why do I need a nose on my surfboard?

[Roy Stuart]

Here's a good look at the Dragon board, showing a thick, rounded narrow nose at around 5:30.

http://youtu.be/AUawbJ7IctQ

The narrow nose on the Dragon acts like a bomb or torpedo, it never stalls and is low in drag when experiencing frontal flow... when going down the line in offshores the flow moves to the side... then the rail starts to become the leading edge and lift is produced.

It's been a secret weapon for many years... I've written about it but the secret remained as people failed to understand.

http://www.roystuart.biz

[defever]

Thanks Roy for your answer (and not being provocative). And thanks phil for summing it up and moving on from all the technicalities; it's down to what you "feel", isn't it.

My second question was why haven't the majority of "surfboard" shaper didn't follow, as Roy states, the secret weapon of thick, rounded nose but decided to follow pointy, thinner nose?

Theoretically speaking it may make sense? to have thicker rounder nose for "aerodynamic" aspect, but maybe its impractical when duck diving...?
maybe it's easier to shape pointy nose compared to rounder nose (would weeder shapers agree with this?)?
maybe pointier (narrower) nose helps the rider to paddle more efficiently (shoulder roll)?
maybe it just doesn't look cool (back to fashion answer)?

or maybe we haven't fully understood the influence of aerodynamics in surfing (and copyright speedoprene)...

I maybe wrong but I'm seeing the "shorter, wider, stubbier" trend in board shapes, would be interesting to see how the "nose" shape develops.

[Archy_is_God]

The roots of the poity nose can be traced back to Geoff McCoy and Chyne Horan's 'no-nose' (meaning lack of area, not lack of point), wide-point back shortboards of the early 80s; the forerunner of the modern thruster.

The rest of the planshape (and it's purpose) needs to be considered when looking at the relevance of a relatively 'pointy' nose, but in most cases the last few inches are not important for the average punter who is unlikely to have the speed and skill to use the whole rail to carve, like Dane Reynolds, Taylor Knox and others often do. The last few inches don't make much difference to 'swing weight' either IMO.

[Roy Stuart]

The point is just a habit and a fashion, as is the extreme thinness.

The industry doesn't think of aerodynamic properties at all. Shapers are not that smart, and they don't need to be since the cartel marketing departments are... and thus surfers can be led by the nose to buy just about anything.

Pointed thin noses are poorer at duck diving, and are much poorer at recovering from 'pearling'.

The tail shape is also vitally important for achieving the best aerodynamic qualities, I'll let you fellows figure out why.

[royal]

the closest your board needs to a point is what Seas is trying to say... draw your template out, cut 3" off, and adjust rocker to suit.

it's winter here, and the step ups and serious wave guns are coming in for glassing. One thing they almost all have is blunted noses - like 2" off or so.

I'm sure Roy has a "point" regarding longboards on waves up to say head 1/2, but when you're talking about 15' - 25' waves, there's got to be a reason people are still riding slim templates, other than fashion. The biggest change I've noticed in guns is more quads, or what Christian Beamish did with that pat curren looking twin fin...

[kayu]

The new (?) McCoy Wooden double-ender.......no pointy nose......plenty of volume..... ..designed in late '60s and outperforming hp thrusters in 2012...

[Archy_is_God]

Uncommon turns to say the least, but still a few inches out of the sea...

[Ferral]

yeah f'ing kooks, look how much rail they've got out of the water. weak weak turns

[Archy_is_God]

I know!

Terribly 'inefficient' as well, eh Roy?

[dixie]

i dont remember giving permission to use those pics of ME there arch

[diegoverthi01]

Hi guys.
you think is a good idea to cut off his nose to a 6 "10 (shortboard)? thanks!!

[Cuttlefish]

The point is just a habit and a fashion, as is the extreme thinness.

The industry doesn't think of aerodynamic properties at all. Shapers are not that smart, and they don't need to be since the cartel marketing departments are... and thus surfers can be led by the nose to buy just about anything.

There are some kinds of boards even the dimmest and most cashed up of surfers avoid like the plague as well.