Today we close 2022. A few significant happenings of this year for me as they come to mind…

My former partner “Blinky” being inducted into the Surfboard Builders Hall of fame. https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2022/10/

The passing of one of the big time surfboard shaper / designers the I had the pleasure of working for “Dick Brewer” https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2022/06/

I first got interested in surfing some 60 years ago. Plenty had happened in surfing before then, but at that the surfing industry was quite young…. So was I for that matter at 12 years old. We all have individuals we look up to in the surfing world and for me having years in surfing and surfboards I’m seeing a number of the individuals I looked up to sadly passing away.

Surfers Journal has a short video memorial of those that have left us this past year….

https://www.surfersjournal.com/editorial/passings-2022/ A lot of people in there and maybe a couple you might have looked up to.

I have always used Fins Unlimited fins and the “Bahne Fin Box” for decades of course. Bob Bahne is one in the video that I’d heard of passing just this month. Kemp Aaberg is listed, I didn’t know he had passed. Kemp was well known in the sixties in surfing. Seen in the early surf films and in pictures in Surfer Magazine. I didn’t know kemp but looked up to him and introduced myself to him at this event https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2007/05/book-signing.html. Then one summer day I was getting out of the water at inside point just as Kemp was coming down the stairs for a go out. Me just like a little kid seeing someone famous I had to stop him and strike up a conversation. I’ll always remember that.

Also in the video was Peter Cole. I didn’t know him but of course knew of. He was a key figure in surfing when I was growing up. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/surfing/2022/02/22/big-wave-surfer-peter-cole-dies-at-age-91

As for surfing in 2022 I’d say it was an ok year. I didn’t get in the water as much as I’d have like to. Seemed to not have enough time with the number of boards to make on my list. So, looking forward to hopefully getting more surf in this new year. We’ve been having a consistent string of swells for the past several weeks which might continue.

Also, I hope to make myself a new board. The model I call the DR Wing Nose. One of 3 boards I need in my quiver but haven’t gotten to yet.  Yeah, new boards are always good to look forward to. 

Happy New Year!

D.R.

Question…. Is making surfboards thought to be fun? Are those that make surfboards for a living thought to have the dream job?

I couldn’t say it’s the dream job or that it’s fun. The one thing it is though is hard work. And like any other kind of work you’re always best off if you like doing whatever it is. Same with surfboards because it is hard work as well as dirty, dusty, sticky, smelly and hazardous. Can’t do it sitting down either, because it’s an all day on your feet deal.

Most people that work surfboards work at contract lamination shops, unless what ever surfboard label one is working for has it’s own fully equipped production set up. Shaping, laminating, packaging, maybe even sales. For the most part each person that works in these facilities has one job. It could be shaping, laminating, setting fins or sanding, that’s all they do all day long.

By trade I’m a production shaper. Stick a surfboard blank in my shaping bay and I’d cut it into a surfboard…. All day every day. It’s hard work physically because you're on your feet and walking around the blank with power tools and hand tools until each board you work on is finished. It’s also hard work mentally because you’ve got to make all the right cuts and moves to have the board you’re shaping come out the way it’s supposed to. Making a mistake can be a real problem.

That said, each task of making surfboards is not easy and takes time to get proficient at, not to mention at least a half dozen years to get good at. Laminating, sanding, doing color work. Really doesn’t matter it all takes a developed skill. It’s repetitious and both physical work and has its challenging moments mentally.

If you’d like to work making surfboards, you may need to be particularly lucky. I know I was. I learned on my own while in high school with my own small surfboard repair business where I also made surfboards start to finish. Not many mind you but, with that I was able to learn and develop enough skills that could be used on a resume to get a job making them. After moving to Ventura where there were a couple surfboard shops, I got hired on part time at one where I shaped and did some laminating. Then I got hired shaping for the one company that could move me into a career as a shaper…. which it did. Day after day, shaping, shaping, shaping.

