MyPaipoBoards Forums

Asier, I like that you achieved the right amount of flex while retaining sufficient strength with your layers. Looks like your board would travel well. My board will travel to Costa Rica and Hawaii. I assume your examples use epoxy? Your experience is helpful. Some say that if you vacuum epoxy into ...

I am finally getting around to making a Paipo. I found this link while thinking about what layers to put on the top vs the bottom of the board. http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/core.htm According to that article tension strength is set mostly on the bottom skin. The top needs proportionally less s...

How did this work out for you? I looked at californiasurfcraft.com/products/bodypo. I like the idea of something that duck dives easily, has more float than wood and at the same time has flex that might give some mat like feel. Can it do a big bottom turn with acceleration when needed?

Is that for Jacksonville or Costa Rica?

For plywood paipo, also consider wakeboard fins. Some are like small surfboard fins and attach via metal bolt the could be counter sunk on the top.

Thanks for the great comments. I will definitely reset the toe in on the Xylem sides to parallel. I did try some asymetrical-foiled sides one day without benefit but the varied conditions make it hard to conclude. It will also be interesting to go back to finless or just minimal fin using just a nub...

Correct that riding flat nose rocker constrains big bottom turns on toothy waves requiring earlier turns,, angled take offs, or riding back further. However, I only ride way back in situations where I am committed and all the nose rocker in the world would not help.. That's rare. I make a point of s...

Right, I neglected to mention the test with Vektors as sides. They have more height and less base than the nubsters but felt drag. I would have to reset the toe-in to straight to conclude on nubsters or Vektors. Funny, Rod perceived me as having more speed on the Xylem and my perception was that I h...

The board is 48" long. It does have 3/8" "taper" in the tip of the nose starting 3" back. Maybe I should call that rocker? That transitions into the side to side roll a couple inches back as well. The trick in not pearling is to get on to the side rails at the right moment. ...

I have been riding finless piapo and surf mats for a few years now. In most conditions I can control either to go where I want to go. However, in some conditions I felt like some combination of my skill level and finless craft design was a constraint .. I am thinking of very late takeoffs in heavy o...

You have to say what's true .. Our age, apitude, and experience have to be considered when designing or selecting a ride du jur. I am 61 with the usual set of issues and spend more time in an office than in the surf. I love the feel of finless surf mats and wood paipo but each present challenges as ...

Not all foam body boards are the same. Here are some examples of custom boards that have very interesting features. Rails starting as diamond in the front transitioning to round to down at the tail - its thin .. 2 1/4' X 21 X 42. He uses some kind of plate rather than rods for strength.. http://www....

Just noticed that Xylem boards are on sale .. http://www.xylemsurfboards.com/default.html, I really enjoyed the Preacher model in Costa Rica.

I posted the link more to discuss the idea of a sectional board then the specifics of a beater. However, I tried one a couple years ago .. it felt to bulky for paipo objectives. I am not sure that the sectional approach would hold up under stress but the idea of running rods inside of tubes does mak...

Here is food for thought on the question of how to make boards more travel thrifty .. A board the breaks down into sections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAD0Gt-V82U

yes, I have been in situations where I immediately deflated the mat to avoid getting hammered... its extra effort but works. Do you ride mat?

It was in fact a great 1st world problem to have. Its a bit hard to sort through because of the changing conditions and my own evolution. However, the actual differences seem to play out as expected. I really love the natural experience of riding a mat... and there is nothing like the speed you get ...

Here is the guys in Costa Rica.

I do not have one for sale .. my brother is looking to see if his original one might be somewhere down there in the caverns. If he still has it we expect that it will have some real interesting skegs glassed on.

I happened across a a body board / skim board sale for a model my brother and I rode in the mid sixties. The board measures 20 1/8 x 31 5/8. The board had removable skegs. see http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Surf-Board-Bon-Aire-Skimboard-Bellyboard-/261258870922. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u...

I appreciate all the comments. I have been on the verge of getting a Xylem board for over a year .. its time to try it for my self. I mostly ride E-coast but get to take some trips. I have an Austin 52" and ride 4GF surf mats. To my own surprise (big guy, small mat, mostly small waves) I mostly...