Mini Simmons Digging Rail. Some feedback and my response.

Mini Simmons Digging Rail

QUESTION

I am digging rail on backside drop if I don’t keep my weight towards the back of the board.

A couple of my friends who ride a mini also noticed the same thing with their boards.

One has a quad,the other a twin fin.

Doesn’t happen on front side.

As long as I remember to keep (or sometimes manage to keep) the weight more on the back, no problem.

SO,anyone else on this forum noticed this?

We surf in Hawaii,and in solid overhead surf,and the mini simmons are a blast to ride.

Our rails are fat on some minis, thinner on others, so I don’t think it is a rail design, but maybe I am wrong.

RESPONSES

Mini Simmon AsymmetricalBarry Snyder . . .

I too have had that problem.

Those boards really want to slide and not go on rail.

That’s why surfboards have evolved to what we have today. (more rocker).

To solve this problem I have gone asymmetrical.

Less pressure required to engage board.

If you ever get the chance to ride one, do it!

These things really work.

This is my personal board.

Left rail is my heel side.

Shorter and more rocker.

More “Vee” in tail also helps.

MSS . . .

Never had a problem going backside.

I’d recommend sharp rails in the back and some nice slight slopping rocker in front.

Also, I wouldn’t touch the bottom, forget all this tri-plane, concave, etc talk . . . smooth entry and smooth release.

I have shaped them every-which-way and the less I touch (shape) the bottom the better.

One of thing that will really influence your backside (the fins).

Too big and it will feel like you are turning a semi truck.

Keep them small and low.

Happy holidays bro.

Derek, MSS

Life is too short to ride just one board.

Ace . . .

More “Vee” in tail also helps.

That’s what i do.

What do I know.

I like thick wide boards.

I cut em out with a worm drive saw.

My rail bands are sloppy.

I use a power sander.

I finish sand with 60 grit.

I used to be a “Pro”.

Scott Kennedy . . .

You have discovered the chink in the mini’s armor – backside surfing.

Go asym, or only surf front-side on em.

Also keep in the mind that the baugess minis have a very substantial amount of nose flip>

Rocker numbers from an early one I saw were around 4″ nose and 0″ in the tail.

Shushka . . .

Try a tri-plane hull.

I used that on mine and it never digs.

Also, I have snowboard-sharp rails up to about half a foot forward of the fins, after that it releases into a sharp 50/50 style rail (sharper apex) up the nose.

Tri-plane hull is essentially a board with three ‘contact points’ on it.

Basically, its a double-concave with a high “vee” on the stringer line, and flat points on either side of the concaves.

The vee sits slightly higher than the flat points creating a jumpy edge-to-edge feeling.

I find it helps a lot with the grabbiness going backside because it makes it easier to release the backside rail with quick pumps so it doesn’t bog down.

Shaper | Lover of the Sea

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  • I found a big round nose would cause my mini to bog, dig rail etc. especially on drops but when I started to pull the nose into more of a fish style point the board worked way better. My mini’s now have a fish style nose and a mini outline from the middle down. Works great in bigger hollow waves also.

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