A short meditation seems to help things for me in the water.
Before the sun even was up I had three good long reelers on Klaus.
Sun came out and I switched to the Andrini and I'm convinced that it's a better board for such a soft wave(Thicker). Also came accross this on the Liddle web site.
Some Thoughts On "HULLS"
June 20, 2007
Hull discussion:
A Surfer's Journal article a few months ago generated a huge interest and response to my website.
There were many inquiries into the "hull" style of surfboard, a misnomer to me as the original "hull" designs that my surfboard evolved from were much more extreme in the bottom configuration, length, and many other design elements.
The first boards we built after the extreme Greenough concept were indeed difficult to ride and needed the right kind of power to make them "go". I did always have theideal waves available to me, particularly during the Southern California summers,
To accommodate the conditions, the boards increased in length, width, the rocker was modified, and the "hull" was softened, particularly in the front entry portion of the board. This enabled us to trim more forward and plane out in waves with very little power, particularly the small "cobblestone' point surf available.
There were certainly days when the full on forward hull designs would work to their potential and some of those days have been documented, but the huge percentage of waves available were not ideal.
I in particular only surfed Malibu, Little Dume ( with rare success), California Street, Pitas Point, Rincon and Cojo on the Hollister Ranch. Well, this is a rare group of not perfect but very good lined up right point break or point breaks like waves that have a continuity in the way the wave is shaped, where the power exists, when there is power at all and in the average size of waves.
The boards that I like to call "modified transitional displacement hulls" evolved to ride these waves. I understand that there are surf spots through the planet that have elements of these waves and these designs will certainly work at some level at those breaks.
It is these wave where the "point break" outline on the website evolved. This was the shape I rode, the last ones in California being in the 7' range. I had many other customers who developed their own unique template of this style of board over the years to adapt to the waves they preferred or had access to. So there were literally a hundred different outline, shorter, longer, wider, narrower, thinner, thicker etc.
My boards were sometime stringerless to give the ride more feeling in very small waist to head high surf, the typical size of a "swell" in the Southern California area. Not till I visited Hawaii in 1989 and had to adapt the design to the local condtions did I have a board that excelled in larger California surf. The hawaii plan shape was a result of that visit.
Others customers surfed beach break, short pocket reef breaks, surfed backside etc. Templates were developed for these different approaches with subtle changes in rocker and bottom contour. The outlines on my website show only a few of these designs that became somewhat popular during the era and covered more range of surf than the "point breaker".
I am now seeing feedback, particularly on the Swaylocks forum website (http://swaylocks.com) of disgruntled surfers who have tried some versions of these designs and do not like the ride.
This was very true during their development in the early 1970"s. Individuals often tried the wrong outline at the wrong spot with the wrong expectations and gave up on the design, going back to the flat bottom, low railed, tail fin anchored "thrusters" etc that could be pivoted off the tail and maneuver at will.
To each his own of course but my complaint is that they do not understand that these boards are not for the onlooker. It is not meant to be a visual experience, it is for the "feel" of these board. Not that visual observation of the ride cannot be enjoyed. To me it is quite beautiful the way they "fit" to the wave and become part of it.
This of course is not mainstream and it never has been. During the 1970' through the 1980"s only about 10% of the boards I made were these designs. I made everything within reason and some not so reasonable. Some have turned up and are in the photo section of this website.
Surfing has become very diverse over the last several years with interest in longboards of all sizes, the fish design etc.
Just as many have found the "longboard" experience of glide and trim being very rewarding so others have found that going through the water and attaching themselves to the wave in a unique way on one of these craft is indeed rewarding.
There are many approaches to riding a wave. Many are now engaged in the stand up, paddle in hand approach and as with all approaches it can be dreadful in the wrong hands with the wrong attitude.
With this in mind, before you pursue this design, give some thought to what you want from the experience and the waves that you will be riding. Talk to others that have some experience with these boards and don't jump into one because there was an article in a surfing publication.
An extreme and perfect example is the request I received after the article in SJ from a surfer on Lake Michigan. Without offending the individual who in fact sent photos of some very short interval, peaky surf, I explained that it would not be an appropriate design for his area. I cannot think of a worse approach.
Aloha! Greg
