What effect do you think the vertical placement of footpads has on board performance?



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Assume minimal drag from the foot pads.
Ignore the brake in the board.

Do you think more of the board would sit lower in the water with the foot straps higher, and consequently create more drag, and better edging.

Or do you think lower foot pad position would put more weight on the bottom edge, allowing better edging?

What difference in performance do you think there could be?

What exactly is that?

waveslave said..

That's a really bad drawing, man. ^^^

lol.

Be my guest... make a better one.

sunseeker said..

What exactly is that?

It's a board with 2 foot pads, and a water line.

Top shows foot pads in a higher placement. bottom lower placement.

How would you like it presented?

waveslave said..

I think it's two chicken eggs being lowered into a pot of boiling water. ^^^

In reference to Vertical footpad position?

Assuming the "center" position is the middle of the board, you should find it easier to work the edge with the pads below the center - heels weighting the edge. Closer to the edge though, you increase the chance of spray hitting your legs and squirting into your eyes :D

... ahhh, the pic of the board shows us what you mean.

I did the experiment and it didn't make the board perform better for me but it did make a big difference to my missus. I gave her a run on my big TT and she just didn't have the strength or the weight to hold a decent edge so I moved the pads closer to the healside edge (ie bottom pic) and tightened the straps right up so basically she could leverage the board better since her heal was closer to the healside edge.

I, on the other hand, having size 14 flippers, found that any movement of the pad from center made the board worse, same as what lostinlondon said, clipping the water more ect. I gave the board to my son who is not a little boy anymore but isn't big either (yet), and had an inbetween result so I came to the conclusion, if you are lighter, then see if you can move your heal closer to the edge but not too far. My son said it made it easier to edge and cruise around while riding but to pop, the board lost its oomph and his toes had to work harder, as in, he had to push more than usual onto his toes, so it became uncomfortable in the long term.

I suppose, do the experiment yourself, let us know what you reckon.

cheers,

Robbie

Thanks et al for confirming... I too thought better control closer to the heel.
The example was just for show, we're really only talking 2.5cm difference.

On the Nobile XTR the pads are offset to the heelside. Makes the 143 by 48 feel like a 143 by 44 when you are edging, but you have the full 48 when you need to get going or get through a lull.

Its a benefit when you are on the heelside edge of a very wide TT.

The worst board I've ridden for spraying had the pads exactly in the center... the tips were narrow, so a line from tip to tip put the back edge of the pads behind the line, towards the heel side edge. The spray came from the curve of the edge directly onto the front leg; a constant spray that got annoying and felt like it was slowing me down. Going through chop, it'd hit the back leg and go right into your eyes.

It's my personal theory that wider tips and so less rounded outlines negate this spray; like my Flydoors and my Flyradical, all with a squarer outline and pads "off-center", towards the heel edge but on or in front of the line tip-to-tip. My OR Origin fits the same line rule, with the pads more heel edge, and - for me and our conditions here - is perfect... zero spray.

None of those boards, even the 50cm wide ones, are difficult to edge toe side...