Kev's boards - page 1

Kev Ross, DIY Factory, kneeboard

Kneeboard Surfing Victoria
Home - back to Stan's kneeboard Surfing Victoria

Kev's current Kneeboards -
brought to you by Kev
Updated 10 November 2009

The very, very new
Andrew Stump - Diamond Tail - Tri
made as TRI with the multiple centre fin positions
aimed at 2 to 4ft clean conditions
Oct 2009
Made to float and paddle similar to the two boards below but to hve a larger planning area for more support at slower speeds
Again with Stump's 6'8" rocker but with sportier rails and tail lift - ( perhaps more tail lift than the one below - kicks in just after the rear fin )
Wider and holds the width down past my shins - then a hip not flyer around the ankles / side fins into a smallish Diamond.
The rail forward is not as soft as my others and is droipped and sharp, though not as agressive as the Freak from Neil Luke.
The rail edged begins just forward of centre and carries through to the rear
The rear rail is sharp, boxed out and very square ( much like a stand up tail )
Flat nose through with light Concave all the way. The Double Concave around the fins is very light and mostly just the single concave stands out
made to be fast in clean conditions but should give support through sluggish flats due to the larger planning area
should also catch waves easier than the others, for similar reasons
wide but should slot on the wall and work the pocket due to ( I think ) the tail lift .
Oh yes .... it is loose

It was intended to have more volume rearward so I could paddle further back on the board with the float support at my stomach rather than chest
BUT it didn't turn out that way and is probably still closer to 50:50 than say .... 40:60.
When I stit on the board, stationary, my bum is close to center and directly on the kneepads instead of in the gap between knee and rear pads.

Perhaps we can do this nest time - for the super small wave board - the coffee table

6'1"
24"
2 7/8"
Nose 17 "
Tail 17 3/4" (perhaps 18)
I need to have a measure up to confirm these numbers - soon

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Fins are set at 17 5/8" inch
The centre fin position has 2 plugs for now but will get another for a second postision
but at this stage I have no idea what I want as the board is fine the way it is
centre 9"
no fins suppled
have only ridden with FCS GAMs all round

It is great just the way it is
:-}

Andrew Stump - Pin Tail - Tri
made as TRI with the multiple centre fin positions
aimed at 3 to 6ft clean conditions
May 2009
Made to feel similar to the Purple board below in length, float ( overall foam and distribution ) and basic feel
but a change to Stump's 6'8" rocker and rails and a clear tail lift - ( this is the most noticable difference )
Same instructuions of neutral and soft rails forward of the knees into low sharp rail at the tail
This board is lighter again to the one below.
Flat nose through with less Concave into Double Concave
made to be fast in clean conditions yet a little more forgiving of bumps
not a gun board but with good confidence on a wall due to ( I think ) the tail lift ... and probably a bit looser
turned out an inch sorter than we expected
6'2"
23 3/4"
2 15/16"
Nose 16 7/8"
Tail 16 3/4"

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Fins are set at 17 1/2 " inch
The centre fin position has 2 plugs for now but will get another for a second postision
probably further back so I can try smaller centre fins
9" and 8 1/4" inches from the tail
no fins suppled
have ridden with FCS GAMs all round and Shapers S6s both set ups felt good
tried LM-Ts but can't find a centre that gives a consistant feel G7000, GAM, S5
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Dave Parkes - Area Pin Tail - Tri
made as TRI with the multiple centre fin positions
aimed at 3 to 5ft clean conditions
Aug 2008
Flat nose through Concave into Double Concave
neutral and soft forward of the knees into low sharp rail at the tail
light blank with a light-ish glass job
made to be fast in clean conditions but far from a gun board
6'3"
23 3/4"
2 3/4 "

- -

Fins are set at 17 1/2 " inch
The centre fin position now has 6 plugs in total allowing for 4 fin positions.
11 1/4 " , 10 1/4 " , 9 1/4 " , and 8 1/8 " inches from the tail
supplied with a pair of LM-T
and with a single G7000
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Dave Parkes - Quad / 5 fin
made as QUAD but with the added centre fin position
aimed at Sunshine Coast conditions
Dec 2007
Flat nose through Slight Concave into Double Concave with slight Vee tail
high rail through to neutral and soft just forward of the knees into low sharp rail at the tail
(sharper rail and the tail is more rounded than the board below)
very straight sided with less rocker
made to be fast on small waves ... the idea is that with speed the other problems can be solved
tail lift is only the because of the tappering of thickness to the tail
5'10"
23 3/4"
3" ... very thick nose to tail, as bouyant as possible

- -

Fins are set at 18 1/2 " inch and the Trailers at 14 " inch
The centre fin position now has 6 plugs in total allowing for 4 fin positions.
11 1/8 " , 10 " , 9 " , and 8 1/8 " inches from the tail
supplied with a Tri set of GAM
and with a single MR-TX (right-side)
- to replace the one I lost on a bottom turn at Portsea from the board below.
anyone seen my Left MR-TX Fin ???