The nice thing about that job was after work. The foreman, the sales guy and one of the other guys that glossed and did other odds and ends stuff and I would all go surf together. That may be the fun part about making surfboards, working with people like minded about surfing. Not just working together making surfboards but surfing together too.

The memories that you get from surfing with friends that you also work with can stick with you for a lifetime. I say that because I’ve got them. Not just from that first production shaping job but all the other places I’ve work at in Ventura, Santa Barbara and on the island of Kauai.

Yeah, making surfboards is hard work But there are some benefits too.

D.R.

 

My long time friend and former business partner was inducted into the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame this month. 

Bill “Blinky” Hubina along with 6 others from various parts of the globe were inducted this year. Not many from the Ventura area are noticed in the surfboard industry, but Blinky was noticed and makes the 6 degrees of separation for me pretty close,  Blinky being the William and me being the Dennis of William Dennis Surfboards.

So I jumped at the opportunity to go to Huntington Beach for the ceremony with a few friends and see Blinky get celebrated and inducted, a very happy event. Right at the Huntington Pier where you could sit and watch the ceremony and watch the surf at the same time. The weather was nice, overcast sky and not to warm. We would have been scorched if it was sunny. There was no wind either which was nice for the surfers in the water that we could see form where we were seated.

Each inductee had a story to tell of how they got involved in surfing and making surfboards that was very interesting. How each person in their own way got interested in surfing and then making surfboards. The International Surfboard Builders HOF says that each one of the inductees are responsible for making surfing what it is today and without them there would not be surfing as we know it. As well how surfers could go to them and talk through the surfboards they were riding and work out details of how to improve and advance their abilities.

I know Blinky was happy to be a part of that. This past Sunday he threw a party at one of the local breweries to celebrate. He even had a special brew made for the event for everyone that attended… what fun. All Sunday afternoon people came to congratulate him and hang out, the guy has a lot of friends, which not only was a celebration but became a reunion. So many people from all the years gone by in attendance made for the best of times.

Blinky knew the various stages of surfboard building and pretty much got started shaping in late 1967 after we started William Dennis. Personally the guys that shaped boards through the evolution period were, or are the hard core board crafters. There are very few left and Blinky is one of them. Here is a quote of Blinky from this local paper about the surfboard evolution, “There was no one to copy, so every board was an original. I would ride it, learn from it, then sell it so I could make another one.” He’s so right on that, I’ve said pretty much the same thing somewhere in the pages of this blog. Not to discount those that started shapeing after that evolution period. When it all started we had a blank design page and had to find our way through the process.

That’s one of the reasons Blinky is deserving of being on the list of contributors to surfing at the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame.

D.R.

The crew from Ventura that attended the ceremony

L to R

Lew Morris, Wollybear, Steve Huerta, Johnny G, Blinky, Me, Stan Fuji, Malcolm Campbell

 

Congratulaion!

Bill "Blinky" Hubina

What’s the difference between surfing in the tropics and surfing at least where I am in Southern California?

Having grown up in So. Cal. and surfing around So. Cal. from 1962 ‘til now I pretty much know what the prevailing conditions are like for surf and pretty much surfed in every condition. As well know what conditions I prefer, always looking for days with surf that also have my preferred conditions.  Also living on the Island of Kauai for just shy of 10 years I’ve got a decent sample size of tropical conditions in surfing experience as well. 

The easiest condition to note would be water temperature. Here in Ventura Ca. the warmest temps sometimes reach 70 to 72…. Coldest? Mid to upper 50’s. Kauai water coldest may be low 70’s but will be low 80’s quite a bit of the time. I still remember the first time me and a friend, also from Ventura, jumped in the water at a Oahu south shore spot one August morning. We both laughed at how warm the water was compared to what we would usually get into at home. 

