After I posted yesterday (i.e. re: “the FUP”), I decided to seek input from as many people as possible. So, I posted on a couple of surfboard design and construction forums, namely sanded and swaylocks; you can see the ‘discussion’ about the FUP on those forums here and here. I also shared a link via my facebook and twitter accounts with a few comments being received overnight (thanks crouch, JJ & digger) 😉
With a cool night and noise already in our neighbourhood (happy new year everyone!), I decided to get a ‘feel’ for “the FUP”, and well, one thing lead to another and by the time 2015 came around I was covered in foam dust and had hit the wall. I did manage to run a tape measure, layout square and calipers over it, and found out she is actually:
Length – 6’5″
Width
@ centre – 18 3/4
1′ off nose – 11 3/4
1′ off tail – 14
Thickness – 2 5/8
Rocker
Nose – 4 3/4
1′ off nose – 1 9/16
2′ off nose – 6/16
2′ off tail – 1/4
1′ off tail – 3/4
Tail – 2 5/16
So, here’s a couple of video clips I shot this morning which might help to show the “flow” of the concave depth and current status of the blank:
Here are some progress shots too:
OUTLINE:
FOIL – deck up:
FOIL – bottom up:
And, a few others while she was laying in the stands:
RIDE REPORT – my predictions
So, now having handled the blank, and “scrubbed” it to an almost finished state, I have a few thoughts about how it may go …
1. The deep double has the rails at an acute angle, which I suspect will give “bite” but also instability; could ‘catch’ quite easily especially in bottom turns.
2. Down the line speed, at potentially the expense of handing with it tending to “track” … but, it could be a good hollow wave board due to the rail bite and straight through water flow.
3. An uncertainty in handling with the ‘tri hull’ created by the rails (as outside hulls) and the stringer … bit like a tri hull catamaran. While it “should” be stable, I think what is likely to happen is the water flowing at angles across the bottom will became turbulent, especially as the water crosses over the stringer section. When on full rail, it won’t impact, but as the board comes back to a more level point, it will “catch” and bog, which will create a point from rail to rail that is unstable or unpredictable.
4. It will not like fat, flat or mushy waves … will need some shape (i.e. curve) in the face of the wave to engage the rails and that acute angle from the deep double.
5. Will need fin options to fine tune it, so am thinking to put in a small single fin box (for maximum adjustment fore and aft) plus option of a larger back fin, with a mckee 5 fin system layout for the other 4 fins, so it can be ridden as both a quad and thruster. Might be cool to try with a big single and some side bites 🙂
OK, that’s my take. What do YOU think?