9/2/05

Waikiki crowds suck! I went out to bowls at 5:30a.m. , it was still dark, and there was already 8 guys on the peak. Rediculous! I need to stick to surfing at night.
Ala Moana Bowls.

Big lefts and rights was kind of working, although it was so inconsistant with a big crowd, I didn't find it worth my time.

9/1/05

The bottom-nose of my board has a "double barrel vee". As you can see, it is concave on either side of the center of the board. This helps create lift by forming an air pocket underneath the board. Also the center of the board is lower than either rail (vee), allowing the board to tilt to either side. Jim says this is good for surfers who turn off of there front foot.
The bottom-center of my board is "double concave". I imagine this is good because it is where my chest rests when paddling. I guess the "air pockets" help float the board while paddling and riding, making it faster and having less drag.

The tail of my board is single concave. Jim says this is good because normally while riding the face of a wave only one edge of the tail will be in the water. Therefore, the single concave helps grab the wave and hold the board in the water. Also, when making a turn, the water can easily flow from one rail to the other without having to cross over any bumps. So if the tail was double concave, the water would have to flow from one rail, then over the center of the board, then to the other rail. Apparently that has too much drag. Again, the concave of the tail helps create an air pocket to provide more lift.
It is hard to tell that the bottom of the board isn't flat without a straight edge across it. I simply asked Jim to make me a high performance short board for waves 5 feet (hawaiian) and under. I never imagined that a surfboard could be so complicated. Jim and I discussed in detail all the different aspects of this board. He shapes his boards this way due to years of practice, trial and error, and tradition. He was taught by his friend Dick Brewer in the 80's, and still uses templates from the 60's, when Dick Brewer originally started shaping boards for the North Shore.

My new board. 6' 6.5"long x 20 7/8"wide x 2 3/4"thick. Dick Brewer board, shaped by Jim Yarbrough. The fish was Jim's idea-the board wouldn't be the same without it. It has a domed deck to allow for thickness in the middle and responsive rails (narrow). The bottom has a "double barrel vee" in the nose. Meaning it is concave on both sides of the center, but the center sits lower in the water than the rails. The mid section is double concave and the tail is single concave. I rode it today at Diamond Head (see pics below). The waves were kind of week, but the board had no trouble keeping the speed through turns. It is super fast and responsive. So far so good, I am really impressed. I can't wait to see how it does in bigger waves.
I would like to live up there.
Click on any of the pictures on this blog to get a larger view. Then you can click on the picture again in the new window to zoom in on it.