Prevailing condition are made or broken with wind. I’m sure it’s been motioned in other posts here that knowing what the local wind condition are can make for a fun surf or not fun at all surf. For Hawaii the prevailing winds are trades, east winds. Where as in Ventura east winds are fine for some of the spots but not the points. Ventura point, Pitas point and Rincon can get pretty junk with east winds.

On Kauai the trades are good for most spots and not for others. The nice thing about Kauai is there are spots you won’t surf in the trades, but, if the trades die down, or winds turn light variable those spots can be quite good. May not happen too often but it does happen.

I remember one day while working at Hawaiian Blades there was a day when the winds went dead calm. That after noon the call was going to the east side… maybe a 15 minuet drive from the shop to surf where you hardly ever get a chance for. Turn off the highway go down a dirt road to the beach. At the beach, the road turns and runs along the beach that you can’t see from the highway. What you do see though for a good distance is only nice peaks of clean clear water surf and very few if any other surfers.

Another memory is of a spot on the south side that will hold size very well with south swells. I only got to surf it a couple times when the trades had backed off. I was at the park there for a small get together with family one time when again wind conditions were in the dead calm category. There was a decent sized south swell in the water and a few guys were out on the reef getting towed into some pretty good ones. It wasn’t like monster winter surf but I’m sure being towed in was easier than paddling in. Then maybe the guys were getting prepared for winter and the wave there, and conditions were good for that.

Anyway, was thinking about this because I wasn’t paying attention to the local conditions yesterday so missed this morning’s surf. In Hawaii the prevailing condition are almost always good So you don’t have to pay attention so much.

The water temps are always better too.

D.R

 

 At this writing tomorrow is the first day of September, only 3 weeks ‘til the official end of summer and first day of Fall.

As is not uncommon for September in my neck of the woods is hot weather. And as it goes a decent heat wave is in the works right now. Looks to be maybe the next 5 days are going to be pretty hot. The temperature on the deck in front of the house was hovering at 90 degrees at 10:30 this morning. I won’t be able to do any resin work until this evening when temps cool to the mid 80’s.

So what’s a guy to do? If there was surf, I’d go to the beach…. too hot to work so? But currently here there really isn’t much to surf. It’s not 90+ at the beach even though I’m a 10-minute drive from the Surfers Point; temps on the beach are easily 20 degrees less than my place. When temps touch 100 where I am think 80 on the sand at the point. That’s what summer days are all about. The warm lazy days at the beach and away from the hotter days a few miles inland.

In my book hanging at the beach surfing on warm summer days is the best.  Get in some surfing, hang on the beach until you’re ready to cool down. Then go back in the water for more waves and a cool down. Get out of the water for something to eat and a cold drink. Warm up again and then paddle back out for more surf.

That’s what my son and I did on our annual camp out at Leo Carrillo. But there was a big fire what??? About 4 years ago and Leo was burned out. If I remember right the campground was fixed and open 2k19. Then Covid closed the place, so our little outing has been undone, but not the memories.

Good memories keep us coming back for more. Nobody says “I had a terrible time surfing the other day. I think I’ll go surfing to see if I can have another terrible day” Yeah like I want to get scooped up by one of those set waves I got lucky enough to get in the crowd last month during a decent swell only to get to me feet and see 3 guys right in my line that was close to impossible to work around and end up missing the wave of the day.

I ended up barely tagging one of the guys and fell. Didn’t notice until I got out of the water later that the fin that nicked the tail of the guy's board pushed the fin box into the foam and separated from the lamination. Not a good memory. Fortunately, I was able to replace the box later in the day so I could catch what was left of the swell the next morning.

The longer we surf, that is in time, months, years, the more we need the good memories to keep us coming back.

D.R.

Speaking of Leo.... Me and my son with big smiles. We had the place to ourselves.

It was a small day, but we got any and all the waves we wanted.

Just read the first few posts to my blog… maybe it’s reread the first entries from September 2006. That story of getting started in surfing how many years ago? So what am I doing right now?

