A board with alot of rocker pushes water like surfing moguls. For the EC low entry rocker let's me get in the pocket, rockery boards hold me up in the lip on the drop. A punchy or rockery board works best for me on choppy days. My stepups are low entry rocker either rounded pin or pin.( never squash tail, unless you're riding a quad, need super drive and don't care about chop ) My high performance board is also low entry rocker with squash, V tail, double V tail, bat tail, whatever My Fish is also flat rocker with a wider tail, whatever. Punchy rocker boards if I can recall are best for waves with sloapy faces, maybe a trestles type wave. I believe it's not wise to ride a board with alot of rocker as a quad, because the drive of a quad works against the punchy nature, water pushing way of a board with lots of rocker. ( quads and twins do work good as super small, super rockery fishes, I think because the driver meets with the punch just right) Not effective in big surf tho So the question is. Are the conditions for rocker laced boards best for a minority of conditions. For instance if you needed a go-to board, it would have low entry rocker, because a board with moderate rocker will perform in more conditions, and just as good, if not better in more conditions, where a super rockery board would excel
If rocker impacts how you surf so much (it doesn't for me), then you must really suck at surfing. Good surfers instinctively adjust to the board in hand, with little thought process. Maybe you should use inflatables, as you do with inflatable dolls....
...yes... But also know that other variables need to work with rocker... flex in particular, but also bottom contours, deck contours, rail volume... For example, when it's super dumpy and hollow, I like more rocker and more flex. For slopey-er waves I like flatter rocker and less flex.
I found Bert Berger informative and entertaining on the subject of board design (he gets into it at abut 11 minutes after discussing his shaping/business experience from his youth, although he has some interesting things about board materials/construction early on): [video]https://player.vimeo.com/video/128313738[/video] I think this is part 1 of a series of videos. Enjoy!
One of the things that Burger does not address in his video along with CFs original question is the most basic: What length? Longer mostly means flatter. May look flat but if it is thick & short it may have a lot of rocker. Numbers don't lie; Does anyone actually know what their rocker numbers are? Certainly we know length, width and volume (used to be thickness). And remember that rail rocker is not the same as stringer (center line) rocker by virtue of bottom contours (convex and concave). Some modern shorties have 1/2" + of concave which makes the center rockers seem distorted. My current faves basics: 5'6" Mini Sims 3.2N .6 @12" - .3@ 12" .6T 6" fish 3.7N .75 @ 12 - .75 @12" 1.6T 7'11" fun gun 4.7N 1.65"@12" - 1.06@12' 2.8T 9'2" 2+1 Hot rod log 4.37N 2.06@12" - 2.25@ 12" 4.25T MHO is the tail rocker is by far the most important number when rocker is concerned. Overlooked and underestimated because that is where the all the fun stuff happens. Couple of pennies, leave one and take one...
In part 2, he gets into volume, but more importantly in his opinion, is surface area: [video]https://player.vimeo.com/video/128338702[/video] It appears that all these play together .. there's another one where he talks about tail rocker (and is in agreement with your point (@gb)) in specific context to one of his board designs... I'll see if I can find it.
^^^Agreed. Typically, rocker is only talked about at the nose and tail. But it's the curve between the two that really determines how a board performs... an infinite number of points along the bottom, and along the rail. Certainly, 12" in from the ends gives you a much better picture of that curve, but my suggestion is this: If you really want to accurately reproduce a rocker (talking stringer rocker here), start at the rocker apex and cut the distance to the ends in half; measure rocker at that point. From that point to the ends, cut that distance in half, and measure rocker at that point... cut that in half and measure again, etc. This way, as the rocker accelerates toward the ends, and the rocker becomes more critical, your increments get closer. So on a 6' board, you'll have rocker measurements, starting at the apex, at 3', 18", 9", 4.5", and 2.25".
I have an epoxy board with lots of rocker, and I think because the lack of flex in the foam, epoxy is not good for a board with lots of rocker
On a 6 foot board, starting at the apex, wouldn't 3' be too far away for the first measurements? Wouldn't that put you at or past the ends of the board?
I have a 5'5" mini simmons type board with about this exact about of rocker. If you think about it, other than the front foot of the board, there is practically no rocker. It was a custom, and when i first saw the board i was like "uh oh that is REALLY flat, its not going to feel right on a turn/its going to hang up in any kind of pocket. I was wrong, it works just fine in the kind of waves it was built for. I really think going super short is the key to getting away with a board that flat. You know its going to be super fast, but by going short you can still swing it through a turn just through sheer leverage and lack of any swing weight in the nose.
I agree, I like my fishes flat as shyte. I tried a smaller board with lots of rocker and it was horrible, it worked good in the pocket, if I could get it there.
Durp.... yea. It would. Uh... I guess I mean if 3' is the apex, your next point of measurement it 18"... then 9"... etc.
Agree 110%. You were the main guy who gave me good advice when i got my custom mini. There's a slight flip in the first 6 inches but besides that its flat as hell. But luckily i listened to your advice and went shorter then i was originally thinking. I went 5'2 and man.... The thing can pull off any turn my DD can. And i blame the length. All my boards have low rocker. On my DD which is 5'8 i feel it keeps it versatile. Has a wide range. Paddles like a dream and can fit into any pocket. But can still pull off big turns thanks to it being short On my step up i feel it helps me get into them earlier and gives me more down the line speed. Even at 6'1 it is fairly easy to get on rail. Not anything like the shorter 5'8 (same board. Step ups just bigger) but as a step up on the EC I'm looking for more down the line speed to beat close out sections anyway.
Low rocker enables some of the doods on The Fourume (not you, Keed) to get into those halibutts from the dawgy position.
