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