Thinking about what the surf will be like tomorrow and the next few days. You see off Baja there’s a Hurricane right now in the SoCal window sending surf our way that most likely…. According to forecasts, will start filling in late today into the night.  Which means tomorrow there’s going to be surf. That makes the next question, what will it be like?

Well, we won’t know until tomorrow… dah. But that doesn’t stop us from dreaming about what could be. And reminiscing on what the last swell was like or any other summer swell for that matter. I don’t recollect any real memorable swells last summer. The one day I do remember from last summer was a not swell. A not swell is surf that just shows up unannounced.

Because we have forecasting these days, we’ve got people that spend their time looking at weather around the globe to see where the ocean storms are and calculating if any waves will be generated that would move in a favorable direction to the shore of wherever you want to surf or do surf regularly. The forecasters don’t always get it right. Sometimes the forecast is off by a day or two. Let’s say the swell shows up a little before or there is an unexpected pulse after there’s been some surf. So, when the forecast is off, or something is missed we can get a not swell.

Anyway, there was one morning last summer that the surf was supposed to be around waste high and had been for a day or two. But this one morning there were pretty consistent sets in the head high plus range, the condition where good too. And because there was no real announcement the crowd was nonexistent. That’s what made the day memorable. There was a small happy crew in the water, and I was one of them. The nice thing about living close to the ocean… sometimes you catch it! Nothing planned other than the typical surf check run seeing surf and going out.

So, a swell is on the way, and you think of other memorable swells with the ideas the coming swell will be memorable too. The other thing about forecasts is sometimes they call for a coming swell to be in the head high range. I guess you could say they are right if you see a head high wave every half hour, but the typical set has waste high waves. Then again maybe there were head high waves and consistent at that but, just not when you are in the water.

Yeah, you know when you’re talking to a friend and they say the surf was really fun in the head high plus range. And you say  “that’s an exaggeration I was there and it was about waste high and every so often maybe a head high wave would come through”. They say “What?” and ask what time you surfed, and of course you surfed in the morning and they surfed a little after noon. Which was when the tides and surf connected to dish out a bit of size and consistency that you didn’t get. Even the time of day can make a difference in surfing a new swell.

Here’s to looking forward to another new swell and the memories it may bring.

D.R.

 

It was last month I believe on the day I was writing Mays Blog entry that Dick Brewer passed away. I didn’t know it at the time and found out when I saw a posting on Surfline   https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/rip-dick-brewer-1936-2022/152995  first of this month. Earlier this year I had heard that Dick had been ill and not doing well. Very sad to know he’s past.

Dick Brewer is one of the most influential figures in surfing history and surfboard design. When I worked at Hawaiian Blades Surfboards there were times when a few of his Guns would come through to be laminated. Usually for some industry name that would seek Brewer out for a board…. I’m guessing here. What I would hear is “if you wanted a really good board for waves of consequence you would get a Brewer if you could.”   Certainly, if you’re going to surf waves that can kill you it’s best to have the board that gives you the confidence needed for the situation I’d say.

Here’s a decent timeline history of Brewers story and some of his contributions to surfing.  https://brewermorgansurfboards.com/dick-brewer

Of course, after hearing he past you become filled with memories. What I remember of Dick Brewer was an easy-going guy, unassuming and comfortable to be around. Not that I was around him much. But I did work for him all totaled probably 3 years or so. Sometimes boards were delivered to my shaping bay at Hawaiian Blades in Lihue and sometimes I’d drive out to his place on the north side and shaped boards in is bay at his house. When I’d go out to his place it was an all-day gig and I’d usually do a dozen boards or so.

It seemed he liked Formula One race cars… at least one of the days I was out at his place had finished the boards I was there to do, it was getting late in the day and was asked if I’d like something to eat. I said sure and went upstairs for a frozen dinner and Dick was focused on a Formula One race that was on TV. My stepdad liked Formula One racing too so that scene stuck.

