Sup shape

[GRVN]

There are a lot of features that folks add to boards to "reduce weight" that actually increase weight. Like the pickle fork or manta nose. It seems like the cutout would reduce weight, but actually there's quite a bit more glass, and the tight turns generally hold resin. Same thing is true for concave sections. I REALLY good glasser can eliminate the extra glass and resin that accumulates on the inside edge, but any normal builder will wind up with more weight than flat. Neither that nor the extra water it holds on takeoff are the real reasons I don't like them. Number one is getting gutted sliding over the rail to get back on the board. We all know dugouts can crack your ribs and relocate your spleen just getting into them. Then there's the irritation of sliding your foot to the rail and hitting a stop.

Of course I'm beating a dead horse since Burchas has already shot it, but ...

This is very true I have tried to explain this to people when they would want channels in my boards. I can glass them but they always add weight mostly bc its impossible to do a thin hotcoat

[jondrums]

But then again, maybe I'm reading your post all wrong, and talking about something completely different than you are...

No, I think you read it exactly right.  I totally see what you're saying about keeping the deck parallel to the fuse, and I can see how some would really like that way of thinking.  I'm not in agreement, but that's OK!   There is another consideration - the way the Kalama board side profile is angled puts a bit more volume in the back of the board, which is also good for moving the balance point rear.  That's a pretty big issue with a lot of SUPs that the ideal paddling point is 8-12" forward of the ideal balance point when on foil.  So there is a lot of weight shift (and foot placement movement) when going from in the water to out of the water. 

[PonoBill]

But then again, maybe I'm reading your post all wrong, and talking about something completely different than you are...

No, I think you read it exactly right.  I totally see what you're saying about keeping the deck parallel to the fuse, and I can see how some would really like that way of thinking.  I'm not in agreement, but that's OK!   There is another consideration - the way the Kalama board side profile is angled puts a bit more volume in the back of the board, which is also good for moving the balance point rear.  That's a pretty big issue with a lot of SUPs that the ideal paddling point is 8-12" forward of the ideal balance point when on foil.  So there is a lot of weight shift (and foot placement movement) when going from in the water to out of the water.

Too true. When I'm paddling hard to catch a marginal wave I tend to leap forward to get a better angle and weight shift. But once you catch it you have to get both feet back to foiling position--a shitty time to be shuffling around. Thank goodness it's leaping forward to catch the wave instead of leaping back. That wouldn't turn out well.

[Jacko]

On the concave deck side we at ONE do some foil boards with quite a deep concave in the deck and for 99% off the time this is no worries at all. I really like it for DW foiling and never find i have water on the deck as i pump up when going for bumps and for me our concave deck boards are the easiest we have found to get up in DW conditions, the only time i might get water on the deck is catching a broken wave where all the water pushes hard forward and this might take a quick pump to get rid off it all. I do like the feel through to the foil that it seems to give and how it feels that little more direct, for me i really like the concave but we are also working on a few different concepts that run a flatter deck for different styles of riding.