Ask Carroll

[Nick Carroll]

Ah don't be so hard on yourself, I think you're doing OK given everything.

what is that wave, Pasta Pt or whatever, they should re name it the Left That Never Barrels.

Just do that thinking trick for a while and see what happens.

I get the feeling also that you're not exposed to much excellent surfing on a regular basis. Do yourself a favour and watch some a grade surfing footage of top end WCT level surfers. What are they doing that you're not? I don't mean in terms of the angles they're achieving or the 360 airs or whatever, you're not gonna do all that crazy stuff. But how are they managing takeoffs and moving from one turn to the next? What are they doing BETWEEN turns? (tip: watch the hips and ankles)

good to watch the WCT broadcasts for this too especially the slo mo replays.

[Nick Carroll]

I can't tell you much about that except for this: Don't be looking to a flex tail to help you surf better. Flex tails make surfing harder, not easier.

Always looking to surf better but was thinking more of the design principle of storing and releasing energy rather than specifically to improve my surfing. The whole theory of the storing and releasing of power via a flex tail intrigues me.

I think it's a really nice alternative feeling, I've got a Bushrat and I love it on the days that feel right for it, but I also think modern surfing technique has advanced beyond that. You can store and release energy quicker and more effectively through accurate weighting and unweighting than you can through a flextail. The flextail's got its own agenda; it demands you surf certain lines to suit its movements. If they're the lines you want to surf, happy days.

Not just that, every board flexes in its specific way. That's been getting more and more obvious in the past 10-15 years as technique has grown more refined and surfers put more pressure on their boards, and as alternative boardmaking methods have grown more popular. Everyone on this site is riding a board whose turning and driving is affected by flex, it just might not be something you're able to feel on a constant basis.

Anyway yeah don't let me stop ya!

[spork]

bazza3.jpg (85.75 KiB) Viewed 3667 times

Thnx NC. The wave is Lohis and here's proof it does barrel.

[alakaboo]

You seem to like everything else to do with the ocean, why not fishing?

[Nick Carroll]

No deep reason, I'm not anti fishing or some such, lots of my friends around here are pretty keen and I did a lot of estuary fishing as a kid.

It just never really called to me so I never gave it any time or energy.

[Nick Carroll]

Jeez fong if I did not know better I would suspect you were being wilfully obtuse!

[crabmeat thompson]

Jeez fong if I did not know better I would suspect you were being wilfully obtuse!

That would look great on his headstone one day.

[Grooter]

I think some of you blokes take surfing way too seriously.

It's all about the vibe man

[The Mighty Sunbird]

Does a fish trifin need a tail pad? Never used one on a twin fin, always do on a thruster.

[crabmeat thompson]

that's cause thrusters are back foot boards.

tail pads are, to all intents and purposes, gay.

I've just started using them. I borrowed a board in Fiji with one, and that little heel kick bit at the back. The amount of leverage you can get driving your foot into it on a duck dive, is in fact a difference maker.

All my boards were just waxed until Fiji, now I got two with tailpads on them.

[Nick Carroll]

Does a fish trifin need a tail pad? Never used one on a twin fin, always do on a thruster.

I'm not totally sure what you mean by a "fish tri-fin", the term Fish is thrown around pretty loosely these days. A true Fish is a very short board with a broad nose and a very wide double-pin swallow, with twin keel fins set near the rails. But many boardmakers call anything with a swallowtail under 6' a Fish.

In any case. No board needs a tail pad. They're functional but not vital.

I don't agree with ron though, tail pads can be super useful for feedback re foot positioning, they protect the board in an otherwise highly pressured area of the deck, and they reduce your reliance on wax. Plus critical moves etc feel supported. They seem to reduce in function the longer the board since a lot of the time on a board over 6'6" you're turning from a point a bit further forward, and your foot's never back there.

[daryl]

'tis, and they do

[The Mighty Sunbird]

It's one of these

http://www.markrichardssurfboards.com/b ... flying.php

[Beanpole]

Does a fish trifin need a tail pad? Never used one on a twin fin, always do on a thruster.

I'm not totally sure what you mean by a "fish tri-fin", the term Fish is thrown around pretty loosely these days. A true Fish is a very short board with a broad nose and a very wide double-pin swallow, with twin keel fins set near the rails. But many boardmakers call anything with a swallowtail under 6' a Fish.

In any case. No board needs a tail pad. They're functional but not vital.

I don't agree with ron though, tail pads can be super useful for feedback re foot positioning, they protect the board in an otherwise highly pressured area of the deck, and they reduce your reliance on wax. Plus critical moves etc feel supported. They seem to reduce in function the longer the board since a lot of the time on a board over 6'6" you're turning from a point a bit further forward, and your foot's never back there.

Personally I've always hated the f*cking things. Okay if its flat like the one on my fish I was riding a year ago but if they have a bump its just something to catch my foot on when I'm getting up. Also have a problem bending my big toe over painfully if I'm not careful.

[DucksNuts]

Nick, Takayuki Wakita seems to be someone who is a fixture in the Pipe lineup every season and an Invitee to the Eddie. I know nothing more than bio details in what's offered from Google and apparently there's a section of the Pipe reef that he's made 'his own' (takeoff)? Have you interacted with him at all, can you share any stories? I'm fascinated by this name that continually pops up but with little else offered in Aus/US surf media

[andy2476]

Jeez fong if I did not know better I would suspect you were being wilfully obtuse!

That would look great on his headstone one day.

Here lies Fong

Some would say he was a contrary cnut to others he was willfuly obtuse. To all he will always be remembered as a fcuking annoying tard.

[Nick Carroll]

It's one of these

http://www.markrichardssurfboards.com/b ... flying.php

OK fantastic.

I recommend the super twin set up.

Put a tail pad on it if ya want.

[godsavetheking]

all my boards have tailpads. always have, always will. I even used to be a full gorilla grip devotee (although I drew the line at tractop; that stuff was simply terrible)

the main benefit of tailpads: it's 21.5% of the board that you never have to wax (people who wax their tailpads are cretins)