New Paipo Mania board

[jbw4600]

I got my latest board back from the glasser the other day. I decided to have someone glass this one. It is 47 1/2" x 21 1/2" x 1 5/8" epoxy on eps foam. After I test it out as is, I am going to put either a 3/16 or 5/16 pad on it depending on the feel of the float. I brought wide point a little and narrowed the board and tail as compared my last 47 1/2" board. I hotwired the blank. My last short board was a little heavy so the glasser suggested that we go with one layer of 6 oz on the bottom and a layer 4oz and a layer of 6oz on the top. It is very light and seems pretty strong. I added the carbon fiber, because the board is pretty thin with no stringer and the glass schedule is lighter.

I won't be able to test it out awhile, because I got a bad ear infection after swimming in a river. After this one I am building a longer one about 4' 9" for a longboard break. I can hardly wait!!!!

[soulglider]

Really really nice looking shape!

[Uncle Grumpy]

That looks like fun.

[nomastomas]

Well-thought-out shape. Looks to be very fast. What size fins are you using?

[SJB]

Beautiful board.....but I still swear by Nomas TB design wider in the back and narrower at the nose. I find it offers extra body supoort for lift and increased ease for pivoting the board back and forth and up and down the wave face. Different strokes for different folks.

[krusher74]

lots of interesting things going on here compared to the boards I ride.

Wide point very forward, I'm wondering how putting the rail pivot point far forward and the the fin pivot point way back interacts with each other, I guess it kinda like a longboard.

I have been playing around with aku shaper lately, a quick model of you board came out at a rough 21L, low volume but a large planing area.

6 bottom and 6+4 is considered as heavy a glassing schedule as you would get on a PU short board, is it epoxy glassed?

After riding a 1" thick wood paipo lately it seems planing area might do more than added volume. it all very confusing!

anyway nice looking board, looking forward to seeing how it goes.

[Pes78]

Really good looking board I would like to give that a go sometime. I was doing my first few boards the same width and thickness as my kneeboards and stand up boards. I think it all depends on what you want when your surfing. Do you want to be on top of the water or more in the water? Planing area is a important part of the overall design of a board. When I first tried a low volume board I was having my doubts but I think for me its worked out.

[jbw4600]

In stand up surfing people refer to "front footed" surfers and "back footed" surfers. I would say that I use the front of the board for driving the board etc. I designed this board for a steep and somewhat unforgiving break I ride. I have found that having more width and foam towards the front makes handling steep drops and bottom turns better. (I always to seem get into waves late, usually against my wishes.) I think, for me, boards with wider point further back are better for more lined up waves that aren't as steep. My last "short" board has the wide point even further forward and has a wider tail--- very similar to a bodyboard. I based it of my favorite bodyboard. That board handles great. It was just little too heavy, thick and wide. Anyway we will see

[bgreen]

In stand up surfing people refer to "front footed" surfers and "back footed" surfers. I would say that I use the front of the board for driving the board etc. I designed this board for a steep and somewhat unforgiving break I ride. I have found that having more width and foam towards the front makes handling steep drops and bottom turns better.

Interesting you say that - most of my recent boards have had an S type profile, with very little thickness in the nose area. My latest board is a bit different. Still not a lot of volume in the nose area but the tail area has been scooped out like modified spoon/shoe. The shaper had wanted to make a spoon but I decided to leave some foam there.
I've been communicating with a long time Santa Barbara bellyboard rider, who rides something that looks like a shoe but more streamlined.

Bob

[nomastomas]

IMO, thin, narrow nose is easiest to duck-dive. Thin tail helps to keep the board horizontal when dropping in, and keeps the rear rail thin for better turns. The S-shape foil keeps thickness where it does the most good. More of a slipper than a shoe...

[jbw4600]

I keep most of my foam right about where my chest lies on the board. I ride all the way on front. What I really meant to say is that for my style of riding I like to more width further forward on steeper waves, because that is where I am coming down on the initial bottom turn. Again it all depends on your style of riding (front footed or back footed). I don't like a lot of thickness or width in the back, because I find it hinders top turns on steep waves and high up under the curl in steep waves. I feel a lot of push back. But I like some thickness in the tali, because it helps getting into waves easier and helps in slow sections. Also the tail is about where your hips sit and so that is a significant amount of weight. I am 6 feet 210lbs.

I agree thinner noses are easier to duck dive, but the are always trade offs. [img]

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[soulglider]

Again, nice job! From what I can tell, the board is thin enough to duck dive easily, especially since you/me are in the men's sizes

Beautiful!
Tim