfboard was popped out of a mold (along with a zillion other identical boards) or if it was totally hand made (and I could just about shape a good surfboard using only my teeth and nails) but does the surfer like the way it rides?

 In my view, most surfers probably never got a truly custom board. The only new board I ever bought from a shop would have been called custom by most, but it wasn’t really. I specified the style of board I wanted and the finish, but the shape was what they were making and had nothing to do with me. At that time I couldn’t have made an intelligent choice for a custom shape anyway. I have long been an advocate of molded or machine shaped surfboards for most surfers; only when a surfer has a desire to have the board tailored to his specific needs should he go truly custom.

 Let me point out that my definition of custom does not mean that the board was necessarily hand made. Shaping by use of a computer that controls a shaping machine will result in a custom board, providing the shape was made specifically for the surfer ordering it. If a second identical board is also made and sold to someone else that would not be custom. For that matter if a mold was made with a specific shape for a specific surfer; the resulting “pop-out” would actually be a custom board for that surfer only. Once again, it doesn’t matter how the board is made, it matters if you like it.

 If you want a better understanding of the surfboard shape, go to: http://www.farbeyondsurfing.com/Surfing.html

 Bob

Fools laugh at…

I was looking at some articles that talked about Slater’s surfboard shaping. First I want to say more power to anyone who shapes his own surfboards. Slater is of course on a learning curve, but has a big advantage over most by being able to draw on Merrick’s extensive knowledge.

 What intrigues me the most though, are some of the comments about his boards. There are reports of surfers laughing at the shapes, calling them ugly, and even saying he shouldn’t be riding them in contests. My view is he should ride what he wants (as any surfer should).

 When someone laughs at or belittles someone or something, it’s a form of rejection and most likely the one laughing doesn’t understand the thing or person being laughed at. Probably all innovators and creative people get laughed at, but eventually many of those innovations become the norm. In truth the laughter is from some sheep that is afraid to move out of the herd and envision a brighter future.

 Let’s expand our understanding, encourage those who explore new possibilities, and thereby help to bring about a better future for all.

 Bob