Dave Parkes - Quad / 5 fin
made as QUAD but with the added centre fin position
aimed at Victorian winter conditions
August 2007
Slight Vee nose through Slight Concave into Vee tail
Reverse rail to high rail though neutral and soft just forward of the knees into low tighter rail at the tail
6'1"
24"
3"

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My first Quad ever but as you can see there is the centre fin position to allow for options and experimentation.
This board was made to be a genuine All-Rounder and to be a forgiving board in a wide range of conditions.
Fins are set at 18 1/2 " inch and the Trailers at 14" inch
The centre fin position now has 3 extra plugs to allow for 3 fin poitions.
10 1/4 " , 9 1/8 " , and 8 " inches from the tail
(mods by Andrew Stump at www.stump.com )
I was having trouble with sliding out on bottom turns with the MR-TX combination and the small MR-TX centre fin. This prompted a purchase of a G-AM centre fin which did help greatly.
The main fins set at 18 1/2 " is a little looser than the Freak (for example) and the centre at 10 " is much more forward than the Freak. So I had the additional positions of 9 " and 8 " added to compensate and give variety.
There is also the option of five fins using a small centre in the forward position. I'm still yet to try that one

I had Dave supply some double thickness kneepads as an experiment as I am have trouble with my right knee and after a long session of right handers with long walls and a lot of driving bottom turns my right knee will ache and is tender for a week or two. So I am trying for a little more comfort. In the past I have had extra padding fitted into the wetsuit but it seems a better idea to have the board carry the padding as then I have comfort even when not wearing a suit in the northern states like Queensland. Added to that is the fact that now wetsuits are imported the idea of a custom suit has gone. The double thickness has worked but I feel the same effect could be achieved with a half thickness extra layer. It also does have the feeling of being a long way from the board ... a very high feeling. Perhaps not for everyone.
see the DIY kneepads page for more ideas about kneepads and other kneepad experiments.

A Fin collection - Speed and FCS

Speed fins are top three and FCS fins below.
Speed 123 side fins (flat sided)
Speed 110 and 100 centre fins.(symetrical)
FCS fins
Side : MR-TX (flat sided) , M7 (inside foil - double curved)
Trailers : GX (symetrical)
Centre : G-AM , MR-TX (symetrical) ... the GX can also be used as a centre

MR's are flat one side and very large at well over 120 mm
M7's are double foiled and 119 mm

Neil Luke - " Freak "
approx 2005
Tri Fin
double flyer
concave into double concave
6"2"
24 1/2"
2 3/4"
Dane9561

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Fins are set at 18 inch
The centre fin position is 8 1/2 inch

Neil Luke - Twin Fin
late 80's to early 90's
flat bottom into 4 channels
5' 8 1/2"
24"
DP

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Fins are set at 14 1/2 inch

BZ bodyboard - " Tech44 "
early 2006
Tri Fin
double channel
concave into double concave
44"
24"
2 3/4"

Shown with a pair of cheap Stealth Fins

BZ Tech Series Bodyboard 08
Versatility at its finest, the Tech Series comes with Double Rails and nose and tail armour.
The full crescent tail complements both prone and drop knee, making it a prime board for all rounders.
Features: Zero G Core, 8LB Greencell-Deck, HDPP Channelled Bottom, Rolled Clipped Crescent Tail, 50/50 Double Rails and Nose and Tail armour.

Fins

Classic Churchil fins

These were purchase to replace the Morey Boogy fins I lost at Powlet river Kilkunder. They were my favorites and were perfectly broken in. Had them for years.
Never lost fins before ... ever
I now use Fin Savers ... always

Kev's very old stuff - now long gone

Neil Luke - Tri Fin
just can't remember the details
mid to late 80's ... I think
probably a flat bottom into 4 channels
5' 6" to 5' 8"
wide
not so thick

_ _

seen here with a winged centre fin

A very typical board from Neil at this time and was near enough ... a shelf board.
If I can remember the 80's correctly, this board remaned my main board for many many years.
There were other boards before and after and this did lead to the twin fin above.
I bounced between Twin and Tri but channels were a common theme for me back then.

Strapper - Turbo Fin
unfortunately I don't have picutres of the turbo fins
lost one on a reef and replace them with boxes
... no idea where the remaining turbo fin ended up
again I can't remember the details
but
mid 80's ... I think ...
perhaps Mike DiSciascio can tell me more
scooped deck with quite sharp dropped rails
probably a flat bottom into Vee tail
5' 6" or perhaps shorter
just too small for me
even though it had the scooped deck it did hold thickness well it just didn't float me
seen here with the replacement boxed fins.

_ _

I wish I had kept this one
and the one turbo fin that didn't get broken off
so I could have had it resorted to mount on the wall.
The Wavelength logo made it even more interesting.
It was quite special at the time.

Contact : ...... ( Kev needs a new email address )

this page is still under development
and more will be added

brought to you by Kev and the DIY Team at :
www.diyfactory.com