My argument makes three assumptions (ODave was looking for help in this forum - not to be bashed for asking a question): 1.) The surfboard buyer has a vast amount of surfboard design knowledge but does not shape his own surfboards (play with me here) 2.) The buyer doesn't have much money, therefore he wants to pick the right board the first time (within reason) without having to "Try putting in the years, riding different boards, and gaining the experience [himself]." (why? is that soul? dedication? or stupidity?) 3.) The buyer doesn't want to wait in line for months just to get a custom board What I think ODave was suggesting, is that it would be nice to be able to walk into a shop and have all the details of the board laid out before him. (I've been in one shop where they actually had stands and tools set out for you to dimension out any board to your hearts content, but most aren't like that.) ODave could then use his own knowledge of board design along with his personal preferences and experience with local wave shapes to decide which board would be best for him. How is that asking for too much?
so many have been frustrated by this board informatio dilemathat have gone on to write volumes explaining to the neophytes just how to understand and order a board.read a couple then write one after realizing the it simply cannot be explainedin mere words..the guys that make mass consumable boards are frustrated to tears ( hear lee crying out loud) trying to explain that FEELING is beyond words and dimensional cryptography...atlas from rand and mc Nally don't reveal the sounds and smells of the highlands of new guinea just as the guy that buys that robert August from you will ride it to levels beyond your present comprehension...in florida...by simply riding it...the clue is in your hands you dont have to be a forensic pathologist to know that if you hold M&M's in your hand long enough they will melt all over your sweaty hand try it or just sell it to the guy that will love it...ambrose...
First off, rocker is the "secret" ingredient in most shapes. A lot of manufacturers are hush about their rockers. Rocker can be misleading to someone that doesn't intimately know all aspects of surfboard design. If a board doesn't have a lot of rocker, it may have V or roll to compensate or maybe the widepoint is farther forward or farther back. If all the rocker is in the back 18 inches it will perform totally diffrent than a board with the same tail rocker measurement but with a smoother curve. Now you're measuring rocker in 5 or 6 points along the bottom. Lots of variables! Too many numbers get confusing to most surfers. Best to get a board that was simply designed for your waves and your style. Get a good shaper and trust his judgement. Hope you are all getting some waves!
>>>What I think ODave was suggesting, is that it would be nice to be able to walk into a shop and have all the details of the board laid out before him Aah, hells bells, I was going to respond nicely but I think I need to take a break. Raining again in Southern California, everybody around here is getting cranky again. So let me spit it out... If a board in a shop rack had pertinent details on it, the halfway informed buyer could read it and make some decisions. Asking the shop stooge is about as enlightening as asking a monkey at a zoo - the general attitude is if you are so freaking stupid you have to ask a salesperson anything you deserve whatever answer you get. The kicker is the halfway informed buyer might check detailed boards out, make his or her own decisions, and buy a board...without the stooge having to do any work at all. But too often the Bros and Hos behind the locked counter are so interested in their own body art or place in the local pyramid that the customer walks out and down the road until a better place is found...which is good for the better place but costs the other shop owner a sale. And face it, there are so many types of shapes and sizes out there now that nobody who isn't making or selling a variety of boards on a daily basis can really be an expert in all designs. Blah blah blah, enough from me. The small shop shaper-owner gets to bypass this scenario, but the fact is that a shop which provides the most board info will do a better business than if they don't, and the customer will be happier and better off.
My argument makes three assumptions (ODave was looking for help in this forum - not to be bashed for asking a question): 1.) The surfboard buyer has a vast amount of surfboard design knowledge but does not shape his own surfboards (play with me here) 2.) The buyer doesn't have much money, therefore he wants to pick the right board the first time (within reason) without having to "Try putting in the years, riding different boards, and gaining the experience [himself]." (why? is that soul? dedication? or stupidity?) 3.) The buyer doesn't want to wait in line for months just to get a custom board What I think ODave was suggesting, is that it would be nice to be able to walk into a shop and have all the details of the board laid out before him. (I've been in one shop where they actually had stands and tools set out for you to dimension out any board to your hearts content, but most aren't like that.) ODave could then use his own knowledge of board design along with his personal preferences and experience with local wave shapes to decide which board would be best for him. How is that asking for too much?
so many have been frustrated by this board informatio dilemathat have gone on to write volumes explaining to the neophytes just how to understand and order a board.read a couple then write one after realizing the it simply cannot be explainedin mere words..the guys that make mass consumable boards are frustrated to tears ( hear lee crying out loud) trying to explain that FEELING is beyond words and dimensional cryptography...atlas from rand and mc Nally don't reveal the sounds and smells of the highlands of new guinea just as the guy that buys that robert August from you will ride it to levels beyond your present comprehension...in florida...by simply riding it...the clue is in your hands you dont have to be a forensic pathologist to know that if you hold M&M's in your hand long enough they will melt all over your sweaty hand try it or just sell it to the guy that will love it...ambrose...
Hey Wow! And I thought I typed as I thought. So true, so true.
First off, rocker is the "secret" ingredient in most shapes. A lot of manufacturers are hush about their rockers. Rocker can be misleading to someone that doesn't intimately know all aspects of surfboard design. If a board doesn't have a lot of rocker, it may have V or roll to compensate or maybe the widepoint is farther forward or farther back. If all the rocker is in the back 18 inches it will perform totally diffrent than a board with the same tail rocker measurement but with a smoother curve. Now you're measuring rocker in 5 or 6 points along the bottom. Lots of variables! Too many numbers get confusing to most surfers. Best to get a board that was simply designed for your waves and your style. Get a good shaper and trust his judgement. Hope you are all getting some waves!
well spoken ambrose..the real truth he talks..just ride it you will learn to love it...and thats what its all about...
>>>What I think ODave was suggesting, is that it would be nice to be able to walk into a shop and have all the details of the board laid out before him Aah, hells bells, I was going to respond nicely but I think I need to take a break. Raining again in Southern California, everybody around here is getting cranky again. So let me spit it out... If a board in a shop rack had pertinent details on it, the halfway informed buyer could read it and make some decisions. Asking the shop stooge is about as enlightening as asking a monkey at a zoo - the general attitude is if you are so freaking stupid you have to ask a salesperson anything you deserve whatever answer you get. The kicker is the halfway informed buyer might check detailed boards out, make his or her own decisions, and buy a board...without the stooge having to do any work at all. But too often the Bros and Hos behind the locked counter are so interested in their own body art or place in the local pyramid that the customer walks out and down the road until a better place is found...which is good for the better place but costs the other shop owner a sale. And face it, there are so many types of shapes and sizes out there now that nobody who isn't making or selling a variety of boards on a daily basis can really be an expert in all designs. Blah blah blah, enough from me. The small shop shaper-owner gets to bypass this scenario, but the fact is that a shop which provides the most board info will do a better business than if they don't, and the customer will be happier and better off.
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