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[geoffreylevens]

Mild parabolic 4' X 7" X 14 3/8" X 13 7/8" pod. Full length 3/8" deep concave. Made from 2 1' X 8" cedar boards. Just straight passes down the center w/ 7" grinding pad and 3" grinding pad. Blended w/ 7" sanding pad. Pretty much 100% shaped w/ grinder/sander and a bit of hand block sand paper. Parabolic looks bigger in third photo due to foreshortening.

Could be a few weeks before I can get to the coast to test fly it... I will report when it happens

Total weight after 3 coats Helmsman Spar Urethane is 5 lbs. Will add a bit when I put on the deck traction.

[mrmike]

very very nice. I love cedar
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[geoffreylevens]

Western Red #2 grade. Only cost $20 for what was called a 10' 1" X 8" but was really more like 12'. After buying discovered a place in town that sells "Incense Cedar" #2 grade (don't know what that is in terms of comparing wood quality) but it is 1" X 12" boards (actual dimensions!) for $3/foot, any length...

[bgreen]

Geoffrey,

I've never tried a varnish finish. How necessary is the deck traction?

Bob

[geoffreylevens]

I dont' know! I never have either but Mike varnishes and puts traction pad or some such on all his boards so I just sort of figured. Not necessarily the short path to "reality" but there ya are.

Old story about the guy who asked his mother why she always cut the end couple inches off a roast before putting it in the pan to cook. Her answer was that she did it because her mother always did it so she was sure it was important. So he asked "grandma" and you guessed it, same answer from her. Fortunately great grandma was alive to tell him the reason she did it... Her biggest roasting pan was always a bit too small.

[bgreen]

Geoffrey,

My approach would be see if you can do without it. If not, then add it. I'd find out how it floats before I added extra weight. Go granny.

Bob

[geoffreylevens]

I've had plywood boards and imagine this will be comparable? I live so far from the ocean that every go-out counts big time and it is many many months between so likely I will do some sort of bath tub test for traction and maybe even flotation. Takes me about 8+ hours at 90 mph (literally) to get to the beach. Have to rent motel room, spend a day or 2 or three. Not much of a way to do modifications and tests that way.

[mrmike]

I say take a bar of wax with you just in case you can alway take it off with some paint thiner
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[geoffreylevens]

[mrmike]

varnish is a little slippery when wet I sometimes put the traction stuff on in strips like a series of invered V works better then one piece

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[geoffreylevens]

Yes, every edge of the traction tape is an extra traction point, more friction

[Nels]

RE: Traction

I used Minwax Polyurethane on all my wood rides and never added anything for traction, including on my traditional paipo and mini paipos. I never felt I needed it while in the water either. But those were of a different size and shape from the boards you guys are riding...that said, I think I'd do like Mike and Bob suggest and wax a bit where you think you might need traction and carry a bit of wax to fill in on spots where you may find it helpful.

When I was first starting to surf my local shop (Morey-Pope) was still offering a product called I think "Slip Check", some kind of spray-on traction. The word was it was like spray-on sandpaper - hard on bodies. As wetsuits were just past infancy I would imagine there was an issue there too. The product faded but the lesson remained. Tom Morey is affiliated in some way with a replacement product called "El Grippo" of which I have heard nothing.

Morey is also the guy who wrote a Surfer Tip about using clear silicone seal to repair dings...I have thought about using a bit of that thinly spread as a soft, removeable traction aid in key areas if necessary.

Modern traction pads leave me cold as I generally don't fly off waves and the sad nature of seeing a surfboard on Craigslist covered with them makes me cringe in embarassment. But I do tihnk of them when I see long skinny prone boards.

[geoffreylevens]

Yo Nels! Did a quick google on surfboard spray on traction and a bunch of them showed up, one even endorsed by G. Lopez sold for windsurfing. Pricey though, in the $20 per can range. And yeah, I think spray on sandpaper is pretty good description. I had a Peck Penetrator w/ slipcheck on the nose and it was about like 100 grit that never wore down. Great to stand on but hell on a face plant. I totally agree about those surfboard pads esp the ones w/ the big wad at the back for extra leverage in breaking the fins out and/or doing an ollie. Just what we need, more ollies

[geoffreylevens]

Just been checking the SoCal surf conditions and prognostications and it does like kinda grim! Considering the time/$/energy it takes me I think I am going to wait several weeks, maybe into August to go out to San Diego and test the buggah. No point burning up the highway and getting skunked...

[mrmike]

If you come down to san diego in august give me or poobah a call maybe we can get togather for a surf maybe get tim ( soulglider) to also come along
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