Calculating Volume

[njsurfer42]

yup that's basically my point. I just want to know (judging on what boards I already own) what the smallest board can float me. It takes a lot of guesswork out of a 700$ investment with an added piece of calculation.

So, according to JTS's post, if i'm 190 and interested in a shortboard, then I could go as low as a roughly 1.0 cu. ft. . All I need to do is backward calculate and get an initial number in liters and compare that to whats out there. Very cool!!!

so for example, a CI MBM+ S2 is 6'2x18.5/8x2.3/8 = .97 cu ft. If I am 190lbs and .5 cu ft = 100lbs, then this board is roughly the lowest volume shortboard i can go. I'm a fat bastiod!!!

i'm about the same size... 6'1" & 195lbs. my smallest board is 1.07 (5'10"x20"x2 5/8") & it floats me pretty well. i think i'd like it better w/ 1/2" more in width, but oh well. it works for me...i've ridden it in waves chest-head high down to thigh high.

[Danny]

easiest way. drill a hole. hollow out your surfboard. fill with water. measure how much it takes to fill. now you have your volume. and you DEFINITELY need a new surfboard. duh

[DaMook]

i'm about the same size... 6'1" & 195lbs. my smallest board is 1.07 (5'10"x20"x2 5/8") & it floats me pretty well. i think i'd like it better w/ 1/2" more in width, but oh well. it works for me...i've ridden it in waves chest-head high down to thigh high.

is that a HP shortboard?

[lbsurfer]

yup that's basically my point. I just want to know (judging on what boards I already own) what the smallest board can float me. It takes a lot of guesswork out of a 700$ investment with an added piece of calculation.

So, according to JTS's post, if i'm 190 and interested in a shortboard, then I could go as low as a roughly 1.0 cu. ft. . All I need to do is backward calculate and get an initial number in liters and compare that to whats out there. Very cool!!!

so for example, a CI MBM+ S2 is 6'2x18.5/8x2.3/8 = .97 cu ft. If I am 190lbs and .5 cu ft = 100lbs, then this board is roughly the lowest volume shortboard i can go. I'm a fat bastiod!!!

Well it all depends what you see as a board that floats you. Do you like being completely on top of the water when you sit or do you like being submerged up to your stomach?

[DaMook]

Well it all depends what you see as a board that floats you. Do you like being completely on top of the water when you sit or do you like being submerged up to your stomach?

i dont care about that. I care about paddlebility and wave entry (depending on the wave conditions)

[ukelelesurf]

Coil are EPS core epoxy vacuum laminate, but NOT AT ALL like a Surftech. No more expensive to fix than a standard poly or epoxy hand laminate. If someone is charging you more, it's because they are lying to you or don't know what they are doing. I had a small rail shatter once through the finish layer. Laminate was still water tight. Easy fix with a little epoxy and some cloth to seal up the cracks.

Quite honestly I have seen VERY few Coils in need of serious repair. Most I see spider cracks on a hit that usually would be a major ding in traditional construction or I've seen a couple snapped boards that were well used and put into heavy conditions. Coils seem to be very immune to the standard dings.

Although I think Coils are good boards, I have experienced a serious repair first hand and all I did was bang my knee off the board. I was in Mex and the wave was closing out so I popped off the back and as I popped off my knee went THROUGH the deck...it wasn't even that hard of a bang...so there I was in nowheresville Mex with a giant hole in this supposedly tough board. Bunk....I did a hack job of fixing it for the rest of the trip and then had a shaper do a full job when I got home....granted this was a very early coil made under neilson but I wasn't happy with how the board held up....I have had poly boards that could take a blow twice that hard and barely have a dent....needless to say I didnt buy another.

This is just one experience and I personally think I got a lemon but they also lost a customer. I know other cats who have these boards and love them..take that for what you will

As far as volume is concerned, I think it is only a matter of time before all reputable surf shops/shapers will have a sink tub that will solve the problem once and for all. Couldn't be that hard of a thing to make and it wouldn't have to be all that wide if you are just measuring short boards....in fact, I think I just got an idea for an invention~!~!~!

[njsurfer42]

is that a HP shortboard?

kind of a high performance stubby...CI motorboat. full nose, wide squash tail, thickness carried out to the rails...

[rDJ]

Although I think Coils are good boards, I have experienced a serious repair first hand and all I did was bang my knee off the board. I was in Mex and the wave was closing out so I popped off the back and as I popped off my knee went THROUGH the deck...it wasn't even that hard of a bang...so there I was in nowheresville Mex with a giant hole in this supposedly tough board. Bunk....I did a hack job of fixing it for the rest of the trip and then had a shaper do a full job when I got home....granted this was a very early coil made under neilson but I wasn't happy with how the board held up....I have had poly boards that could take a blow twice that hard and barely have a dent....needless to say I didnt buy another.

This is just one experience and I personally think I got a lemon but they also lost a customer. I know other cats who have these boards and love them..take that for what you will

As far as volume is concerned, I think it is only a matter of time before all reputable surf shops/shapers will have a sink tub that will solve the problem once and for all. Couldn't be that hard of a thing to make and it wouldn't have to be all that wide if you are just measuring short boards....in fact, I think I just got an idea for an invention~!~!~!

That was the first gen when they were doing boards for Neilson and WRV. I've seen some of those still around that are bright white and only minor pressure denting. They are currently on the 3rd gen now using different fibers. The guys from Coil will openly tell you their boards are NOT indestructible. Mike has said there isn't an indestructible board made that he would want to ride. I agree. Anything that strong has a dead flex and ride, *cough* Surftech *cough*. But the current Coil tech strikes the perfect balance of durabilty, ride, and price IMO. I've seen a Coil snap in person in some heavy surf, but any board would have snapped under those conditions and maybe sooner.