One of the last times I spoke with him…. which was maybe 2002… He called to ask if I could come out and get some boards done for him. I was on TDI at the time for a nerve problem in my left arm. I had to turn him down because even though physically I was capable to do the work, if the insurance company knew I’d done some work while on TDI? Not so good.

Here’s a fun story about one time I went out to get some boards done for him…. https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2011/10/    the last line, for me, tells what he was like.

R.I. P.  Dick Brewer.

D.R.

Nice pic of Dick below…

 

While searching for pics of old 1960’s era wood fins today I came across an ad from Morey-Pope with Bob Cooper promoting his then new model the Blue Machine. There was a quote from the ad that caught my attention.

Cooper was really into surfing and surfboard design. It may be hard to see now days that some guy in 1967 at 29 years old had that much going on because after all the boards of that era were big. You know, what we call long boards now. Vintage, old logs, traditional long boards and the guys that rode them were?? Well didn’t know much ‘cause look at what surfboards are like now’.  

Here’s the quote…. “I’ve been totally encompassed by this sport or art or whatever and I see that the limits are not even in sight. I see that the wave is just out there happening. It’s for you for whatever you want to make of it”.  Considering when that was said I’d say it’s pretty profound. Cooper is pictured in the ad with his arm around a Blue Machine that was close to 24” wide and 9 ft. plus in length. So what was he thinking?

Back then I know what I was thinking and no doubt Cooper was thinking pretty much the same thing. Cooper went on a three month promotional trip in the fall of 1967 and I left Morey-Pope to start William Dennis surfboards with Bill “ Blinky” Hubina.

The first board I shaped at William Dennis was 8’6”.  Short for those days. By the fall of 1968… one year later I was riding a  7’6”  BTW, when Copper came back from his trip he made some boards at William Dennis and they were much shorter and different from his Blue Machine.

By the fall 0f 1969 The surfboards I shaped for Wilderness Surfboards were in the low 6 foot range. Cooper had moved to Australia by then and was most likely making boards in the 6 foot range too. That’s only 2 years after the above quote. Did he have a crystal ball and see the future? Even though those boards were not like the advanced short boards of today no one could have guessed we’d see what we saw, and rode for that matter.

When that ad went to print Cooper had been surfing for 17 years. So he got started surfing in 1950 at the age of 12. By 1967 he’d already seen some significant changes in surfboard equipment and the design changes that came along. Some of the boards that were ridden back then where long narrow hollow boxes of plywood. The balsa boards were a big improvement. Then came foam and fiber glass. 

And the shapes of the boards from the 1950’s were different from the board Cooper had under his arm in that ad. I can vouch for the Blue Machine of the day…. It was a good performance piece of equipment.  Yet he still said the limits of surfing aren’t even in sight. I’d say surfing is still evolving.

Do you think we see limits yet?   

D.R.

 

I’ve been learning how to do something that is very difficult. Its performance based, not physical, but very mental. And it’s a probability thing. Learning and then finding the greater probability of one thing happening over another.

So, I got to thinking… surfing is a probability thing too. It’s said and I think true that every wave is different. Even surf spots that produce really well-formed waves that may look perfect, every one of those waves are different one from the next.

I surf the waves at Ventura Point. Sometimes the surf can be really good there. Other times no good at all. On any given day what are the probabilities there will be good surf. Well, it depends on any weather system that’s out in the middle of the ocean. Will it get strong enough with winds blowing in the direction needed to send waves to the beach in Ventura? Then, if waves are generated what are the chances that local weather and wind conditions will be favorable when the waves generated hundreds of miles offshore reach the beach?  

With seasons changing storms generated in the Pacific Northwest are waning and storms in the South Pacific are starting to be produced.  The Southern Pacific waves take days to reach California. Because of the forecasters everyone knows when a south swell might reach Ventura. So, when one of those south swells are forecast what are the probabilities the local wind conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel will whip up and cross up the well-formed south swells that have traveled over 4 thousand miles to reach us and of course make for what could be good surf not good at all?

