Facebook posts: Keith Usher

What works and what doesn't. Share design ideas, references and contacts for paipo board builders.
User avatar
bgreen
Big Wave Charger
Posts: 1394
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:17 pm
City: Brisbane
State or Province: Qld
Country: Oz
Contact:

Facebook posts: Keith Usher

#1

Unread post by bgreen »

9 May 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 646505080/
Usher9May22.jpg
Bob Green
Small, but that lips pitching.

Jarrett Liu
Awesome pictures!🤜🏽🌊🤛🏽

Damian Coase
Every wave is overhead 😁.

12 June 22

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 137130080/

interesting right arm position, elbow off the deck, and hand not holding the rail.

9 July 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 198665080/
Usher9July22.jpg
Usher9July22.jpg (59.87 KiB) Viewed 281 times
Damian Coase
Looks like a fun wave.

Bob Green
And you swapped one cold place for another.

John Dixson
I don’t do spins any tips.

Keith Usher
You need to move forward and be in the middle of the board. To start bottom turn and as you come up the face shift up the board, at you do this make a sharp turn and blow the rail loose.

Harvey McClendon
Is that a board made from foam and fiberglass, with fins? See I've been thinking of making one...

Keith Usher
finless. https://mypaipoboards.org/.../KeithUsher_2014-05.shtml
A Paipo Interview with Keith Usher

Andy Parkinson
COTM❤️

12 July 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 052150080/


Keith Usher
dimensions? It's similar to my own board I think concave inside V is the best design for these boards.




10 August 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 364365080/

my personal finding as a 25 year bodyboarder is that the bodyboard proportions make a paipo perform best. (length/width) Have them long and less wide may increase straight down-the-line speed, but hinders turning ability.

Elijah Baley
I agree. My latest paipo has the proportions of a small bodyboard, and I find it works quite good, I get the same feeling of great agility than when I used to bodyboard. I find myself making more turns.

Keith Usher
I have used my fav bodyboard as a template to build my paipos from, copying the rail curve have made them turn almost identically. There is a good reason bodyboards have been 40" to 43" for the last 50years.

5 September 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 286920080/

if its open cell foam it will soak in water like a sponge, (i see now you have sealed the tail) I think you might be surprised how functional this is over the many "small surfboard" designs that are out there, if it still has a hard edge on the rail at the tail it will slide out easily, if you can round it over slightly it will hold much better.




29 November 2022
29 November 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 935815080/

Brown

Bob Green

Looks like he has made a couple - https://browndoggsurfboards.blogspot.com No idea who tofu is. Length is more my size.

Ad said Gerringong. Click on the photo.

Harvey McClendon
Wow.... my first kneeboard was 4'6"...

Bob Green
Harvey McClendon Most of my boards are 4'6"

Harvey McClendon
so does a bodyboard size work? 44" ? I have one for small days. I get frustrated with side slipping. Thought I would make one with foam and fiberglass. And fin boxes to add small fins.

Keith Usher
my paipos are 43", with no fins. no side slipping.

Bob Green
Mine hold in fine in hollow waves, more about the design than the length as such. As always, depends on the waves you are surfing.

Terence Hogben
yes mine was hallow spoon about that length too

Harvey McClendon
mine was a 13'" square tail with a single fin. I knocked the fin off on reef. I then put twin keels on it. Then later cut a fish tail in it....

1 December 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 552610080/

Keith Usher
As you say all shapes and sizes work for differing needs, but the thing I always look to at the "performance" end as a 30year bodyboarder (6years on a paipo) is that bodyboards are ridden probably 100 fold over any other construction paipos and in their 50years of existence, with world championships and paid pro riders the size has been 40 to 43" and finless.

John Morris
by body board you mean the flexy/soft PE or PP 'boogie' board right? I've ridden them some over the years and still take one out when it gets overhead and critical. I'm committed to recreating some of the maneuvers I know from standing on a surfboard for nearly 60 years. If I had regular access to high quality waves and the ability to cover ground on a low flotation board then I would happily settle for a boogie or other 'traditional' equipment.

Keith Usher
interestingly I have modeled my bodyboards/ foam fiberglass paipos in Aku shaper, my performance board is 26L and my wider summer boogie board is 30L, the same general floatation as a stock performance stand up 5.10/6.0

John Morris
I'd like to see photos. Steve Pendarvis showed me a foam/fiberglass/bodyboard inspired shape that reportedly surfed great. I don't know the volumes of my board(s) but their contours appear to carry more foam than a 'stock performance' standing board. I don't want to hijack this Cocoa Beach meet-up post, but will say that I really appreciate the glide of my paipos in the 5 foot range.

Keith Usher
https://mypaipoboards.org/.../KeithUsher_2014-05.shtml
A Paipo Interview with Keith Usher

John Morris
Cool. I especially appreciate seeing your quote: "I have also now started to draw more "stand-up" lines on a wave with the paipo, rather than the trim central position to tend to hold on a bodyboard. This is where I hope to develop my surfing with more off-the-tops and more sweeping roundhouse cutbacks."

John Morris
I also want to commend your design sense and willingness to follow your instincts. The boards in the article appear original/unique and functional.

Keith Usher
I have sent you a PM, I can convey a few ideas I have that may help your quest.

Don Boland
Hi Keith not all of us are interested or able and may have a preference for a different style of “Performance Surfing “and may not have access to the sort of waves that are conducive to “High Performance “boogie boarding.
I can’t speak for everyone but I suspect there is a few of us who started surfing in the “Sixties “ and have a different view on “Performance “I also commend you on your dedication to progress in your design.But there is more than one way to “Skin A Cat”


8 December 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 041720080/
Usher8Dec22.jpg
Bob Green
Almost levitating. The white water trail tells you where the edge is.

