Designing a board for Ragboy

[Surfdad]

Oh haterssssss? - kiss my shiny white butt! Worked like a charm! Well, at least the theory part, pops up almost instantly, doesn't require more than about 2-3 MPH before it planes. Sinks easy out in the water. It's under-finned and could use a little more nose rocker, but the concept works fine and it will easily get Robert on the surface. Let's see if I can do the YouTube video this time!

[Surfdad]

So, traditional theory would say - bigger/thicker more float to get a big guy up. I'm sure that works fine once the big guy is up, but it's the getting up on the board that is the problem. Actually, in this situation, it's about wetted surface area. Foam, just wouldn't work in this circumstance. With the plywood, which has no traped air, it sinks easily - in fact Dennis had to wait for the board to come back up to his feet. Once it's up against the riders feet, it was easy to manipulate underwater...however, you had to be in the middle of the board as it's so long that if you were at one end, the other end would start to float away.

[ragboy]

I can't wait, that is really going to help. I can deep water start on the "door", but I can't get all the way up. But its very difficult to hold your balance with such a floaty board down there. And then it doesn't have enough surface area, so when I start to get up, it yanks my arms out.

Can't wait, thank you so much, going to be fun. Do you think inland will start a new FatBoy division?

[Surfdad]

LOL - I'll check with the Inland folks.

Dennis worked out the deep water start on this thing, so he'll get you wired on it when he sees you. Dennis and I were talking and agreed that the hardest part is getting you on the surface after that - you'll just be a typical newb, so figure you'll be surfing after a day. I'm sure with Dennis' instruction, you'll be free surfing the first time out.

You are most welcome Robert, enjoy the sport and I want to see a HUGE picture of you with that first rope toss!

[sagmanaur]

Maybe I am missing something, but where is all the Hatred coming from? I haven't seen any posts, or is it on another site somewhere? Can't we just all get along and enjoy the ride?

Surf=Peace

[petrey10]

its on WW not TO... WW are a bunch of whiners I called someone a dork and that person blew up on me...

[jbort]

that looks great! Nice work. A new category is created; "super big boy board" or "whole family board". Perhaps u can have a naming contest?!?!?!

[LovinPowell]

When will Ragboy be trying it out?

I can hardly wait.

[Surfdad]

Dennis has it with him as I type this and should be taking it up to Robert's place this weekend. I'm sure that with Dennis' expert instruction Robert will be on the surface of the water. Dennis also has a few other ideas for getting Robert on a foamie, so I'm sure one way or another we'll see Robert ropeless in short order.

I like the idea of the neutral bouyancy for Robert so that he gets his surf legs, after he has that worked out, he'll be able to migrate from boardzilla here to a foamie of some kind.

Although I have to wonder if there isn't a application for this to assist not only big guys, but also perhaps folks with lower body injuries - bad knees or the like or maybe torn rotator cuffs that can't pull them self's up on smaller boards or perhaps we can think about shaping from a neutrally bouyant material for those folks. I don't really know for sure, but it feels like the ease of planing and neutral bouyancy of this shape might have some applicability to other folks, as well.

I'm looking forward to the report back from Robert and Dennis.

[NICKYPOO]

I'm excited to see the progress on this program. I really want to get my homey, "Ballast Boy" surfing. At 6'1" 285 the only thing he's been able to ride is a tube.

[Surfdad]

"Ballast boy" that's funny. I think there is more of a demand for this sort of thing than we realize. We've always used an old Wooden Trick Boardz to get kids used to getting up because the neutral bouyancy took one element of the "getting up" process off the table, they can just push down and they are in position. I think a board that could be easily started from a "deep water start" position would get the "ballast boys" into the sport.

I was emailing Dennis of TWP and sent him a link to sign boards - super high density polyu around 10 to 20 pounds PCF. Toss in a few stringers and glue 'em back together and I think you have the recipe for this sort of board. Then they can be machined and laminated as normal and normal fin boxes installed.

I'm waiting for GOOD NEWS from Lake Oroville!

[petrey10]

so did he do it or what?

[Timmy!]

Yep! He did it! He got up and rode the board! He has another thread around here with video.

[ragboy]

Yes, I got up. But the second day, the board had warped bad, and I couldn't. So I didn't get to throw the rope in, but working on board # 2.