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NATURAL CURVES SURFBOARDS |
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| NATURE and the DESIGN PROCESS |
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The principles of surfboard design come from a vast array of
assumptions, hypotheses, and theories developed over decades and
generations by surfers interacting with waves. It's a science, but it's not
an exact science. There are few, if any, absolutes. There is no controlled
lab or test tank. The lab is nature. Surfer, surfboard, waves, and surfing
are the design variables.
Design begins in the metaphysical world and transitions into the physical world. It flows from imagination and desire, intuition and reasoning to trial and error, and testing and observation. Surfing and the surfboard design process began with the imagination and determination of ancient Polynesian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders about 1200 AD and Northern Peruvian fishermen about 500 AD. The Pacific Islanders recognozed ocean swells and waves, used them to navigate from island to island, and eventually visualized themselves riding swells and waves. Peruvian fishermen navigated swells and waves entering and leaving the ocean and eventually found themselves surfing swells and waves returning to shore. The Hawaiian's intuition and reasoning led them to craft surfboards from trees to glide on swells and waves. The Peruvian's surf craft were crafted from totora reeds. Through trial and error - test and observation - they modified and developed their ancient surf craft into ever more efficient surfboards to glide along riding waves. Over the centuries this process has repeated itself and will continue to repeat itself as long as man rides waves and interacts with nature. The surfboard design process begins with identifying the goals and requirements of surfers and their surfing venues. The process considers the full smorgasbord of surfers and the waves they ride. With intuition and reasoning the process identifies variables - dimensions, rockers, foils, outlines, bottom contours, deck contours, rails, fins, and more in surfboard design, shaping, and construction. Surfers, shapers, and designers hypothesize arrangements and details of these variables. The process continues with testing the results of these arrangements from surfing and observation and brings new hypothesis into the process and any new ideas that may develop as surfers, shapers, and designers surf existing surfboards, or observe and imagine events and phenomena outside of surfing. Correct use of design processes yields an efficient, functional, and relevant surfboard. A surfboard is efficient, functional, and relevant when it provides optimum performance for a surfer in the waves and conditions for which it's been designed. Surfers, shapers, and designers depend on their imagination, expectations, intuition and reasoning, trial and error, and testing and observation to advance surfboard design. They design and shape by arranging dimensions, rockers, foils, outlines, bottom contours, deck contours, rails, and fins to best suit individual surfers, their size, skill, technique and fitness and the specific conditions, the size, power, and shape of the waves they ride. |
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