Josh Dowling Designs

[speedneedle]

I was born too late...

JD

[Topher]

Oh my. Amazing.

How's the 6 channel single go?

[speedneedle]

Hey Topher - We'll have to wait for Wingnut to pipe up on how the Chalice goes -

I know he suffered through that hideous east coast flat spell right through his little road trip, the one the board was meant for! That was a while ago though.

Anyway, the Frankenboard should be in possession of Matticus about now -

Looking forward to hearing how this one goes - once he's deflowered it, made a common tramp of it, I'm going to have sloppy seconds...

JD

[speedneedle]

Hmmm...another board I sent to the goldy on the same day arrived already...I best check that up.

The Mexican - 6'4 x 19 1/2...

JD

[speedneedle]

Chased up that freight Matty - the truck is due in the 'gong tomorrow. You'll get the call shortly.

JD

[speedneedle]

Cmon
Ride report
I don't know if id wax it up
Or
Lube it up

Wax is for surfing - go wax, not soap. I doubt you could fit it up there anyway Fong, however slippery, mate.

Here's Danny's Burning Spear - 6'9 x 20 3/4 x 2 5/8. Big lad's Nias traveller.

JD

[speedneedle]

I did a few very satisfying cutbacks and found the board to have some sort of self righting mechanism, a few floaters and stuff that I should have fallen on but somehow came out of.

Well then that's what it's all about!

The fin cluster is closer together, true, though the big fins do make it look more so. I'm keen to actually push the trailer and side fins closer until they're in line.
I.e a twin fin with anothery in the middle. I'd be aiming for the twinny responsiveness but lose the "Yaw".

Rails - The concave deck puts thickest point of the board at either side, that ridge about 4 in from the rails. That makes for the stability, the "self-righting mechanism" you noted, combined with the wide nose. There then needs to be a pronounced angular drop down to keep the rail low and sinkable. This sort of makes the rail look even lower, but that round "apex" - the part that fits in the arch of your thumb/forefinger, is prettymuch the same.

Beefan's got one coming along with the same concept -

But meanwhile, the Widget - off to Dunsborough. 6' x 19 1/2.

[alakaboo]

Looks more fun than a box of birds.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Getting radical with the logo placement Josh!

[speedneedle]

Getting radical with the logo placement Josh!

I know I know, it's absolutely scandalous is'nt it!

Legion's latest - The Kilmister 5'11 x 18 1/2

JD

[Beerfan]

The diagonals through the tail are a nice touch josh. Gunna look sick with resin!

[Cpt.Caveman]

Josh, are those diagonals more for aesthetics or are you deliberately trying to doctor some sort of flex result?

[Beerfan]

Jeez josh, you're cranking them out at the moment!. Seems to be a new Facebook update almost everyday haha

[speedneedle]

Josh, are those diagonals more for aesthetics or are you deliberately trying to doctor some sort of flex result?

Flex, yes Capt. Good ol' wood will of course be stiffest along it's grain length, so the diagonal part will flex a little more. It's not rocket science...heck, it's not even "hi-tech" really.

Beery - yours is on the shaping stands right this minute - Pics like, later this evening.

DV8's latest, the Savant

-
Thanks to my bro-by-another-hoe, Tim Henshall, for the professional pics.

JD

[alakaboo]

That's some funky stuff, Josh.
What are the dimensions on that last one?

[DV8]

That's some funky stuff, Josh.
What are the dimensions on that last one?

20 x 6"1 x 2/9/16 ........I'm 6"4...... 15.5 tail & nose .

Started off being a Nano type Tomo variant ended up pretty much a V4 Round nose.
Interesting ride so far. Some aspects compared to a shorty are good and others certainly are different and take some getting used to.
Just stand there with your back foot hard up against the tail pad kick and the speed and glide is effortless. No quick rail to rail
transition required, just pick your line and let the board do the work.
Have had it out in 2ft peaks to 4ft down the line and I think it likes about the 3-5ft range best. There is too much rail line
for sharper vertical type turns in smaller waves say from weak 3ft and anything smaller, easier to catch a rail than a grovel board , just not enough curve in the tail.
A shorter version same dims would alleviate this I'm sure, maybe 5"11. On the flip side , there is also no sign of the wide tail letting go during a bottom turn in 4ft. And if you could paddle into 6fter on it ( could if it wasn't throwing ) I feel it would be no different and you could benefit from the shorter
board / longer rail line combo.
I've tried diff fin combo's (x2 pc7 + m3 tr ) ( pc5's x3 ) ( pc7's x3 ) ( x2 pc7 + x2 g1000) and smaller fins so far seem to work best taking some stiffness out .
Thing is even though they surf quite different to your standard shorty ............... it's very very addictive !!
Keen to get it out in bigger waves with an open face. So far so good and there certainly is merit in this design concept I think.

[Cpt.Caveman]

That's some funky stuff, Josh.
What are the dimensions on that last one?

20 x 6"1 x 2/9/16 ........I'm 6"4...... 15.5 tail & nose .

Started off being a Nano type Tomo variant ended up pretty much a V4 Round nose.
Interesting ride so far. Some aspects compared to a shorty are good and others certainly are different and take some getting used to.
Just stand there with your back foot hard up against the tail pad kick and the speed and glide is effortless. No quick rail to rail
transition required, just pick your line and let the board do the work.
Have had it out in 2ft peaks to 4ft down the line and I think it likes about the 3-5ft range best. There is too much rail line
for sharper vertical type turns in smaller waves say from weak 3ft and anything smaller, easier to catch a rail than a grovel board , just not enough curve in the tail.
A shorter version same dims would alleviate this I'm sure, maybe 5"11. On the flip side , there is also no sign of the wide tail letting go during a bottom turn in 4ft. And if you could paddle into 6fter on it ( could if it wasn't throwing ) I feel it would be no different and you could benefit from the shorter
board / longer rail line combo.
I've tried diff fin combo's (x2 pc7 + m3 tr ) ( pc5's x3 ) ( pc7's x3 ) ( x2 pc7 + x2 g1000) and smaller fins so far seem to work best taking some stiffness out .
Thing is even though they surf quite different to your standard shorty ............... it's very very addictive !!
Keen to get it out in bigger waves with an open face. So far so good and there certainly is merit in this design concept I think.

I can really recommend trying it as as thruster too. Theres already so much speed from the planshape, tail, channels etc. in these types of boards that a thruster middle fin makes little difference. If anythying it helps with those hookier turns because of the central pivot point in turns. Boards like this will still surf verticle as a quad, you just have to get used to laying over the tail a little more and pre-emptively to get the same sharp turn. The small amount of pressure needed to turn a pulled in tail is very different and it took me a few surfs to learn now to surf it differently.

Have faith!

[alakaboo]

Thanks DV8, great informative review.
I'm 6 foot, thinking about something similar in the 5'6-5'8 range