Hey, thanks so much for making me that hand painted bird on the short board. It looks great! All the boards came over in good shape (no damage). Yes, I’ve caught this last swell that came in and it was sooooo clean on Monday and Tuesday.

Todd, I’ve been riding rounded squashes on my short boards my whole life and would like to try a tail design that is more rounded at the back. I’m thinking of getting a 6’2 and a 6’5 for shoulder high or bigger waves, but don’t know exactly what type of roundtail to get. I noticed some short boards have completely rounded tails, with no point where the tail is wide at the back, and others that are slightly pulled in, and come to a point. A few questions:

1) Is there a difference between a

round tail and a thumb tail

or are they the same? They are the same.
2) Can you give me the skinny on the round tail design and how it differs from a rounded pin (and what the difference is between one that is slightly more pulled in (with a point) verses one that is wider and more rounded with no point.
3) Assuming the 3 tail designs below are different, what’s the differences and pros and cons of the 3 designs: They are different albeit the differences can range from subtle to very subtle.
a. Rounded pin (round tail with slight point) A rounded pin is generally narrower at the 12″ mark than a round tail. So the round pin would apply with boards that are step up boards and small guns. The entire outline of these type of boards is more pulled in at the nose and tail….so a rounded pin gets more stable in powerful surf the more you pull the tail in….the increased stability comes from decreasing the surface area back through your fins, this allows the board to fit tighter/ deeper into barrels and steep sections on a wave and also allows the tail to ‘bite” into the wave face without drifting, cavitating or washing out when the water underneath the board is pulling at a faster and more powerful rate up the wave face. Along with the decreased area of a roundpin making for more stability, there is also the role that the outline of a roundpin/ roundtail play…..the way the rails engage and release water off of a roundtail/ roundpin is unique. As in the case with a squashtail, rounded squash or squaretail;

the water releases at a certain point

where it can no longer make it around the tight curve or abrupt direction change the rail line takes. What you feel when the water releases off this point on the tail is

a pivot off the bottom and a nice release

off the top.

This is great for waves where the board is generating most of the speed and in typically rippable conditions…..that’s where a tail like that is perfect. But when you get into bigger, pushier surf where the raw power of the wave is generating more of the speed for you, then it is time to start bleeding off that extra area in the tail and time to have the tail begin to create more stability and hold as opposed to a tail shape than lends itself to pivot and release.

A round pin that has a slight point on the end

lends itself to more powerful waves.

The point creates a directional hold through turns while a completely rounded at the end tailshape has a slight bit more lift due to the increased area and will be a bit more versatile feeling a little like a rounded squash, but with more hold than a rounded squash. Really powerful guys do well on roundtails/ thumbs for their normal boards and roundpins (with the slight pin point on the end) for their step up and bigger boards. Please keep in mind, that what I am describing here between the same tail shape one having a smooth round tail shape and the other having a slight point on the end…..these are very very subtle differences you will feel under your feet and account for maybe five percent of the overall performance of the board. There aren’t really any cons to the round pin and thumbtail designs only positives. The only main thing to consider is what the waves are like that the boards are going to be for. Typically it should look something like this: regular day ripping shortboard = thumbtail completely round no point. shoulder to head high and hollow, powerful “good waves” ripping shortboard = thumbtail with slight point. Overhead with some barrels, but also some open faced slashing/ rippable = round pin/ pulled in tighter than a thumbtail with no point. Overhead powerful barrels = pulled-in round pin with slight point on the end. Big waves well overhead with some barrels and some open face turns i.e. Sunset = pulled in round pin even more pulled with either a rounded end (may slightly suite open face carves a little more) or a slight point on the end (may slightly suite the barrel a little more). Big, hollow barrels = pulled in round pin with a point on the end….stability and control. Hopefull that helps to make those tail shapes a little clearer to understand. I recommend going with a thumbtail/ roundtail for the 6′2″ with no point…..and for the 6′5′ I would go with a slightly more pulled in thumbtail….a fuller roundpin with a subtle point on the end. I think these would serve you really well in Mokuleia waves, Jockos, Rockies, Leftovers, Pupukea, rippable waves like that that have some gets still to them though. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Looking forward to your reply,
Aloha,

Todd

b. Round tail
c. Thumb tail

Hey Todd,

thanks for the thorough explanation. I have a much better understanding now.

The 6’2, and 6’5 will be for rockies and gas chambers. I am very excited to try out the Proxy for a month and compare it to the poly version, so that I can figure out whether to go with a poly board or the proxy. As soon as I make up my mind on which I prefer, I will contact you to figure out the specifics on the boards. Thanks so much for your input, it is appreciated.

Ted

Honolulu, HI

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