I’m a real nut case when it comes to south swells and local channel winds. Knowing a south swell is on the way from south of the equator with an anticipated arrival day I’ll be watching the Santa Barbara buoy readings for the wind conditions. Be totally disappointed when winds pick up in the channel a day or 2 before swell arrival days and stoked when the winds are calming down or light before swell arrival days.

So here we are, south swells are starting to show in the forecasts and I’m on the lookout for what the local winds are going to be like. Yes, I like south swells.

Back to the probabilities thing. What are the probabilities of good surf coming our way with good local conditions compared to poor local conditions? If you’re close to the surf ok, but what if you’ve got to drive even a short distance? I’ve got a receipt from a gas station from 3 weeks ago…. Price per gallon? $6.10.  If you’ve got a 20- or 30-mile round trip drive to surf and the probabilities are low that the surf will be any good, is it worth the trip to find out?

I wonder if Surfline subscriptions have increased for the very reason of gas prices and people not wanting to take a chance that the surf won’t be good enough to warrant the expense in gas? Even though having access to Surfline wave cams costs dollars, you might save money over the year by not going for a surf because you can see from the camera that the surf is junk.

I’m pretty sure the probabilities of decent surf tomorrow are low. But next week? We just don’t know for sure. We could take bets on it though.

D.R.

 

What was it like to make a surfboard some 60 years ago? Or what were surfboards like some 60 years ago?

Recently I had a conversation with a friend about one of his favorite surfboards from when he was a kid, and how he’d like another one. We old guys dream of revisiting our youth, I think.

I remember my first surfboard; it’s the one I learned to surf on. Had it for maybe 4 or 5 years but don’t remember what happened to it. I must have sold it to have the money needed to make another board. It would  be interesting to see it now, if it was in the condition it was in when I had it anyway. But what I remember is it was heavy, had a ¾ inch redwood stringer with orange panels and a wood fin.

Were those early 60’s boards any good? Well mine was great; it was what I had to surf. I could take it to the beach launch it into the water and struggle paddling through the surf zone. Then I could sit, look and then go after catching a wave and struggle to get to my feet before I fell. And after I fell go do the same thing over and over again. Totally beat after a few hours and only think about doing the same thing the next time I could go to the beach.

Yeah that board was great. Eventually overtime I learned to surf on that board. Though I’ve got to say once you get proficient at getting to your feet and can maneuver the board on the wave without falling to much you still continue to learn and develop your abilities. And do it for years. And the same thoughts about wanting and thinking about going surfing never really goes away. For me especially after not being in the water for a time.

Making one of those early sixties boards? It’s hard and fun work. As much as I know about surfboards I can’t do a reissue that’s just the same as back in the day. They may look the same but won’t be as bulky. The word is refined. Outlines the same, though the numbers are slightly different. Rockers are very close to the same. The materials?? The same. Stringers the same, fin the same. And just like the ole days, they are handcrafted.

So the Model 50 is about 10 years old now. The old board is older, but still the same. They can be dressed differently… like different colors or stringers, with our without a wood tail block etc. Fun to have to hold and to make.

The real question is if you ride one will it be all you remember? I can say this though. The other sixties reissues I do have had very happy customers even if they are guys that aren’t old enough to have had one of the originals. 

D.R. 

 

I got to writing a little about the surfboard design process I would go through I believe last February. Thinking of that, a story came to mind… about riding a new designed board for the first time.

I’ve written about test riding the board back in 2k7. But one part of the story I’ve never told here. The board? My quad long board, The PSQ.

So, the quad thing was coming on strong and I wanted to put together a quad long board. Had an outline from some long boards I made while living in Hawaii and decided it would be good. As well, what rocker line would be good. Perimeter stringers were starting to come out too. So, I thought that could be incorporated to add a different flex pattern. So, I put that into the board.

