Repost from a friend on FB: "What are your opinions on prone board volume for small waves? I’m 180lbs, learned on the Armstrong 4’11” at 38L and HS1550. Really like the board but starting to get doubles and triples and looking for something a bit shorter for more pump... but also don’t want to give up any ability to paddle onto small waves. A shorter board with more volume seems like the logical choice but I’m interested to hear feedback on what the “cost” is for more volume? Has anyone out there had a short board they felt had too much volume? I’m curious why we don’t see more boards in the 4’- 4’6” range with 45L+ "
Curious what the hive-mind on here thinks. I just made a 5' wingboard, with 5.5" thick, it has enough volume to float me for knee starts (maybe 70L), but once riding it feels like my surf foil. So can a similar principle apply in a surf foil board? If you had a 4' board but made it 4" thick, would you get paddle-ability of a 5' board but the responsiveness of a smaller board? Or do you end up with a franken-board that does well at neither? I am sure there's tradeoffs where marginal benefit decreases....e.g. if twice the thickness is twice as good, 5x the thickness won't be 5x as good, as a foot thick board won't work. ;-)
Thoughts?
Curious what the hive-mind on here thinks. I just made a 5' wingboard, with 5.5" thick, it has enough volume to float me for knee starts (maybe 70L), but once riding it feels like my surf foil. So can a similar principle apply in a surf foil board? If you had a 4' board but made it 4" thick, would you get paddle-ability of a 5' board but the responsiveness of a smaller board? Or do you end up with a franken-board that does well at neither? I am sure there's tradeoffs where marginal benefit decreases....e.g. if twice the thickness is twice as good, 5x the thickness won't be 5x as good, as a foot thick board won't work. ;-)
Thoughts?