John Morris
Clean

Damian Coase
The genius design by Tom Morey. All edges and flex

17 December 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 135860080/
Keith Usher
When prone your shoulder is effectively your knee. You need minimal contact of hip and elbow/forearm on the inside rail.(stomach/chest should not be on the board) Dampen bounces through shoulder.

John Morris
Thanks for that. I'm still learning, for sure. Unlike some boards with a handle, I just grab the rail(s) on my ~5' paipo and raise my upper torso up off the deck. At the moment I am focusing on bending my knee(s) strategically. I originally thought that would shorten the 'moment arm' to allow tighter radius turns. That may be true, but it's the pressure exerted on the rail/tail that seems to be more in play. I'm not sure how long a paipo you ride, but I suspect there's a range of lengths, based on one's height, where this is most effective. For me it seems to be right around 5'. My fin (quad with a nano nub) placement is pretty standard for a traditional fish.

Keith Usher
"upper torso up off the deck" is a must for shock absorption, I ride a 3ft7, but its basically a 42" bodyboard template with a 1" pointier nose.

11 January 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 696845080/
Usher11Jan23.jpg
Jarrett Liu
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽MS bravo stylish 👍🏽

Bob Green
Body up and down, weight forward and back, but his actual body doesn't seem to move from it's basic position.



27 March 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 766145080/
Keith Usher
the flatter the rocker the faster the board. I feel the rocker affects speed more than anything. No fins reduces drags significantly too.

Anastasie Georgas
thanks the . do you think bottom concave helps with speed or just leave them flat?

Keith Usher
I have a single concave in the back 3rd of the board that releases out of the tail. but bodyboards have been flat for 50 years and working just fine. less can me more. The more you add the more you can be making it not work. Start very simple and add more to new boards. It should be an evolution from simple to more complicated if needed, not start complicated and if it does not work have no idea which complicated part is wrong.


10 April 23

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 791510080/
Usher10Apr23.jpg
25 July 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 386210080/

Keith Usher
That looks nice very similar to my own design/model.

Alan Bruce
I've been doing these in various sizes for around 12 years now. They seem to go well.

Keith Usher
43"
Usher25Jul23.jpg
Usher25Jul23.jpg (4.4 KiB) Viewed 278 times
Alan Bruce
What sizes & what's going on with your bottom contours?

Keith Usher
viewtopic.php?t=250
My new SDF surfboard Paipo - MyPaipoBoards Forums

Alan Bruce
I thought it looked short from the photo.


1 August 2023

Keith Usher
https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 347700080/
Bill Wurts my bodyboards have zero tail rocker and my paipo has a 1/4" tail rocker. no problems and it makes them fast.


11 August 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 042640080/
Your shoulder is your shock absorber on a prone craft, for the same reasons that you struggle to pop up anymore, you may also, unfortunately, struggle to take the bump out of a wave. I would think being more submerged in the wave may help you to stay in contact with the face and cut through the bump, rather than be on top of the wave and every bump be a small ramp launching you off the wave. I would try surface area over flotation.

20 August 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 305420080/
viewtopic.php?t=544

26 August 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 981100080/
Usher26Aug23.jpg
Usher26Aug23.jpg (7.76 KiB) Viewed 268 times
John Morris "something less sophisticated!" They are just a basic design that's simple to make for the beach-going masses to catch some white water, as a functional design, the extreme length to width and no rail curve fight you on a clear wave face. They are fast in a straight line. I made one in bodyboard proportions and it worked much ,much better as a fully turnable board, rode it in 6ft indo waves.

(that's not me in the pic by the way, its my friend)
Last edited by bgreen on Sat Aug 31, 2024 8:52 am, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
bgreen
Big Wave Charger
Posts: 1394
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:17 pm
City: Brisbane
State or Province: Qld
Country: Oz
Contact:

Re: Facebook posts: Keith Usher

#2

Unread post by bgreen »

20 August 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 362155080/
OBrien20Aug23.jpg
Keith Usher
I have a couple of friends who have them but they rarely ride them, but no construction problems. Due to some design restrictions from the construction method they are very narrow ar the front and don't have enough forward planing surface.

26 September 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 167365080/
Usher26Sept23.jpg
28 September 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 152720080/

I feel like prone riders boards are like standup boards were pre 80's. Not enough industry to work out what really works best, but lots of people making something work for them.



2 October 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 993875080/
Usher2Oct23.jpg
Usher2Oct23.jpg (63.64 KiB) Viewed 266 times
22 December 2022

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 625395080/
Usher22Dec23.jpg
Usher22Dec23.jpg (91.05 KiB) Viewed 266 times
Jarrett Liu
Contours wow 😯, yeah’ for sure let me know of the bottom turns n 360• spin🤜🏽🌊🤛🏽

John Morris
A lotta board to ride finless

Keith Usher
I put his bother design into a 3ft7" board. the one pictured is for stand-up riding.

John Morris
Aha. I'd like to try something like that in the 45" range.

Joe Abella
New breed of Auga Boards! Nice! Aloha from Maui.

Damian Coase
Interesting looking board. Love the bottom design.

Keith Usher
bodyboards have also had a quad-channel option for about 5 years now



7 January 2024

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paipobe ... 323635080/
Usher7Jan24.jpg
Usher7Jan24.jpg (81.66 KiB) Viewed 266 times
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests