Bottom of the finished product. I used the crudest of tools, including a hand plane and a Dremel tool with a coarse sanding wheel. That's what I used to take off the sharp edges on the front third of the channels. End product is roughly 18" long and 16" wide at the wide point. My initial thoughts were that the channels should take the place of any fins. True paipos don't use fins anyway, and this was much smaller than a Hawaiian-style paipo, so my body weight should provide some control.
Communication with Roger Wayland has me keeping my mind open, and I might try a fin sometime. Even as I was applying the stain, however, I became uneasy with the rail transition area. Front section rolls up to the deck, and the rest rolls down to the bottom. I felt I should have taken off that semi-sharp angle where the nose curve and rail meet.
As of this writing it's had one excellent day of testing. Like those who know say, much faster than a bodyboard. I think that comes from the stiffness. The channels seem to be working. I had positive feel on all waves and didn't miss a fin. I would like to get some action photos and see what the water flow looks like.
Total cost: $5.97 |
