Foot to tail width...does size matter?

[jettylocal]

As I have size 8 feet, should I be looking into a much narrower tail on my shortboard? Dimensions: 5'11" x 18.5" x 2.375" (tail 14.5). My friend was tripping on how wide the tail of my board is and indeed, if he was riding my board his toes would be squarely over one fin with his heel over the other. If I place my board on the ground and put my foot between the fins, there are a good few inches between my foot and both fins. This surely must have some effect on performance. Any ideas from shapers or others with small feet?

 

[LeeD]

Absolutely a concern.
I have big feet, size 11 for 150lbs., so rail to rail surfing at high speed is easy.
But being a shaper in the ole daze, lots of surfers complained about wider tailed boards being hard to set the rail, and also hard to go quickly rail to rail. Happens most have smaller feet.
But then it also depends on speed and power of the waves you are surfing, for your weight. If you are riding slower waves, the resistance from rail to rail is less, so you can ride the wide tails, like yours.
Once you start riding really fast moving waves, which makes your boardspeeds increase, you will find narrower tails, as narrow as 10", the best on mid 7' boards for overhead surf.
Just a fact of life, and another cross to bear.

 

[pickles]

I'm sure the leverage difference will change your ability to control the rail-to-rail pitch, but I doubt you'd want to give up the speed of the tail width you have now to accomodate that. More likely you'd want to add a little more V with concave in the tail to make it tip over easier, or maybe use a wing or bump to make the end of the tail narrower while keeping the width at 12" up.

But I bet by now you're used to it and you're surfing just fine ... you probably just have a more ham-footed style than most ... used to applying more pressure on your toes and heel.

 

[LeeD]

True dat...
I find surfers who have small feet are also stronger and thicker built.
Guys with bigger feet can be thinner and weaker, but still go rail to rail easily.
Cross's to bear, you gotta work with what God gave you..

 

[jettylocal]

But then it also depends on speed and power of the waves you are surfing, for your weight. If you are riding slower waves, the resistance from rail to rail is less, so you can ride the wide tails, like yours.
Once you start riding really fast moving waves, which makes your boardspeeds increase, you will find narrower tails, as narrow as 10", the best on mid 7' boards for overhead surf.

I have definitely noticed that. I surf North San Diego County the majority of the time and the waves are pretty slopey around here. When I take the same board up to a quick wave like Newport the board seems sketchy and like it wants to run from the pocket.

 

[jettylocal]

I'm sure the leverage difference will change your ability to control the rail-to-rail pitch, but I doubt you'd want to give up the speed of the tail width you have now to accomodate that. More likely you'd want to add a little more V with concave in the tail to make it tip over easier, or maybe use a wing or bump to make the end of the tail narrower while keeping the width at 12" up.

But I bet by now you're used to it and you're surfing just fine ... you probably just have a more ham-footed style than most ... used to applying more pressure on your toes and heel.

Ham-footed style? That doesn't sound too good.

Thanks for the tip on the wing/bump. Back in the 80s I rode a bunch of double wings (but still pretty wide) and I'm pretty sure the end of the tail was a bit narrower than I'm riding now. Thanks for the V tip also.

I am a bit out of sorts because my shaper of the last 20 years recently retired and I've been trying to figure out what to get next so I appreciate the posts here. Thank you.

 

[pickles]

I always say I feel like a hamfoot when I got from longboard to shortboard. You get used to applying all that pressure on your toes, then if you go to a board wants to be ridden more subtley, you feel like your feet are half hams.

Not a bad thing at all in your case ...