The Simmons inspired SUP progression... Where do we go from here?

[VonR]

SL,

You are right about single concave boards being fast, but a bit sticky rail to rail. Looking at all the SUPS in my garage, only one has a single concave bottom. It's a fun board, but definitely a niche board.

[PonoBill]

I was looking at my board this morning thinking that the nose is almost always out of the water, so what good is it. Funny to read the same thing here. I need to do something to speed up my turns. Maybe become a bit more skilled?? Nah. Maybe a radio controlled surf rudder?

[Fishman]

Some of this sounds like the Infinity Phoenix version 4. Snub nose asymmetrical tail. (Infinity's blog spot only shows a picture of it as a blank)

I like the idea of a snub like nose on the sim-sup or any wide boards. I was thinking a nose with a standard flat rocker on the outer edge's, going to more rocker toward the center.
So from the top of the nose would be doomed like with a more drastic concave from the bottom, like the top half of a manta ray's mouth.    
Maybe cutting 5-7" off the board, like a inverted nose  

[sup_surf_giant]

Leper,

I ordered up a 6'11x31-32x4.75 with assym tail. 

May have been a dumb decision. We'll see!

[jd]

sup_surf_giant,

I tried a 7'8" , 119L that was a demo (don't quote me on exact dimensions).  I'm about your size 6'4" 225-230ish.  I had a pretty tough time on it, though my small board at the moment is 9'0" x 32 x 4.5 (150ishL) and I know you are riding boards closer in volume to the 7'8".  I only spent about an hour with it.  More time and I probably could have gotten it working, but when I was standing on it, the board was completely submerged several inches, probably at or below my ankles.

I was having to do the Colas surf stance method just to be standing on it.  I think about 130L would be about right for the board "for me" to have sufficient float to be able to push back a little when standing on it.

[Beasho]

Personally this all frustrates me a bit:  Harken back to Phazers, Bonzers, Asymetricals, hydrofoils . .. Why can't this stuff settle on a 'better' overall design.

That said I was surfing (SUP) with Jeff Clark yesterday.  It was a reef break, felt a bit gutless in the 4 - 5 foot range.  He was on a tiny little thing.  I eventually asked and it was 8'.  Rounded nose, looked like a SimSup inspired thing.  He always surfs his own designs.  I asked how it works in bigger waves he said 'first day on it.'

Given he is ~ 5'10", 195+ this was a small board for him but he was tearing it up, doing floaters getting all sorts of speed down the line while I felt like I couldn't get past 1st gear on my PSH Hull Ripper.  So I acted like a good toddler and just took notes.  

I have learned better than ask if this was like a SimSup, typical response would be 'What?  Those guys don't surf! . . . .'  But imitation is the purest form of flattery.

I am just waiting for the Kenalu of board design to come along.  Buy %&&*$$% and be happy for the next 5+ years.

PS:  I heard Jeff was experimenting with handles on his boards, SUP's and big wave guns.  I showed him the handle on my board and said what do you think?  He said 'Oh yeah I put a handle on the nose.'  Why I asked?  He just stared at me for an uncomfortably long time, considering we were both bobbing on SUP's in a line up, and says . . . 'Because I like the nose!'

 

[Beasho]

PSS:  That long nose comes in handy on big lumpy waves.  I think COLAs was referring to this, but when you are dropping and there happens to be a mogul half way down the wave that Pinocchio nose is the only thing that is going to get you over it.  

This usually starts to happen with longer period swell, ~9ft+, suffering from wind hangover.  If your local break doesn't get this often then chop off the nose and put a smiley face on it.

[sup_surf_giant]

sup_surf_giant,

I tried a 7'8" , 119L that was a demo (don't quote me on exact dimensions).  I'm about your size 6'4" 225-230ish.  I had a pretty tough time on it, though my small board at the moment is 9'0" x 32 x 4.5 (150ishL) and I know you are riding boards closer in volume to the 7'8".  I only spent about an hour with it.  More time and I probably could have gotten it working, but when I was standing on it, the board was completely submerged several inches, probably at or below my ankles.

I was having to do the Colas surf stance method just to be standing on it.  I think about 130L would be about right for the board "for me" to have sufficient float to be able to push back a little when standing on it.

My 7'11 is 113liters.  I asked for this 6'11 to be about 130liters. Not sure if it will be possible. Might have to go longer to make it work.

