Author Topic: Lighter is faster- real world test results  (Read 24869 times)

AirJunky

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Re: Lighter is faster- real world test results
« Reply #60 on: November 17, 2010, 12:52:18 PM »
Roto moulded is the extreme, but the interest is there. Also, 30 pounds in this test can represent a bag of gear, which helps tell us how much slower we can expect to be with a loaded board.

No kidding. I haven't even mentioned anything about paddling with my 75 lb dog on board.
If 5 -15 lbs is the norm, then I have to be off the deep end.
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Bill

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Lighter is faster- real world test results
« Reply #61 on: November 17, 2010, 04:24:39 PM »
I got some nice, clean waves this morning on the North Shore, dawn patrolling with a friend.  Just wanted to share some more thoughts regarding dynamic vs static weight. 
There is often a point during early takeoffs when you are stuck at the top of a wave, trying to drop in but not quite on the face yet.  If you have a light board, you can often kick it out in front of you and down onto the face by quickly moving back and then take the drop with your feet in position for the bottom turn. 
When you are dropping into bumps on downwinders you can do the same thing and make it into a bump that you would otherwise miss.
This is an exmple of using the dynamic weight of your body to move the static weight of the board.
In this situation, the ratio of static weight to dynamic weight is important. 
If you are a 200 pound rider on a 20 pound board it will be easy to kick the board forward because the momentum of your body weight is 10 times that of the board, so by making a small shift back, the board will shoot forward.  If a 100 lbs rider tries to kick  the same 20 lbs board forward it will only move half as much relative to the body.  My conclusion is that the ratio of rider weight to board weight is important.  It's also an example why losing 10 pounds of body weight will not have the same effect as losing 10 lbs of board weight.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

Pierre

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Re: Lighter is faster- real world test results
« Reply #62 on: November 24, 2010, 03:53:05 AM »
I did not see if anyone considered the buoyancy factor in this topic. a race board is like a boat and its hull is designed for a displacement which will give the good immersion, the proper immersed length, etc... overloading it will immerse transom, hull, increase wetted surface etc and will give extra drag. ... resulting to slower speed.
a  board and rider which is within its designated water lines should perform well. if you reduce weight of board by few pounds and increase wight ot rider the same, the board will be more handy and the gain of speed will be felt if the rider is more powerful only.
If the board is heavier and the rider lighter, the theoretical max speed will remain the same, there will be a little more stability ( the global center of gravity is lowered ), the board will make a similar speed assuming a similar powerful rider , but it will be more difficult to speed up ( ie catching a bump on a downwind trip or starting up a race) . The board will have also more inertia, wich is an advantage in some situations such as upwind run ( reduced pitching and pounding).

But whatever weight of board, if a too heavy rider paddles on it and the transom is immersed, nose dives in water etc, the advantage of a superlight board is bullss$$$t

We can say a lighter board is generally an advantage, but we do not have to worry about a couple of pounds: a good rider on a heavy board will still perform wel, a bad rider on a superight board will not take any advantage

I've been happy when I won a 7 mile race on my 42 pound plywood 14 footer... I'm not sure that 5 pound less shoud have been doing a difference.
\HF/- Hi-Fun Hydroworks / custom boards,BZH, since 1982  /  *Link Removed*

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Lighter is faster- real world test results
« Reply #63 on: November 24, 2010, 09:04:42 PM »
A good summary, Pierre, I agree with what you wrote.
I think an important point is that the rider weight needs to be matched to a design that is tuned to work best at that load.  A board that works great for a heavy paddler might not work well for a lighter paddler who will float higher in the water, resulting in a different water entry and exit (and vice versa).  The board weight needs to be factored into the equation.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

 


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