The Hiatus

Well, in short, life has taken it's toll on my surfboard design and construction journey. For those of you who don't already know, my wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer early last year, and well, as you can imagine that threw our life into a bit of chaos. My available free time was swallowed up while I juggled work around the medial appointments. And, being a typical bloke, I bottled up heaps of emotion and well, that too took it's toll on my health. Having been through that last year, and my wife now finished Chemotherapy life is starting to get a little bit back to normal. Although, having said that, we've decided to repaint the house ... it's amazing how you want to do things when you're ill, but can't, so now we're both onto a path of better health, we really want to fix up the house. So, that's going to now suck time away from my surfboard journey.

But, I have a plan. I'm going to outsource the glassing and concentrate on design for the near to medium term. That means, I only need to find the time to fit in some design work on the computer, a bit of work in the shed to finish off the blank, printing out some decals, and then some time around my working week to drop off and collect the board, and well, that's all ... well, except go surfing.

So, with this new plan, I have created a new design. I've been wanting a shorter board for the beach breaks, and figured something around 6'2" would be about right for me. Since my surfing time has taken a beating over the last 12 months, and then again recently with a neck injury (yep, just as I was getting my paddle and surf fitness back I hit the bottom and popped the disc at C5/C6) I have a compounded problem to overcome with the design process; I'm both heavier and less fit.

So, what to do? Well, first, more volume, so I've gone up from 30 litres to 33 litres. Then, I've tweaked the design with a slighter reduced concave (bees dick stuff like 1/16th of an inch) but that was in conjunction with a slighter flatter rocker, that corresponds with the shorter board. I've gone slightly wider too, from around 19 1/4 to now 19 5/8. So, the final version is 6'2" x 19 5/8 x 2 5/8 for a final volume of 33.7 litres. Yes, I know, that's almost 34 litres ... I'm allowing for the extra weight of a steamer, OK?

The other thing I have tweaked is the rail profile, so it's a little more forgiving. Bit more boxy I guess, but still the same overall profile.

Plan is a thruster, but thinking a couple of extra plugs for a quad option might end up in it too. Centre fin will be at 3 5/16, Sides at 11 with 1/4" toe and 7 degree cant (well close to it, I have a template jig that is now my magic cant angle).

So, there ya go, I'm back and with that, this one is going to be affectionately know as "The Hiatus" ... thinking I'll use this for a decal:

hiatus

PS: The FUP is still not finished. It has fin plugs installed and well, it stalled there 🙁

 

 

 

 

7 Replies to “The Hiatus”

  1. Hey Dean sounds like a good plan am doing 2 very different boars next month.
    Word re glassing since spud isnt in the game – EPOXY @ jamo Dave

    1. Hey Dave,

      Yep, spoke to Jamo in the water last week, between getting some insane waves on that bank … Not going epoxy just yet, want to get the designs dialled in the construction I know and am used to the feedback from…

      Hope ya been getting some kegs lately. Had more tube time in the last couple of weeks than in the past 12 months. Love this tine of year, so lucky to have uncrowded options only a short drive away.

      Wingnut.

  2. Havent had a lot of time to surf finishing of the landscaping of new digs. between interstate trips
    Just sneaking a quick one out front
    Have 2 boards getting laminated now – a MR super twin style and a short quad

    1. Hahahaaa … you’ll have to start a webiste blog thing to show off and share all your creations. An interesting quiver you’re assembling too, from bonzer to fish and all things in between!

      I’ll swing around with six pack once afternoon and check out your handy work. Was up that way only in this last week doing some reconnaissance, didn’t see your car, so didn’t call in …

      Oh, yeah, if ya talking to Jamo, tell him you know the ‘wolf creek guy’ that occasionally surfs at caba, he and few of the regulars seem to think I look like the dude (John Jarratt) from Wolf Creek.

  3. Hey. Wow…we have to catch up.

    Just thinking. …if you really want to learn something. Why not use that computer to its full potential as a shaping tool and put a different rail on each side?

    One board can show you what feels best just by catching a left and than a right.

    Its a cool experiment. ..i learn a lot

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