[PitchnRoll]

sup_surf_giant,

I tried a 7'8" , 119L that was a demo (don't quote me on exact dimensions).  I'm about your size 6'4" 225-230ish.  I had a pretty tough time on it, though my small board at the moment is 9'0" x 32 x 4.5 (150ishL) and I know you are riding boards closer in volume to the 7'8".  I only spent about an hour with it.  More time and I probably could have gotten it working, but when I was standing on it, the board was completely submerged several inches, probably at or below my ankles.

I was having to do the Colas surf stance method just to be standing on it.  I think about 130L would be about right for the board "for me" to have sufficient float to be able to push back a little when standing on it.

My 7'11 is 113liters.  I asked for this 6'11 to be about 130liters. Not sure if it will be possible. Might have to go longer to make it work.

As you know, the minimum volume in order to stand on a board is determined by your body mass in kilograms expressed in liters. For example, if you were 180 lbs (81.6 kilos), you would completely submerge an 80 liter board. Standing on it while not planing would be almost impossible. I am about 180 lbs, and at one time I sailed an 80 liter windsurfer. Standing on it in the lulls was like trying to balance on a slab of plywood. At 225 lbs, neutral buoyancy is 102 liters, and 119 L might be a challenge.

[jd]

sup_surf_giant,

My 7'11 is 113liters.  I asked for this 6'11 to be about 130liters. Not sure if it will be possible. Might have to go longer to make it work.

Or you are going to have to add quite a bit of thickness and/or width.  6'11 will be a bar a soap for you.  More power to you if you can pull it off.  These boards are small wave destroyers so I don't think extra volume is going to hurt you.-

[JeanG]

sup_surf_giant,

I tried a 7'8" , 119L that was a demo (don't quote me on exact dimensions).  I'm about your size 6'4" 225-230ish.  I had a pretty tough time on it, though my small board at the moment is 9'0" x 32 x 4.5 (150ishL) and I know you are riding boards closer in volume to the 7'8".  I only spent about an hour with it.  More time and I probably could have gotten it working, but when I was standing on it, the board was completely submerged several inches, probably at or below my ankles.

I was having to do the Colas surf stance method just to be standing on it.  I think about 130L would be about right for the board "for me" to have sufficient float to be able to push back a little when standing on it.

My 7'11 is 113liters.  I asked for this 6'11 to be about 130liters. Not sure if it will be possible. Might have to go longer to make it work.

As you know, the minimum volume in order to stand on a board is determined by your body mass in kilograms expressed in liters. For example, if you were 180 lbs (81.6 kilos), you would completely submerge an 80 liter board. Standing on it while not planing would be almost impossible. I am about 180 lbs, and at one time I sailed an 80 liter windsurfer. Standing on it in the lulls was like trying to balance on a slab of plywood. At 225 lbs, neutral buoyancy is 102 liters, and 119 L might be a challenge.

Also add 10kg for the board/paddle/rubber.

[Ucycle]

sup_surf_giant,
my 6'8 work pretty well for most under head height wave, granted im a bit less than you(175).  I usually lineup with the shortboarders, so I usually dont have any advantage over any longboarder or SUPer.  But the drop-in on a wave that is peaky is ultra fun, pure acceleration.  Like what Cola wrote on another post, similar to catching a wave on a shortboard. I think you will enjoy it as long there isnt any other longboarder cause it going be payback time .

[sup_surf_giant]

sup_surf_giant,
my 6'8 work pretty well for most under head height wave, granted im a bit less than you(175).  I usually lineup with the shortboarders, so I usually dont have any advantage over any longboarder or SUPer.  But the drop-in on a wave that is peaky is ultra fun, pure acceleration.  Like what Cola wrote on another post, similar to catching a wave on a shortboard. I think you will enjoy it as long there isnt any other longboarder cause it going be payback time .

Good to know....that's really not any different than my 7'11 or 8'5 for that matter. My 9'6 was a competitor though...surfed like a longboard though. Ugh.

[XLR8]

PSS:  That long nose comes in handy on big lumpy waves.  I think COLAs was referring to this, but when you are dropping and there happens to be a mogul half way down the wave that Pinocchio nose is the only thing that is going to get you over it.  

This usually starts to happen with longer period swell, ~9ft+, suffering from wind hangover.  If your local break doesn't get this often then chop off the nose and put a smiley face on it.

Im sorry, I'm not catching on to when the nose handle is being used and why on the nose...is this after a wipeout or as you are going up over the peak, coming down and hanging on?  Thanks.

[PitchnRoll]

Has anybody had any success with a handle on the nose for turtling a SUP while paddling out through whitewater? It seems like a soft handle on the nose could be held with both hands, with the paddle handle locked in between. However maybe this is just a recipe for injuring your hands in really big waves.