The Fins took a fair amount of time to ice down. I should say fin placement. I consulted a couple sources for input, sat with the board after it was shaped and held fins in different locations for some visual confirmation etc. I must have spent a couple weeks thinking about what would be best, came to a decision and moved forward getting the boards finished.

Then it was time to take the board to the beach for a surf. I was excited and apprehensive all at the same time. Nothing like having a new board to surf but what if I have a hard time figuring the thing out? The fins may be poorly positioned, or the stringer set up may give the board to soft a flex…. What if???

Detour…. Some time ago I made a rule for myself about surfing in foggy conditions. If I can’t see the surf from the beach because the fog is too thick, then I don’t go out. The rule came about from surfing in some pretty good-sized surf in thick fog. Fog so thick you couldn’t see the waves while sitting in the lineup… or where you thought the lineup was. Then hear braking waves you know are outside but can’t see them. Or paddling over a wave and a guy rides out of the fog and almost runs you over. You can’t see him, and he can’t see you. End detour.

So, the day I take my new quad long board to the beach for the first time it’s foggy and you can’t see the surf from the beach. My thought? Cool I’ll take the board out and if I have trouble trying to figure the board out and look like a kook…. No one will know because I can’t be seen from the beach. After all, there was a lot going on with this new board. Perimeter stringers, High density foam rails and a quad fin set up that had slightly different positioning.

The thing about that board. It worked really well right out the gate.

I was stoked!

D.R.

 

What’s with the numbers? Usually on the bottom of a surfboard? Like 7’2 x 19.5 x 2.625 and then the one that represents volume.

The volume of foam that is rapped inside fiberglass… before cnc and computers that number did not exist, and who would care? When I was a kid if you wanted to know how a board floated you, you’d take the thing out in the water sit on it with your legs dangling off the sides and look to see how far above the water your knees were. Or, when boards became short and still weren’t cut with a computer aided machine you could sit on your board and see how much water was above your waist.

Needless to say, the board I judged where the water was from my knees or waste told me only how much float I got from the surfboard.  This is fine when you want to compare how a board floats compared to another but, it tells you nothing about how the foam rapped in that fiberglass is distributed. Neither does the volume number you might see written on your surfboard.

I had a guy ask me… with concern, why of the 2 laminated and finished boards he’s just picked up from the lam shop the one 3 inches shorter than the other was heavier? These boards were in the upper 6 ft to lower 7 ft range. I mean really how can that be? One word… Volume. Yes a 6’10 can have more volume than a 7’1, if the 6’10 has a wider over all outline and is 3/8 inch thicker than the 7’1 it can calculate out with more volume. More volume means more fiberglass fabric to rap around the foam and resin to saturate that fiberglass than one with less volume. More fiberglass and resin adds weight even if the board is shorter. That tells you something if you’re interested in surfboard weight but still nothing about how the volume is distributed.

How foam volume is distributed through the length of a surfboard is pretty critical to board performance. Not just on a wave face but how it moves when paddling, including catching waves and wave entry.

You might think on a 5’11 is it possible to even know how it effects anything? Ok, what’s the performance difference in a 5’8 fish and a 5’11 tri fin? You might see similar volume between those 2 boards. Or, what about how foam distribution effects a 9’6? I’d say you may be very concerned if the 9’6 is a long board compared to a 9’10 board for heavy or big surf. You might see similar volume in those 2 boards as well.

The numbers on your surfboard give you information. It may be only for comparing the numbers you see on another board. It’s a personal thing. You have a board that you really like but want it just a bit longer or shorter but would like about the same float? Work the numbers in the computer to get a longer or shorter board with the same volume. The CNC machine will do a good job of cutting what you’d like.

But also knowing how foam volume is distributed in a boards length? That’s what will tell you how a board may respond under your feet… and weight.

D.R.

As an example...

 How foam in distributed in a Hull is quite different from other surfboards.

With its crowned "S" deck.