Mini Paipos

What works and what doesn't. Share design ideas, references and contacts for paipo board builders.
Mercury
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Mini Paipos

#1

Unread post by Mercury »

Hi everyone, I just stumbled upon this forum in the last few days so am really excited to see some great paipo enthusiast contributing.

I have been on a varied surfing journey riding a wide variety of craft, in more recent times I have been focusing my energy on bodysurfing and construction of handplanes about a year ago I made what I call a mini paipo which is somewhere between a hand plane and a paipo. After having an absolute blast I have since made a few more and varying the dimensions a little. The two shown in the photo are prototypes one is 24" long and the other 20" and both are around 15 1/2" wide with hard edges and deep double concaves. I will post a couple more photos when I get a chance.
protos.jpg
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If there are any Paipo enthusiast here located on or close to the Gold Coast (Australia) reach out as I know a couple of folk who would be keen to catch up for a session.

cheers
Mercury
kage
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Re: Mini Paipos

#2

Unread post by kage »

Greetings Mercury!
nice looking boards I'd like to see the bottoms.
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#3

Unread post by Mercury »

HI Kage

the photo at the bottom is from one of the more recent ones I have built, I am also in the middle of completing a channel bottom.
glassing channel.jpg
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channel.jpg
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bottom.jpg
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Papa Paepo o
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Re: Mini Paipos

#4

Unread post by Papa Paepo o »

Awesome Mercury Mini's.... would like to see them in some epic surf sessions...
Keep up the good work..... mahalo
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#5

Unread post by Mercury »

Here is the view created on one of the prototypes recently, the sand through first point at Noosa has been phenomenal
views.jpg
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and looking back for riding position, as I mentioned in my first post these boards are somewhere between "riding" a board and bodysurfing with a handplane
riding paipo.jpg
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bgreen
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Re: Mini Paipos

#6

Unread post by bgreen »

Gday Mercury,

I live in Brisbane and usually surf south of the border but with the exception of a few brief windows, haven't made it down that way much in the last couple of years. I grew up on the Gold Coast but rarely surf there. I've been rediscovering the Sunshine Coast and am heading up there for a few days on Sunday.

Global Ernie who occasionally posts here is making a shorter paipo, I just can't recall the length offhand. One photo was about the length of two duckfeet fins.

I'm happy to catch up for a surf but usually steer clear of crowds.

Send me a pm or my email is above the BOAC poster on this site: http://home.brisnet.com.au/~bgreen/bgpage/

Bob
kage
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Re: Mini Paipos

#7

Unread post by kage »

Dang. That is a lot of channels. And a lot of craftsmanship I suspect. Could you say anything about how you arrived at this particular design? Riding characteristics, previous shapes, stuff like that?
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zensuni
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Re: Mini Paipos

#8

Unread post by zensuni »

Nice kickboards !
I like these little planks, simple but efficient.
I usually ride plywood kickboards but yours seem more evolved.
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#9

Unread post by Mercury »

@bgreen: it would be good to catch up at some stage I sometimes hook up with a bunch of bodysurfers at Narrowneck and we usually find a peak or two to share, a couple of them also ride bellybaord/paipos. They are a group known as Goldiesliders on instagram and have fortnightly meet ups.

@Kage: I based these designs on the handplanes I have been making for the past few years, basically pretty paralell rails and deep concaves and hard edges. The prototypes dimensions were scaled up to fit my arm length, so I could ride with a hand on the nose but I have found the two hands on the deck to be better position for me. The channel bottom idea is more or less the same as a concaves but may have a bit more edge hold on the channels (I cant wait to try it out).

I have been messing about with some other concepts and sizes as well and will post on those as they develop. If you are on instagram and interested you can find me at @hg_mercurysurf

(disclaimer: I am not a commercial operation though I do make small numbers of customs for people who are keen and can wait for extended lead times as I do this in my very limited spare time).

This is a photo of the deck of the channel bottom board with a fresh filler coat from the weekend:
channel deck filler.jpg
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bgreen
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Re: Mini Paipos

#10

Unread post by bgreen »

Gday M,

I had a fun bank to myself up the sunny coast this morning. I used to go to the spit a bit about 10-12 years but crowds just took the fun out of it.

I'll look at instagram when i get home in a day or so. I need to find my password, its not something iI ook at much.
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#11

Unread post by Mercury »

I dropped in to my parents place over the weekend and grabbed a couple of photos of a Paulownia paipo I made my mum about 9 years ago. I got the blank from Geoff Moase (RIP) of Dovetail surfboards (an absolutely elite craftsman) and shaped and it up, i refurbished it a bit a couple of years ago with a bit of sanding and re-oiling.
wood 2.jpg
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wood 2.jpg
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Attachments
wood  bottom 2.jpg
wood bottom 2.jpg (112.33 KiB) Viewed 75644 times
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#12

Unread post by Mercury »

I finally got some time to finish off the latest three mini paipos
three decks.jpg
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three noses.jpg
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One Channel bottom for me 25" x 15 1/2"
checker deck.jpg
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channels.jpg
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A custom for a keen fringe (surfmatt, bodysurf, paipo) surfer 24"x15 1/2"
pink.jpg
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pink bottom.jpg
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and a spare that is up for grabs 20" x 15 1/5"
orange deck.jpg
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orange bottom.jpg
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bgreen
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Re: Mini Paipos

#13

Unread post by bgreen »

It will be interesting to hear what difference the bottoms make on this style of board, especially given your riding position isn't on the board as such.
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#14

Unread post by Mercury »

This is another one I have been working on with some small Bonzer runners added, this one is EPS and Epoxy with a flax deck and some carbon
eps and flax.jpg
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filler coat.jpg
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fins and bottom.jpg
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with a couple of handplanes I was also glassing
paipo and handplanes.jpg
paipo and handplanes.jpg (72.55 KiB) Viewed 75305 times
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zensuni
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Re: Mini Paipos

#15

Unread post by zensuni »

Wow, Nice boards :)
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#16

Unread post by Mercury »

I was fortunate enough to go and try out the surflake facility in Central Queensland recently and rode my original orange mini paipo it was a great experience and really proved the design concept works well
surflake.jpg
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bgreen
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Re: Mini Paipos

#17

Unread post by bgreen »

So how was it swimming into them? Looks to be a peaky wave.
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Uncle Grumpy
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Re: Mini Paipos

#18

Unread post by Uncle Grumpy »

Of all the wave machine's around, that one looks the most fun to me.
Looks like you took full advantage. 8-)
Paipo surfer in repose,
Nose on the nose,
No grunting he-man pose.
See how fast he goes!
What is it he knows?
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#19

Unread post by Mercury »

HI Bob, It was just like catching a normal wave really, the marshals gave a bit of advice on where to sit in relation to the plunger.
Mercury
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Re: Mini Paipos

#20

Unread post by Mercury »

here are a couple more I have been working on

The yellow and red mini paipo has a narrower tail and bevelled/chined bottom rails, the checker and flame board is a prize for an upcoming bodysurfing contest (the decal artwork is by Allan Wrath not me).
fire paipo 2.jpg
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fire paipo.jpg
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CW paipo 2.jpg
CW paipo 2.jpg (96.11 KiB) Viewed 72166 times
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