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The shorty: 60cm micro board

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Jyoder
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The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby Jyoder » Sat Nov 17, 2018 1:20 am

I threw this together this week to experiment with. 60cm x 38cm. XPS foam from Home Depot and 3x 4oz glass top and bottom. 22mm carbon fiber tube I had from a bar project epoxied in middle. Weighs 1.0 kg. Cost maybe $30 plus time.

Took some time to figure out how to water start- basically have to angle board just right and pop up instantly onto the foil. Much harder than my normal 145x42cm plywood board. I was on 5.5m BRM Cloud mostly decently powered.

Once up, I immediately got speed wobbles like on a skate longboard. Even when I got foot position balance correctly it still felt tiring on the legs, as the tiny ultra light board meant I felt every bump and twitch of chop and water texture. After an hour struggling like I was learning to foil all over again it started to click and I could relax and not strain so much. The wobbles stopped and I started playing in the 2-3 foot rolling swell. I could turn tighter and maneuver the board in ways I haven’t on my big heavy board. It was eye opening! Gybing carves on the swell was very fun. They say the foilboard doesn’t matter once you’re up but it definitely does. My regular plywood board weighs almost 5 kg. This micro board is 5 times lighter and more than 2x shorter with so much less swing weight and inertia to overcome.
However, the maneuverability has its drawbacks, as normally I can do flying footswitch to either side 80% success on my regular board. On the micro I couldn’t come close to 1. The board is so twitchy and jumpy when I unweight with the kite.

I’ll probably train on it a while then go back, or build something in between. It’s a fun experiment for now, though frustrating at times. Might have to add a strap or two like Horst Sergio’s micro boards.

Jesse
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TomW
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby TomW » Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:41 pm

I was using home built 135*47 board, 3,5 kgs for a season. Then a 120*47, 3,2 kg this season. Big difference! (strapless on 120, foothooks on 135.)
Going to make a 110*47 and move mast back 50mm. Make more banana rocker.. I think it will be perfect.
Foil is moses 633 on 93cm fluente mast.

Try making a 110-115, banana rocker.

Jyoder
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby Jyoder » Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:17 am

I’ve tried a few pocket boards with banana rocker and didn’t like it. I don’t like the feeling of my front foot higher than my back.

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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:46 am

Jyoder wrote:
Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:17 am
I’ve tried a few pocket boards with banana rocker and didn’t like it. I don’t like the feeling of my front foot higher than my back.

So true, this is why I don't like micro boards eother, as you get your front foot higher if trimmed for okay starts even if flat and for sure if banana, so your front froot is always bent, at least more bent than your rear, feels wrong...

It is fun though, just for DOING it, love that :naughty:

A pocket board with loads of scoop (nose rocker only) will give you a pleasant stance and good board behavior on the water, while still being small - best of both worlds in my experience :thumb:

8) PF

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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby junebug » Sun Nov 18, 2018 2:12 pm

Jyoder wrote:
Sat Nov 17, 2018 1:20 am
I threw this together this week to experiment with. 60cm x 38cm. XPS foam from Home Depot and 3x 4oz glass top and bottom. 22mm carbon fiber tube I had from a bar project epoxied in middle. Weighs 1.0 kg. Cost maybe $30 plus time.

Took some time to figure out how to water start- basically have to angle board just right and pop up instantly onto the foil. Much harder than my normal 145x42cm plywood board. I was on 5.5m BRM Cloud mostly decently powered.

Once up, I immediately got speed wobbles like on a skate longboard. Even when I got foot position balance correctly it still felt tiring on the legs, as the tiny ultra light board meant I felt every bump and twitch of chop and water texture. After an hour struggling like I was learning to foil all over again it started to click and I could relax and not strain so much. The wobbles stopped and I started playing in the 2-3 foot rolling swell. I could turn tighter and maneuver the board in ways I haven’t on my big heavy board. It was eye opening! Gybing carves on the swell was very fun. They say the foilboard doesn’t matter once you’re up but it definitely does. My regular plywood board weighs almost 5 kg. This micro board is 5 times lighter and more than 2x shorter with so much less swing weight and inertia to overcome.
However, the maneuverability has its drawbacks, as normally I can do flying footswitch to either side 80% success on my regular board. On the micro I couldn’t come close to 1. The board is so twitchy and jumpy when I unweight with the kite.

I’ll probably train on it a while then go back, or build something in between. It’s a fun experiment for now, though frustrating at times. Might have to add a strap or two like Horst Sergio’s micro boards.

Jesse
Where did you find the deck pad?

Jyoder
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby Jyoder » Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:09 pm

$12 kids play mat (Eva foam) from eBay plus a can of DAP contact cement.

TomW
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby TomW » Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:16 pm

Jyoder wrote:
Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:17 am
I’ve tried a few pocket boards with banana rocker and didn’t like it. I don’t like the feeling of my front foot higher than my back.
Interesting, I'll have to think about that. Pocket board for me is 100-120cm.
A way around it is to make deck flatter longitudinal and have most of rocker on the bottom form. This would make the board thick in the middle.
When I say banana rocker, I mean front half of board, tail will still have only 25-30 tail rocker.

But you guys got me thinking deeper. My current board 120 cm has more traditional rocker. It works really good. Thinking of making 110, but by cutting 5cm from tail and 5cm from nose. So rocker might be only slightly modified. Going for flat deck ( not concave) and simpler spoon bottom with moderate bevels.
Here is my stance, on downwind or reaching, my front foot is further forward. Looks like I have a lot of nose...The rocker looks banana here but it's not, that is lens distortion.
_20181118_171556.JPG
_20181118_171513.JPG
_20181118_171926.JPG

Jyoder
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby Jyoder » Sun Nov 18, 2018 6:09 pm

Vs Big and flat.
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TomW
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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby TomW » Sun Nov 18, 2018 6:51 pm

Jyoder,

Get another piece of xps 50mmx 60cm x120cm cut the outline, and kerf the deck to add some rocker. Glue the kerfs. Then shape it out to eliminate the flats from the kerfs. Proceed like you did before or add 3-4 layers 200-250g UniD carbon, 170mm wide each side in center, then glass. add grippy surface with epoxy and grip additive ( yacht stuff) or do the peel ply trick. Saves weight if the deck pad. Bet you get a 110cm board down to 2,5 kg..

You can buy 1m of 250 g UniD, 1m wide and cut it into 6 -8 strips. Easycomposites.co.uk.
USA has better sources I bet. Recommend glassing blank with 1 layer glass first to stabilise. Then you can vacuum bag the CF with big vacuum bag from bedding store and vacuum cleaner. Hard to get the CF to laminate flat without vacuum.

I use surfboard blanks, but xps is quick and cheap way to do it.

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Re: The shorty: 60cm micro board

Postby grigorib » Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:41 pm

My stance width measured on the outside of the feet is about 30” (76cm) so I’d say 32” board is the smallest I’d be able to ride comfortably without having to narrow my stance
Last edited by grigorib on Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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