Hello guys.
I decided to create this thread because most of the old content that I've found here was very old and it's something that bothers me from time to time..
The question is: What are your thoughts about the play that the swallow tail took part on someone's surf??
There're some informations that always messes with my head..
In my opinion, swallow tails are really contradictory.
M
My thoughts are:
- Cutting out part of the tail helps the water to come off of the board sooner, adding more control and precision (Just think about a fish with wide tail.. If you put a large squash tail ont his type of board, it will be a lot slippery and looser - Like Mini Simmons for example. The reason why many shapers put a Big Swallow Tail on fishes is to create more hold and performance on a board that is looser by nature. Don't you think? )
- The swallow creates a pin tail on each rails, holding the board better through turns.
- Cuting out part of the stringer decreases tail rocker and shortens the board, making it faster down the line.
Altought these are my thoughts, many people say that swallow tails let the board looser and sloppy.
What do you guys think of that? Swallow makes the board looser, or holds better through turns?
For me, the main reason that swallow tails are associated with looser boards and sloppy turns is that most of the swallow tails are added into larger tail designs and mostly fat small wave boards. If you put a swallow tail in a very tight tail, I think the board would be stuck. If you put a swallow tail into a fish surfboard you would create more hold and will probably compansate the wider outline and wider tail ( Kind of the same porpose of putting wings or double wings).
Does anyone here can share different thoughts or ideas? It would be very important if someone could add something else to this tread, my head is really messy right now :)
Thanks very much for your attention!
Cheers and good waves to all!
PS: Could anyone had the chance to take a closer look at the designing aspects at Mick's last winning board at j-bay?