Surf Blog Archive
Pointed Nose Surf boards
A few words from George Greenough, about pointed nose surfboards after the recent incident at The Pass in Byron.
If you look at the basic design of the pointed nose surfboard, the pointed nose really is a fashion statement. Also, it can be used as an offensive weapon to intimidate other surfers. It doesn’t make the board surf any better, in fact it adds extra length, increases swing weight and wind resistance…
Injuries caused by pointed noses can be very dangerous. You have the mass of the surfboard focused into one tiny area. The end of the nose is reinforced by a wooden stringer as well as fibreglass. Being hit by one of these boards can result in a deep penetrating type of injury, loss of an eye and even skull penetrations.
How many parents with small kids buy their kids this style of board, looking at fashion, not thinking about safety issues. How easy is it for some kid to fall off the back of the board shooting their pointed nose into their brother or sisters eye.
There is an easy fix to this problem.
- Find a jar lid or tin about 75mm in diameter.
- Place it on the nose of the surfboard, on the deck.
- Draw a line around the front and cut off what sticks out the front.
- Round it off and put a layer of fibreglass over it.
In collisions this will dissipate the energy of the impact over a much larger area, greatly reducing the chance of severe or critical injury. The board will surf better because you have reduced the swing weight and wind resistance. It is shorter, turns quicker, and pulls off moves you couldn’t do before. It gives you more confidence to go for new moves because it is safer and less likely to cause injuries to you and other people.
Stand Up Paddle boards are a new hazard in the surf. They are a large difficult to control craft, they fall into the same group of vessels as surf ski’s and kayaks and they should keep clear of other surfers and swimmers.
» Comments: 8
As much as I agree with the danger regarding pointed noses, I dont believe taking a few grams of fiberglass off the top will help reduce the wind resistance and swing weight of the board. I think if a surfer really wants to cut the end of their board off for safety reasons then they would, but not to enhance the performance. If anything, a pointed tip will help the surfer to pierce the face of the wave whilst duckdiving. This 'swing weight lost' is negligible when relative to the weight of an average guy.
anonymous
Saying this - I do believe surf schools should practice this lesson, and maybe advise minimals for the next upgrade, rather than a 5'10" shorty!
Cheers Dave
Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:06
"a pointed tip will help the surfer pierce the face of the wave whilst duck diving" now who's splitting hairs?
derrick the viking
Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:14
Have to agree, swing weight is a lame point, but telling me you need an extreme point on a board to pierce a wave duck diving, is crap, Kelly didn't need one on his Wizard Sleeve, and I duck dive a longboard which has the nose the size of a whale, so you don't need a pin sharp nose on your board for duck diving full stop. Finally if your telling me folks really need that last pointy bit of rail at the nose to fit the wave face, well watch videos of a few pros surfing, slow it down, freeze frame, and I think you'll find, that point is just a style statement, although I have to say aesthetically a modern short board with a blunted nose does look a little odd.
dave
Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:42
Nail on the head, shortboard without a pointy end looks "odd". if the top 10 on the asp started riding noseless boards every bright spark would want one.
derrick the viking
PS "9 times out of ten its user error"
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:15
Why would the top ten surfers in the world start riding noseless boards?? It would just never happen.................
JD
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:30
If
derrick the viking
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:28
Dave - I didnt say anything about NEEDING a pointed nose to duckdive, I just think it helps. You took what I said, as an essential feature of a board, rather than a feature which may help. Anyway, as i've never ridden a board with a nose 'the size of a whale' i'll happily accept it makes no difference. Also, as for the nose shape fitting the wave, I dont know where youre coming from on that note, I didnt mention anything about needing a point to surf?
anonymous
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:47
No worries, maybe I got a bit preachy there? Still would say though to the comment about the top 10 riding blunt nosed boards, Kelly Slater Wizard Sleeve, he proved a point that the conventional shortboard is not the only competition winning craft, mind the likely hood of all top 10 riding a board like that in comps zero, and the Wizard Sleeve was more of a short/wide board than a short-board with a blunted nose, but hey thats splitting hairs. And it was a pity to see Kelly loose confidence in his own creation after his first loss and return to the convention, after having blown away the nay sayers initially with wins on the Wizard.
dave
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:43
Comments closed.