Ride Report: float, marbles and fins?

Well, first things first, I’ve gotta say that this self design custom surfboard process is amazing. The precision of the design through to machine cut is brilliant and with that the end result is what I have envisaged … and for $330 for effectively a ‘custom’ quality short board, the economics add to the stoke.

Do you get the impression I’m enjoying this process?

OK, so now the new one has been ridden for the last few weeks. At first paddle it felt like it had less ‘float’ than the last couple of boards. That surprised me, since the volumes are all the same … all around the 30.4 litres. What I’ve concluded is that it is the different blank. This one was cut from a ‘standard’ blank, whereas all the others have been cut from ‘lite’ blanks. After some research, it would seem, and well logically makes sense, that the ‘lite’ blank is less dense and so has more air bubbles, and once glassed, that air is “locked in” … so, with a more dense blank, less air bubbles “locked in”, and so, yes, a ‘standard’ blank has a bit less ‘float’ … my best guess is it is less than a 5% difference, which can be easily incorporated into the “design” in AKU Shaper

Having had a few boards made with a ‘lite’ blank, and now back to a ‘standard’, I have also realised how the pro’s can ride boards with a bit less volume; aside from their superior fitness and paddling … Since most of them ride ‘comp lite’ blanks, which would have even more air “locked in”, the float difference to the average surfers board would be noticeable. The density though, does impact the longevity of the board, as I’ve found over the last few, with this latest one holding up a LOT better.

I set the board up with my usual ‘go to’ fins … FCS K2.1’s in PC. The first few surfs were in OK, but not great waves, and it felt like there was something “off” with the board. I could paddle into waves easily, it would get up and go, but making turns off the bottom and top felt like something was missing, which I was putting down to the waves, and in some part, due to wearing a steamer since it’s cooled down a bit … after getting some awesome waves, and still having the same feeling of having to surf more off the front foot through bottom turns, and then loosing the tail off the top too easily, I decided the issue was that I need some more size in the fins. So, I put in some Parko fins from the Kinetic Racing series; these are quite different in size, rake and even design to the K2.1’s … well, first wave, first surf and whoah … bang, off the bottom, vertical to the lip, whack and I was away … totally different feel having that bit more ‘fin area’ and push from the tail.

I can only image how many boards, back in the old glass on days, I’ve had that were dogs which could have been tweaked with a fin change. I’ve always found fins to change a board, and with so many options these days, the performance tweaks are awesome. Now, I just need to play around with some more fins to fine tune the performance of this one … I’m thinking some AM2’s may be the goods … or, maybe even some Mick Fanning fins from the FCS range …

marblesSo, the marbles … right? … Do you want to know about the marbles?

And, I guess, what the hell do marbles have to do with a ride report, right? Well, I’ll do my best to explain the ‘feel’ and design linkage …

In the process of understanding the feeling with the K2.1 fins in the board, I had started to notice I was getting a lot of speed, but, when it came to turning, I could not control or use that speed easily, so bottom turns were faster, into a top turn that was not as vertical with the timing slightly ‘out’, so I was having a constant adjustment process … I then noticed how the board would just ‘go’ when I got into a wave, and tried surfing along the wave with less turns to feel the board …

It was not until I was heading in one day, dropped to my belly and rode the whitewater to the shore, then I noticed it … the board would easily, like really easily turn from left to right in a rocking motion, like really really noticeable … so, I went back out and caught a few waves and rode the whitewater in until I could understand the feeling and differences depending on where my body weight was … I’d lie further back, then further forward, arm by my side, or out like I was trying to fly … yep, I’m really just a big kid!

Then it hit me, it felt like, when the weight was right, the board was turning like it was running on marbles … like it had all these little marbles or ball bearings under the front to chest area, and so as I would lean into each turn, remember, I’m still only lying down on the board at this stage, it would just float across the marbles and with no resistance it would turn, and keep moving …

So, out the back again, to test the feeling when I stand up … yep, with some weight over the front foot, and a bit of a heel toe movement I could feel this same effect … more, testing with weight to the back foot, and yep, same type of effect, albeit a different feeling through the tail. This then got me thinking about the fin area, and issues with the surfing I’d been doing to that point. Overnight I decided I needed to try some bigger fins, and well, as I wrote above, it really changed the board.

So, what was / is going on here … I think it is the lift from the impact of the the bottom contours and concave(s). Looking at the design of the board, it is a refined version of the one before it, and with the ‘keel’ at the stringer reduced, and the double inside the single concave more refined, the air being trapped under there, and the water flowing across the surface, it is all just simply more efficient. Hence, the boards get up and goes, and why I was getting speed but having trouble using it or controlling it …

Now, I’m off to learn more about it … time for a surf!

6 Replies to “Ride Report: float, marbles and fins?”

  1. with you re the fins and how a board can be unreal or a dog depending on the fins or fin placement, next board try a adjustable fin system such as 4way… adjustable cant and toe in ,also with about half inch forward back adjustability………recently at nias 6-10ft swell direction a little wrong…almost unmakable from the peak, very fast ……straightened the toe in by 1/4 inch …instant down the line speed, so for approx. $80 more for your next shape, try some different plugs, well worth the extra expense.

    1. Hey Basil,

      Nias hey? … lucky bugger!

      From my research, I’ve found most short boards have the same “toe in” with any adjustment not really noticeable on beach break conditions. That’s why I started using the Pro Box fin system … they give the most amount of ‘adjustment” (i.e. forward, back and cant) for the least additional expense (i.e. they can take both FCS dual tab and Futures single tab fins). That makes it way more economical than any of the other fin systems with adjustment, since with the others you have to buy fins to fit their system …

      Toe in adjustment in solid waves and even point type waves might make it worth the extra dollars for a different system, but for like $80 extra per board like you said, I’m just not sure the cost vs benefit is there …

      Wingnut.

  2. also changed fins next surf to a set with a tiny bit more rake…….millimetres difference, again different feeling with down the line drive……I guess its like driving a high performance car on good quality tyres or on bobjane cheap all rounders.

    1. Funny, that’s why I was thinking the Mick Fanning FCS fins … bit more ‘tip’ and drive from the rake …

      I was watching some footage of Parko and saw he had some Occy fins in his board, which are also a bit bigger and have quite a bit more rake, so I’ll give them a try as well …

      Most of my surfing is in beach break conditions, so needing a fairly responsive less “down the line” set up.

      One board, many options … the simple benefit of a removable fin system!

      Wingnut.

      1. wingnut, I’m using the 4s system & love it. I’ve played with different cant. found 4 degree perfect for quad and will use 6 degree when I use thruster in bigger surf with garcia fins. playing with toe in is a pain and still have not got it right.

        1. Yeah, I like the idea of all the adjustment, but I have a collection of dual tab fins … 4 way do not support them. Plus, from my research, toe in is not was critical as fin cant, that’s where the probox systems comes into it’s own. Probox supports dual (FCS type) and single tab (Futures type) fins, with plenty of cant options …

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