DESIGN HISTORY

MORE ON BOARD DESIGN

FROM PETE DOOLEYS MANIFESTO..NATURAL ART SURFBOARDS

History of board design & development

Surfing is adjusting the levels of resistance to the force of the wave

Float

Eternal question Sacrifice waves for performance or performance for waves
Old boards were huge and heavy
High performance boards supply minimal float

Outline (width and overall curve of the board)

Curve of outline (Template of board)
- to little curve unturnable
- to much curve to loose ( no direction)
- wide point to far forward catchy and to tight
- wide point to far back to turney ( directionless)
The more curve the looser ( more turney) the board is
pulled tails ( narrower) hold in waves better less turnable
wide tails more maneuverable less hold in larger waves ( spin out)

Fins for hold and direction

Base for hold on bottom turns
- to much fin area creates drag and slows board
Tips
- narrow: for release at top of wave
- wider: for hold at top of waves
Rake: The curve ( swept) back look of the fin
- none for pivot turns
- deep (swept back) for projection out of turns
Single Fins
- placed far back in tail makes the board less turny holds down tail
- placed to far forward of tail makes board more turny, potential for spin outs
- wide (long base) and deep (tall) for nose riding
- medium base and rake for use with side bites (7 1/2")
- narrow base more rake for eggs
Single Fins with side bites
- smaller single fin can be used with side bites (side bites add additional hold)
- more balanced turning: single fins "hold in center" use rails for turn
- side bites add bite to turns, intitialized from rail
  - side bites placed at pivot point of outline and bottom (turning area)
Twin Fins
- very loose
- less fin drag (sensation of speed increased)
- pivoty turns
- often lack drive
Four Fins
- More drive and hold than twins
- turns more toward rails
Three Fins
- Most universal fin combination
  - combines hold drive and projection

Wings and Hips: break point in tail portion of outline (turning Point)

Hips
- Where the template breaks ( curves ) in towards the tail
  - increased curve here makes for more pivot in turns
  - lack of curve here draws turns out ( longer radius) ie larger waves
Wings: pivot point (break ) in outline
- Square Wings
  - add bite to turn pivot
- Soft Wings
  - smooth turn transition
- Bump Wings
  - barely noticable hip-like
- Up Wings
  - for surfers with forward stances ( standing Place on board)
  - shorten rail (outline) in water increase (tighten) radius of turn
  - could make for smaller tail (better hold)
- Double wings
  - can be used to make an up wing removing straight behind upwing
  - can make a wide tail (planing) have a tight tail (more hold)

Tails

Round pin
- tightest holding tail
- popular in single fin days for hold in big waves
- transfer from rail to rail is toe to heal no real transition or planing
- sensation of hold supplanted by advent of tri fins
Round tail
- looser version of the round pin (popular with tri fin)
- very turney
Roundie
- extreme version of the round tail, for small wave fun
Diamond
- popular in the single fin day
  - provides tail area (corners) and point for direction
Squash
- soft round wide tail made popular and functional by tri fin set up
- most forgiving planing area in tail relies on tri fin for hold and direction
Baby Squash
- smaller version of squash adds curve in back and tightens tail
Square
- tail planing area with corners to project turns from
Swallow
- split tail allows for more width while providing direction and hold from points
Felix
- swallow tail mutant with diamond dropped in center for hold and planing

Rocker: the curve nose to tail that fits you into the wave

old boards had minimal rocker

Entry

where the water makes initial contact with the board
- to much and you "push water"
- to little and you " pearl

Release "tail rocker"

the curve in the rear bottom that allows you to fit in the wave
- to much and you have no drive (resistance to wave)
- to little and board works as lever forcing the nose down (pearl)

Rails: outside of board

Full rails
- boxey (more resistance to wave)
  - less water on deck
  - more resistant to sinking for turn
Low rails
- ease of depression (sinking to turn)
- water over deck (less resistance when going slow)

Edge: sharpness of outer bottom edge

to much and board catches on turns
to little and board has no drive out of turns

Rolled edge, edge is tucked under rail

sensation of lift and bite yet more forgiving

Bottoms

Flat: resistance to wave ( lift and speed)
- to much and board planes to much ( uncontrolable speed)
- to little and board wants to sink (no resistance)
Foil Bottoms: Belly in bottom soft tippy and easy
- slower less reaction time
- solid "in the water" feel
V bottoms
- tipping point for direction change
  - to much and board wants to sink ( no resistance)
Forward V: Essentially flatttening rocker out on rail
- best in more powerful surf
Concave V: placing a V in a concave breaking it up
- creates drive and control along with lift
Concaves: inverted curves or tunnels
- for creating lift more wetted area
  - downward deflection of water creates lift
  - concave creates focused flat ( area flat in rocker ) for more lift
Nose concaves
- Lift in nose for noseriding
  - full nose concaves
  - tear drop: smaller centered concaves (not out to rails)
Planing concaves
- single concave: flattens rocker down center of bottom
  - fast bottom lft and tunnel of speed
- Double concaves: creates a V for turning separating concave into two
  - creates drive and control along with lift
- Triple concave: front foot driving concave leading into double concave
  - evolved into a single with a double inside
    - Very fast bottom with added drive through turns
Channels: lift and directional drive bite and hold. (4) or (6)
- Tail channels: directional bite off tail in turns
  - control and speed in bigger waves
- Mid channels: directional lift and bite under surfers turning area
  - At times skip out of water in chop and grab at inoportune times
  - release to a flat in tail

Board designs ( shapes)

The reason for "Models"
- to keep conflicting design concepts from working against each other
- a well schooled designer with proper feedback combines concepts
Longboards
- Positives
  - plenty of float
  - stability
- Negatives
  - skills needed to maneuver
- Old school
  - 60 40 rails wider low rocker
- Nose riders
  - narrower tail wider nose for planing while perching
- Performance Longboards
  - edgier lower rails performance (more) rocker
  - wider tails
Mini Longboards (Original Shortboards)
- Maneuverability (smaller than traditional longboards)
- Single fin Or with side bites
- Tri fins
Funboards (missing Links)
- Wide outline in nose
  - helps paddling into small waves
  - stabiltiy for learning (ease of standing)
- Close to performance tail ( for modern turning)
- Close to longboard nose ( for initial standing and stability)
- Deep entry rocker
  - when standing, wide nose is lifted from wave contact
  - tail (slightly wider) same as performance boards
Eggs: forward template (outline) soft round bottom and rails
- forgiving rails and bottom
- slightly slower (less resistance) rounded bottom
Big Guy
- float of fun board, outline of performance board
- more foam under chest
Single fins
- Old school forward template
- New school (modern tail bottom outline and rocker)
Fish "Old school" ( round nose) thick flat wide and fast
- Made to be ridden shorter than performance boards
  - width traded for length in planing
    - originally the same planing area of a longboard
- Outline wide and "parallel"
  - straighter outline makes for speed ( resistance)
  - made to be ridden centered
- Deep swallow to hold in wide tail
Rocket fish
- More performance nose (narrower) often with wing swallow configuration
Wide rocket
- Full nose rocket fish, often with no wing
Rice burner
- Performance nose and width with wide no wing swallow
- "Front end performance, back end fish"
Beachbreak
- Rocket fish template with squash tail
Roundie
- Beachbreak template with a very wide round tail
Performance (says it all)
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