My eyes! My eyes!

Ok, they are still burning after paddling into that 30 knot offshore this morning.
It was hit and miss, waist high fun in between taking the head highs on the head.
That wind opened up a few cover ups but then blew you backwards in to the hole.
Surfed the go to board and had a blast while I could handle the wind. It was blistering and my eyes are still a bit cold and feel like they have been sandblasted.
Met a cool kid and his girlfriend, from Maryland, he has been surfing Cali and working his way north, told him Kiwanda was the shit and to bring friends when he surfs there.

Going to have a fun week.
I have an EPS blank for a mini Simmons here, hoping to blow it out shortly.
I also outlined Scotts' paper thin cross between a Simmons outline and a true S decked hull.
Parallel rails are fast.
Curved outlines are loose.
I took a 10'2" blank, flipped it bottom up, thats now the S deck. Now I will flatten out the former deck which is now the bottom in the middle third, plane in nose and tail rocker.
Hull it out, paper thin the rails. Run the foil like a Simmons and leave the tail at 17"...
You just have to see the board in the blank.
Yeah, thats it.
Anything is possible.
I wish I knew how long he wanted it before I made it 5'2"...kidding.

Speaking of hulls and various Simmons inspired boards...
I look at a lot of them. Before building my first a few months ago, I went through every picture and every article I could find. I talked to no less than three other shapers about the outlines and templates, fins and foils.
Murry at Head High was really helpful in the beginning.
So what I see out there is quite a few of these boards do not have the hull shape but stick with a traditional nose and bottom configuration, even forgoing the knifed rails and gaining some tail rocker.
This one below has a thinned nose and regular down rails.
Is it a square tailed fish or a mini type Simmons?



This little black one...now that is what I consider to be a mini. His shapes and contours are what I followed and took inspiration from when I started, you can plainly see his rails/foils in my boards though I don't go as 'mini' as he does.
His hulls rawk.

This one is Wildes and except for the bad ass resin work and super shiny finish, it too shares a lot with what I build. His outlines and mine are within mm's of each others.
Dig them Mod fins.Anyway, what works? Float and planing on a hull with pinched rails or the thinner, more typical nose and rail set up?
I think both.
For the chip rider wanting to swap, they will want super thin, something that 'feels' like what they are riding now.
The fuller, hull type bottom is better for those seeking the flow and style of long, arcing turns.
The hull shape is faster in my opinion.
The thinned out nose models will feel more user friendly.

Hey, I wore a leash today and went fast enough to make it hum on a shoulder high wave. I also tried to get upside down backside, get covered up frontside and try to get with Maryland kids' girlfriend.
One of those is a lie.

Anyway, something to think about.
I am just glad I don't have to ride longboard every time the surf gets less than 4'.

See ya.

2 comments:

r. said...

i'm guessing the leash hummed, and you tried to get with the kid's old lady... just a hunch. by the way, love the psyched-out colors on the lightweight and the fire-mini. super nice looking boards you're turning out... i like the way the color goes ape-shit on the bottom, and 'rounds up to order on the top. there's this part on easy rider where Billy says, "I never really thought of myself as a freak, but i love to freak.

Tony Lewis said...

Naw, I left the girl alone, my wife is a belly dancer...who sometimes uses a sword...lol...
Thanks for stopping by and the compliments on the boards.
I want to do another like that one.
The rails worked did work out well and if I used 1/4" strips of resin, the bottom might do the same effect.
Hmmm.
Yep, next one.