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What causes a board to bounce in the chop?

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:44 pm
by hugoc
You can feel the nose in the direction that you're riding bouncing as opposed to cutting through the chop.

Is it the rail shape?
Rocker?
Flex?

Which is the most important and how is the problem solved. The board is narrow and long which I thought would have eliminated the problem - 138 X 34.

Thanks :bye:

Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:51 am
by Halomon
Shit mon. that's a tough question. So many factors combine to make a board work good or bad. None of my boards, homemade and production boards I ride have ever flexed that much. One way to stiffen the board up would be to add another layer of fiberglass to the top, and/or bottom of the board. If you did this it would also add weight which might not be desireable. I like a board that can somehow cut through chop with out throwing a ton of water up into my eyes. Annoys the shit out of me!!! If you find a board that rides chop good, let us all know!!!

Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:11 am
by noody
Ok, lets start by using sailing dinghys as an example. A terrific Sea-boat but poor in chop is the International Fireball. This boat is flat almost, with a flat front, when you sail through the sea you have to cope with the chop and it slows you down.

Now look at a dinghy with a straight stem that cuts through the chop like a knife. Both vessels have their moment and I found the flat stem works well in inshore waters waves.

Just the same with boards though no one has built a board with a straight stem, how weird would that be ?

Try working on increasing your skills, if the chop frequency is not to small you can actually build-up a technique of, 'bare-away then harden-up' so each portion of chop is cut by the edge of your board rather than giving it a slap.

I very rarely ride in chop but when I did I used this method to reasonable effect. My hips are bolloxxxxed so I really do have to work on a method if I have chop underneath me.

Try it, slice the buggers into two. :D

Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:31 pm
by hugoc
Halomon wrote:If you find a board that rides chop good, let us all know!!!
Don't get me wrong here, the board is still by far better than any production board I've ridden in the chop and it does cut through the chop but I'm trying to make it even better :thumb:

I really heavy chop it does start to bounce a bit more, but maybe it's not possible to make it much better. What I have found though is that the narrow and longer boards with more flex at the tips and stiffer in the center perform much better in the chop.

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:39 pm
by Halomon
Where I ride, when the wind is 25mph and more, there is always plenty of chop. We ride in chop on a regular basis. Personally I have found that longer boards[135s and above], and boards with juicy rocker seem to negotiate chop well. I ride an Airush X-Pact 122 sometimes and this board plows chop but throws tons of water in my eyes. My feeling is that the next production board I buy will be 135 or bigger with double concave.

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:51 pm
by Guam Bomb
I agree that with a longer board above 122 works out nice in the chop,i have been rideing boards 122 115 in chop seem a bit bouncy and get some spray in your eyes.flexible board works out good as well :thumb: