New T Belly Board

What works and what doesn't. Share design ideas, references and contacts for paipo board builders.
jbw4600
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New T Belly Board

#1

Unread post by jbw4600 »

Next week I will hopefully receive or pick up my Paipo/belly board. Thomas Patrick Surfboards is making mine. It is based off the Larry Goddard Maili Marauder. I've attached the spec sheet. I thought you might to see it. I've gone a little wider (22") than the Austin boards. I am 6 ft 213lbs. I went wider because my best bodyboard is 22 inches wide. I find the the width planes better and helps lock into the wall of a steep wave. I rode a 23 inch bodyboard on the North shore that really flew. Anyway we see how this translates to a fiberglass board with fins. I haven't ridden a fiberglass board with fins for over 35 years.

I let you know how it rides.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#2

Unread post by spudnut »

The specs look awesome on that board. Please post some pictures of it when you get it. Also, a report on how it rides would be nice! Based upon what you said, I am assuming that you have never ridden an Austin? I love seeing just how many different designs work really well.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#3

Unread post by ULTIMATS »

Did you have a lot of input into the design or did the Austin guys work it out ? The Larry Goddard drawings are inspirational.
....the wetter.....the better.....
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Re: New T Belly Board

#4

Unread post by jbw4600 »

No, This board is designed and shaped by Thomas Patrick Surfboards in Ojai, CA --- http://www.thomaspatricksurfboards.com. He has built a 2 or 3 other paipoboards. He has some pictures on his blog. It is based off Larry Goddard designs. See the Larry Goddard interview here on this site. It just looks faster than the Austin boards. We will see. Hopefully I will be able to try it out within a week. I would like to ride an Austin board also.
Last edited by jbw4600 on Tue Nov 15, 2011 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#5

Unread post by spudnut »

I live in Ventura, right next to Ojai. When you get the board let me know as we have a couple of Austins here among other paipos. We can take them all out if you like.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#6

Unread post by ClanB »

I would love to see a pic when its done.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#7

Unread post by jbw4600 »

Spudnut thanks for your offer. I live 6 1/2 hours from Ojai. So I am not sure if will pick it up or have it shipped. I'll let you know. I'll post photos when I get it.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#8

Unread post by jbw4600 »

Here is my new from Thomas Patrick's blog.http://tp4surf.blogspot.com/.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#9

Unread post by ClanB »

lol. Thomas told me he would have a pic up soon of a new board. I saw it today and thought it may be yours. The rails and bottom color was just what I was thinking of doing...nice board! I think I may go for a quad but I want realy small trailers. Let us know how you like it soon.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#10

Unread post by SJB »

JBW.....I really like my Austin but your new T belly board looks interesting.
What inspired you to seek out this particular shaper?
Had he shaped prone boards before?
Were the specs his or yours?
What was the price for the board?
And please excuse the ignorance.....why is it called a T belly board?
Thanks
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Re: New T Belly Board

#11

Unread post by jbw4600 »

The shape is based on Larry Goddard's Maili Marauder. I wanted a wider board and Goddard designed 40 different designs and rode in big waves. Check his interview on mypaipoboards site. I wanted 51 inches and 22 inches wide. I told him how big I was and what kind of waves I ride and he did the rest. I have a 44" long and 22' wide Ben Severson bodyboard that has worked fabuosly so I wanted a similar width. I have found that width really helps when charging on a wall and into a tube. We will see. I have haven't ridden a finned fiberglass board in 30 years. So I really don't know anything about this kind of board. This is his fourth or fifth board. The shaper called it a TBelly. I think because that what they used to call them before bodyboards arrived on the the scene. It will cost about $500. But you get it cheaper without color and polishing.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#12

Unread post by jbw4600 »

I wanted to report to you guys how my new board rides. First I rode on some small 1-3 foot waves. It rode pretty well but I was brand new to the board. Then I rode it on some overhead plus closed surf. I had some difficulty. I kept pearling at the bottom of the wave. But it pretty was closed out and I probably would have pearled on my bodyboard on most of the waves anyway. Then yesterday I got to ride on some great overhead swells at Santa Cruz It was fabulous! It definitly can get into waves alot easier and sooner.
I took awhile to get used how to lay on on the board get the balance and turn. But once I got used to it, I was able to take off some big waves, make all the turns I wanted to. At some point I'll try some smaller fins. I am using Futures T1 twin fins. (5.15 high x4.8" long). The board has great speed down the line. I got a couple 1000' rides. ( I surfed the way into a junior surf contest on an inner break!). I am still not sure how it will ride on steep beach breaks. I hope this is helpful for you.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#13

