Wow, September was as lackluster as you can get – especially considering the 9th month of the year is supposed to be the peak month of the hurricane season. The latter part of September was downright dreadful. However, convergence of stalled high pressure systems to our north and low pressure systems to our south pushed consistent slugs of waves our way for most of the first half of October. The gradients between these pressure systems generated the winds and seas we needed for some much welcomed surf relief. This is a great time of year – the water temperatures are pleasant, the crowd factor in the water is low, awesome sunsets, and the waves usually aren’t that shabby either.
Back by Popular Demand – The Carl Heverly Interview (round 2)
With cold water coming our way, we were all set to discuss the why, how, and what of wetsuits in this month’s Groundswell. However, we had such a great response to last month’s Carl Heverly interview that we decided to sequester Carl here at the shop for a second round of Q & A. This time we tried to demystify the surfboard dimension vocabulary in the process. For instance, what does the following comment really mean?... That narrow board with lots of rocker and a pintail really held the wave during that last big, hollow swell we had. PS - For those who missed last month’s article, Carl is one of a handful of true old school locals, and shapes surfboards under the label CHS (Carl Heverly Shapes). So without further delay – round 2.
EI Surf Shop (EISS): Hey Carl – hope all is well. You know we throw around terms such as nose, tail, rocker, thickness, and other surfboard dimensions like it’s no one’s business. What do they really mean? Let’s discuss the nose and tail first.
Carl Heverly (CH): Actually the nose and tail measurements are 12 inches in from the actual tip of the nose and tail, respectively. So the nose dimension is the width of the board taken 12 inches down the board from the very front tip of the board – the tail dimension is the width 12 inches up from the very tail end of the board. An average nose dimension on a shortboard is roughly 11 to 12.5 inches.
EISS: How do those dimensions change the response of a board?
CH: A wider nose would make it easier to paddle because there is more foam available to displace the water, but once you’re on the wave; it inhibits maneuverability. Of course striking the right balance is always the trick. For the tail, it really depends on what type of wave is being ridden. If it’s a big wave; then you want the tail tucked in so it doesn’t catch on your bottom turns. A wider tail helps you slide up and down the wave face when it’s smaller.
EISS: We have the nose and tail – now how about the center? Is the center dimension taken at the very middle of the board or is that dimension taken at the widest part of the board even if it is a little bit above or below the very middle?
CH: It’s the half way point between the nose and tail measurement – regardless of where on the board the widest point exists. Usually the center measurement corresponds to the widest part of the board anyway, but again sometimes you want the wide point towards the nose like for a fish shape, or towards the tail so you can pull the nose dimension in a little more.
EISS: Great, so let’s discuss thickness. What is it?
CH: We go to the center measurement of the board like we just discussed and get the thickness of the board at that point, again regardless if a thicker point exists towards the nose or tail. Usually the thickest part of the board is right at that center measurement – right under your chest as you’re paddling.
EISS: So obviously thickness is not continuous throughout the board – why do you narrow the board towards the nose or the tail?
CH: With the tail, you don’t want it to be too thick or it will never bury into the water when you’re trying to turn – it will be faster down the line because it will be on top of the water. Again balance. The nose thickness is also a balance between maneuverability and speed.
EISS: Okay, now let’s discuss one of the more subtle dimensions – rocker. What is it and what does it do for a board?
CH: That’s right - the rocker is the “flip” in the nose of your board – it’s more subtle in the tail. Entry (front) rocker is important because that is where your board first makes contact with the water. So you don’t want too much nose rocker or else you’ll be plowing the water (too much drag). Too little rocker and you’ll pearl (nose dive) and your friends will laugh at you in the process (laughs).
EISS: We definitely have to discuss tail shape – let’s go through the list and the pros and cons.
CH: It depends what you are riding – on a smaller wave, you want more width in the tail to keep you on top of the water so a swallow or squash tail is the way to go. As we hinted at earlier; if the waves are big, then go with a pintail so you don’t spin out when trying to turn at faster speeds.
EISS: Any other dimensions worth noting?
CH: Not other dimensions per se, but you can make the bottom edges of your rails real sharp or soft – the transitions of the rail shape from the bottom to the top are important aspects of a board as well.
EISS: Awesome. Ok Carl, we’ve been tossing you softball questions for these interviews so now it’s time to take off the gloves for a real zinger - who is the best surfer with the Heverly last name? (laughter by both)
CH: We’ll just have to hold a contest heat to find out!
Below: Carl in his shaping room tweaking various surfboard dimensions for another satisfied customer.
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