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Greg
Explains:
"The
purpose of the exploration with these designs was to test some specific
aspect of design and design principle more than make an attempt
at a serious alternative to what is available today.
To
summarise the shapes explored, the 'spoon' tests planshape function
by creating an almost reversed planshape, with a round blunt nose
and a narrow pointed tail, with the fins further forward as against
the usual position close to the tail.
The
cut-away tests planshape in a different way by reversing the curve
of the planshape between the feet.
This
Spoon has an almost reverse of typical planshape- wide nose with
narrow tail
The
straighter drawn out tail planshape accentuates drive during carve
turns, while the further forward fin positions accentuate the response
during face turns.
This
is because the rail line has its greatest influence when buried
during carve turns but less so when flatter face turns are performed.
The
Cut-Away doesn't look like it should work, but it does!
In
theory it shouldn't work but it does. Most shapers that have seen
it have asked if it caught rails or 'grabbed' during cutbacks, but
no it didn't.
It's
fast, if not faster than normal planshapes, and is very loose.
The
speed probably comes from the fact that the straight line of the
sidecut can dig deeper into the wave as well because it is straighter
anyway.
It
gets in deeper because there is less foam to push into the wave,
and therefore less water to displace. The responsiveness must come
from the accentuated second bump near the tail that acts like a
corner to pivot and snap on.
The
most traditional planshape but roll and rocker have great implications
Or looked at another way, the channels were there to liven up the
dullness of the roll.
Net
result: hopeless.
The
board went terribly, and could hardly change direction. It would
go onto a rail alright but wouldn't change direction, so the delay
was noticeable.
By
accentuating the opposite, this design provided an explanation as
to why even a small amount ofconcave can provide so much speed
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Greg Webber taking us on a wild side exploration
of surfboard design principles
The
10 channel roll bottom tests whether even the longest deepest channels
of the greatest practical number are enough to offset the 'softness'
of a round railed roll bottom.
Let's
look at each of the designs in more detail.
The
Spoon
This design is an attempt to create a combination of drive and responsiveness
from different parts of the board.
The
fin positions are much closer to the comfortable back foot position,
and so create looseness without the need to stand further back.
The lack of nose does not detract from the drive in turns because
the nose on most pointed boards hardly gets to touch water during
rail turns.
Yet
this lack of weight at the nose accentuates the speed of response,
because there is so little inertia to resist in the change of direction
that is taking place.
The
Cut-Away
This design is inspired by the reverse curve sidecut that is found
on all snow skis and snow boards.
Speed
is generated from the straight lines of the side cut
The
front bump near the centre probably doesn't catch because the normal
planshape in front of it acts to progressively allow water to enter
just like nose rocker does.
Both
of the surfers feet coincide with these two bumps, and maybe this
gives a more natural feedback to the surfers' brain as well. Who
knows.
The
10 Channel Roll Bottom
This board was made by shaping a 10mm roll throughout the entire
length of a board, adding very soft rails and then 10 full length,
deep channels.
The
forgiveness of the soft rails and roll was meant to compensate for
the usual restrictive feel that comes from lots of channels.
It
was fastish in trim but that didn't compensate for the flat way
in which it had to be surfed.
Lesson: no amount of channels will liven up the dullness of a really
big roll. This explains why only 3mm of concave (the opposite of
roll) can create so much speed.
Which
also means that more speed is derived from concave than channels.
However a 10 channel flat bottom or slight concave might be worth
testing to see if that much action is still controllable."
SURFit
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