Wegener Albacore

[Nels]

The finless Albacore, as made by Global Surf Industries...

http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboard ... bacore.php

Anybody tried one?

Nels

[Uncle Grumpy]

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[Nels]

Aaahhh...okay, anybody ripped off the design and made one and tried it? Or tried a handmade one in Oz?

[bgreen]

Nels,

Tom had a little to say about these boards in his interview. I've never seen one in the surf, I've seen a couple in shops (including one in Ireland). I think they are primarily made to be ridden standing up.

Unlce G - they are pop-outs, but I don't think they are a serious threat to an exisiitng market/local shapers. I don't know any other shaper making a board like this. Tom is still making wood boards - the surfie is the latest model. If I bought one, would I be supporting a local shaper? He lives not too far from me. Ironically, I'm getting a board off Malcolm Campbell - a shaper local to you, but continents away from me.

Regards

Bob

[Uncle Grumpy]

Aaahhh...okay, anybody ripped off the design and made one and tried it? Or tried a handmade one in Oz?

I started riding the alaia style boards several years ago after having several 'net and face to face chats with Tom Wegener and it really changed my life.They fit well with my wave riding desires (going fast) and the local surf. For 90% of So Cal waves they work VERY well. Easy to make too........

I'm just very much old school and don't care a bit for the proliferation of "mass produced by non-surfers" surf gear.
And yes Bob, buying a board from Tom directly would be much better for Tom, certainly your local economy and very probably yourself as well.......

My boards are wood, some solid, some ply.

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[rodndtube]

Nels,

Unlce G - they are pop-outs, but I don't think they are a serious threat to an exisiitng market/local shapers. I don't know any other shaper making a board like this. Tom is still making wood boards - the surfie is the latest model. If I bought one, would I be supporting a local shaper? He lives not too far from me. Ironically, I'm getting a board off Malcolm Campbell - a shaper local to you, but continents away from me.

Regards

Bob

Orange County is a world away from Ventura County and Santa Barbara County and the region immediate north... NOT LOCAL to Southern Calif. in most USA minds, esp. in Calif.

[Uncle Grumpy]

Pau.

[Cuttlefish]

I have ridden one.
Had a great time on it in ankle snappers.
Then rode it in 3-4' waves.
Got out of the water and noticed it had creased in a few places across the bottom.
Took it back.
Told Tom about it and he was suprised it had happened as this is the 3rd generation foam albacore.
I'm 92 kgs and was on the 5'6".
Stood up on it some but mostly just rode it prone.
It had very good speed and held well on the face.
I enjoyed a board i didn't need flippers to paddle into waves.
Haven't tried a surfie but cut down an alaia to 45"s to ride prone.
Prefer my 4'2" fibreglass bellyboard for its paddleability.

[soulglider]

invasion complete. the kneeboard site is officially lame if youre over here droppin the flipper (fin) kg stuff. theres no place la kukarachas wont invade. i'm out and gone.

[Cuttlefish]

Austa ((australian spelling) la vista Soulglider!
You have no inkling of my aquatic skills so passing judgement could be somewhat premature.
Apparently the Kukarrachi have taken over...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ykyWOR ... r_embedded
Passive/agressive censorship of the freedom of thought and sharing of experience is counter productive to a free flowing discussion forum.

[mrmike]

amen

[bgreen]

I struggle with foreign languages, but looks my grasp of English is also failing.

Uncle G responds with a "pau" (the only pau I've heard of is a town in southern France?) and Soulglider is talking about la kukarachas (which google struggled with) to make a point I didn't get. Is this a US lingo thing or am I getting dim?

Cuttlefish, are you riding your bellyboard much? How are you finding it?

Bob

[rodndtube]

I struggle with foreign languages, but looks my grasp of English is also failing.

Uncle G responds with a "pau" (the only pau I've heard of is a town in southern France?) and Soulglider is talking about la kukarachas (which google struggled with) to make a point I didn't get. Is this a US lingo thing or am I getting dim?

Cuttlefish, are you riding your bellyboard much? How are you finding it?

Bob

Pau is Hawaiian for "all done, the end, completed." Often used as a closing remark such as ol' Bugs Bunny used to say, "That's all, folks!"
http://wehewehe.org/gsdl2.85/cgi-bin/hd ... f=1&fqf=ED

I struggled to interpret the meaning of the next reply. Maybe it was as a poster on alt.surfing used to say, "a tangentiation?" Flippers, KGs (kilograms?), a kneeboard site (KSUSA?).

As always the forum is ideal for expressing one's thoughts and opinions on what that person has an experience baseline. What is so often difficult to express in a few words, each time, is one's style, the types of waves they ride and experience base. And what keeps them stoked or what that little piece that is missing or they want to improve upon. As with swim fins, what is good for one person may not be good for another person but is always great to provide context (do you have a wide foot, a high arch, weak ankles but strong legs....).

[Cuttlefish]

I struggle with foreign languages, but looks my grasp of English is also failing.

Uncle G responds with a "pau" (the only pau I've heard of is a town in southern France?) and Soulglider is talking about la kukarachas (which google struggled with) to make a point I didn't get. Is this a US lingo thing or am I getting dim?

Cuttlefish, are you riding your bellyboard much? How are you finding it?

Bob

Hi Bob,
I took it to Weir's at Maroochydore as I wanted to have them refine the rails on it for more bite/hold on steeper drops and faces.
Found it was difficult to set a rail dropping down the face on steeper waves without using large keels.
The rail has a chine and so figured it was releasing too much water.
After conversations with Brian and his son decided to smooth out the chine a little and also add some plugs in front of the existing plugs (along the rail) so I can put in some bonzer side runners in a twinzer configuration.
That's the first step.
If that doesn't get the desired hold then next step will be to alter the rail shape.
It's been there a couple of months now.
This week is perfect for it so hopefully I can have them finish it for a go out or two.

The reason I mentioned flippers (fins) in relation to the Wegener is because I wanted those reading my post know it wasn't necessary to ride the 5'6" with them, which I found good as I could ride it prone or standing as I felt without the flippers(fins) getting in the way.
Ultimately I'd like to have a prone board that I can ride without flippers (fins) that arm paddles just as well as a regular surfboard so I have better paddling speed around crowded line ups I often encounter and also for when there's a lot of water moving around.

[bgreen]

Hello CF,

Poisitioning can also have a bit to do with holding a line on steep faces. Huie from Swaylocks made me a board, which tracked too much. It was based on a Greenough planshape and more like a short surfboard. I ended up getting a set of plugs put further back (which made turning way easier) and he added a hard rail edge in the tail area. With both modifications the board went a lot better. It also has a significant concave, which has been great for hollow waves.

My shoulders are pretty stuffed from years of paddling, so I don't mind kicking along, though fins are just something else to carry and if you lose them it is a problem, especially on a trip. I can see the advantage of a board that could be ridden with/without fins/flippers. When Queenslanders talk about sweeps, most people don't appreciate they can be a real torrent. Less float is another way to deal with crowds, sit more in the impact zone and pick up the odds and ends. i plan to check out Moffats a bit more, it can be a greta wave for a paipo.

Bob

[krusher74]

Bit ate to this thread, but I "ripped off" the concave to V in the rear of the albacore/tuna/alaia's of wegner on my 3"8 SDF boards (see other threads) works very well for me. I would never have a board that length though, never turn it prone.