Unread post by SJB »

Thanks for the update. I would give my eye teeth for a 1,000 foot ride. :mrgreen:
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Re: New T Belly Board

#14

Unread post by nomastomas »

Hey, guys...the name came from a friend of mine who grew tired of saying "Thomas-Patrick-Belly-Board" and just shortened it to "T-Belly" which stuck. I wish we were getting some HH swell down here. I'd settle for a 100ft ride -tp
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Re: New T Belly Board

#15

Unread post by spudnut »

SJB wrote:Thanks for the update. I would give my eye teeth for a 1,000 foot ride. :mrgreen:

Don't do it. You will only have 3 teeth left. :lol:
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Re: New T Belly Board

#16

Unread post by jbw4600 »

Well the Jury is in. I have ridden this board for about 5 months now and I think it rides great. I took awhile to transition over from a bodyboard. I have mostly been surfing at the point and reef breaks around Pleasure point in Santa Cruz. Even in big surf these waves are pretty flat once you get off the peak. And it it the same in San Francisco but with a little more steepness and juice. I was concerned if it could handle Chronkite North of the Golden Gate bridge. It one of my main spots. (half hour drive, always some waves) It is alot steeper and erratic. I faceplanted very hard off a 12 foot wave on my bodyboard there in the big south swell in September. I did the same thing at Makapu last March and messed my neck up. The first few times I took it out at a chronkite it was closing out and I kept pearling. So I was a little nervous about wheter or not this board would work there. I went out at Chronkite twice this weekend in very choppy erratic waves and the board did great. No faceplants! I think you have to drive forward more from the middle of the board than the front inside rail as with a bodyboard.

Anyway I think it is great board I would recommend to anyone. The only change would be to move the thickest part of the board 4-6" forward. Also the thumb groove should be about 6 inches shorter. My elbow sometimes rubs it.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#17

Unread post by rodndtube »

Always good to ready a happy wave rider talk story about their boards (even unhappy riders since we learn from that experience as well).

I will be giving my new S&S Checkered RPM a first spin in Costa Rica next week :)
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Re: New T Belly Board

#18

Unread post by bgreen »

Why would you move the thickest part 4-6" forward?
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Re: New T Belly Board

#19

Unread post by jbw4600 »

Well I think that moving the thickness a little forward would help when taking a big steep drop it might help keep the nose out the water (The front end of my board is a little on the thin side. The thickest part of the board is about 4-6" behind where my chest rests when on a wave. Also it might help when you want drive forward on a steep wall or into a pit or bowl. It might be just from my old bodyboard habits. On my bodyboards I would always be pushing and driving the forward inside edge into the wave with my elbow. I really set me in the wave and help hold me higher on the wave. Now after last weekend I see that I don't need to force the inside edge into the wave as much. We will see.

Paipo boards take more skill to ride than bodyboards, I have found.
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Re: New T Belly Board

#20

Unread post by nomastomas »

I appreciate your feedback JW, and I’m glad that you’re enjoying the board. But I don’t believe the location of the thickest part of the board is the culprit. It’s the length. The longer length of a belly board (compared to body board) moves the point of maximum trim forward, forcing the rider to move further forward to achieve maximum speed. The low rocker gives the board all of its speed, but makes surfing vertically (across the trimline) trickier. (Fish riders have a similar “problem”) The rider really needs to be aware of board position on the wave and learn to adjust body location on the board accordingly; moving forward on the board when driving across the wave face, and shifting back towards the tail when turning down the wave face. Shifting your weight back on the board pulls the nose up. I’ve learned to pull myself forward as I’m dropping in; drop-turning in actually. I immediately start to turn as I drop in, never dropping straight down (at least not on purpose). As I start to make a turn off the lip or even a cut-back, I slide back on the tail. Now I’m ready to negotiate a turn off the bottom without “finding Nemo”. I slide way back when doing a floater re-entry.

Shifting thickness forward on such a short board would force the rider to move even further forward for maximum trim and make the board even more prone to pearling. Think of the thickest point of the board as a tipping point. Shapers are starting to discuss the “center of floatation” of surfcraft and how the location of the COF affects performance.

I know you were planning to try different fin sets. I'd be interested in hearing what your experience has been using different fins.
-tp
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