Garage Works - 7/22/2026

Took a rest day from the beach today.  Chilled out and watch He-Man with La.

Then when it cooled down outside, I hit the garage and got the rough shaping done on No.44

Trying to keep volume on this one

And also trying to get some more tail rocker incorporated into this one.

I am also likely to add sandwich parts to where I would place my knees to build in some more durability.

I'll likely dial in the shape over the next couple of days, then route out the slot for the track block and open up the top for the polyurethane block and the lowered deck for the divynicell sheets (sandwich) over the weekend.

Garage Works - 7/16/2026

Another day when the garage was empty when I got home - I need times like this to get work done on the boards (because La doesn't like foam dust on her car).

I worked on roughing in the bottom rocker

Didn't get a lot done because....

La came home!

I'll have more chances over the weekend to get the rocker tuned.

Garage Works - 7/14/2026

Rest day (errand day also - I mowed and edged the lawn).

But I had the garage all to myself (both cars out) so I felt compelled to get the templates on the two blanks dialed in and the decks skinned.

And that's the point I got to on both.

I'll try and preserve a majority of the thickness in these two blanks - and the majority of the shaping will be in the rails.

The difference in these from the others to date (and the main reason for me shaping them) is the introduction of tail rocker - and more so than No.34 and No.40

When I get working on these again (maybe tomorrow???) I'll redraw the center line on both top and bottom decks, get the track box location situated, and start removing the rail meat.  I am going to focus on the longer one first.  If I finish this one in the next couple of weeks, I can put it through it's paces and decide if this one or No.34 will be going up to Rufus.

I'll wait until after that trip to work on the shorter one.  I'm still debating if I want to make this one a shallow trench or just a straight prone board.

Garage Works - 7/8/2026

This is why I was late getting to the beach.

It is pretty rare when the garage doesn't have any cars in it!!!!

I've had these two blanks templated now for multiple days - but haven't had the opportunity to get the excess cut away.

I think I may have a similar opportunity tomorrow - if yes, I'll use the electric planer to get the template tight and skin the top and bottom decks.

It's been a while since I've worked on two boards simultaneously - and I recall not liking that process....

I may focus on the midlength - and if it works better than No.34, I'll bring the older one to the gorge and keep it up in the NW staged and ready to go.  This one will preserve the majority of the blank foam by keeping flat surfaces (instead of the rounding I have typically been doing), and also giving the tail more rocker.  I'm thinking blending what I did with No.34 (and 40 and 43), with some Appletree Skipper and Duotone Paradox.

And then I can work on the new prone board when I get back.  Which is going to be a modern version of No.24

I also received two Flysurfer POW V1 parawings today - I found a lightly used 1.7 and 2.5 at Green Hat Kiteboarding - and I needed something I would feel familiar with, yet would work in screaming winds (without me having had time on them).  And knowing when I get back, it will be rare that I actually use these small parawings (except maybe for trips to Maui) so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on them.  These seemed to fit the bill perfectly!!!

I'll post pictures later. 

Garage Works - 12/19/2025

It was raining hard this afternoon - so I opted to work on No.43

I rummaged through the templates I had, trying to find something that would be an awesome prone foiling board, a great Foil Drive board, and maybe a parawing board.

This 5'2" would be a good high wind parawing board, a great Foil Drive board, and a good prone foiling board. 

And this template - a 5'0", volume forward board would make a great prone foiling board, a great Foil Drive board and a board that could be parawinged in heavy winds.

I'm going to sleep on the decision (but I already feel like the 5'0" is what I'm going to build).

In either case, I would like to build this one with footstraps (regular foot stance only) so I can jump this one while using the Foil Drive.  I also want to install a shallow trench (recessing the track box)

I'll cut out the chosen template tomorrow...

Garage Works - 9/10/2025

I skipped out on beach time today and I spent that time forwarding the two projects I have in the garage.

Dialing in the shape of No.42 was the big one.

Here's the banana board with the details all chased down.

And from the port side.

I'm still toying around with the idea of using a divynicell deck sheet to reduce some additional weight and increase the board deck skin strength.

If I work on the board tomorrow, it'll be cutting out the block slot on the bottom deck and possibly the top deck d-cell sheet.

I also worked on the mast repair Felipe asked if I could do.  I didn't take a picture, but the progress is slow and steady (to prevent any issues)

Garage Works - 9/7/2025

I got more work done on No.42

Mast track aligned and marked up.

I'll probably route out the slot tomorrow.

And I refined the rocker and the tail volume some more.

It seems more balanced now (but still rearward biased).

And after a lot of wet sanding and 3 fills, I got the Silk 850 back to top hydrodynamic shape.

I could actually put a couple more fills and sand some more... but this is good enough for now.

Garage Works - 9/6/2025

I spent some time dialing in the rough shaping of No.42

Here's the result of today's effort - 

Port side looking at tail forward to the nose

Side on view

Port side nose looking back towards the tail

Starboard side nose looking back

And more starboard side nose.

I'll sleep on the shape as is for a day.  I already think I need to trim some foam from the tail (bottom rails) and clean up the top deck near the tail.  Then I'll fine tune the shape by sanding and install the mast track block.

Garage Works - 8/31/2025

I got Marlon's foil board repair completed this afternoon.

Sanded to 400, no spray to keep with the distressed look.

And then I headed deep into the garage to start the rocker cuts on No.42

Electric planer and shop vac -

I've been studying some of the leading DW SUP foiling boards and I am trying to take the design points from those to make this parawing specific board.

The desired characteristics are the same - a board that returns energy directed forward when you pump the board/foil.  It also has to have sufficient volume to convert that energy efficiently in less wind (this is Oahu, not Maui).

This last photo is oriented with the bottom deck pointed upwards, nose to the left.

I'll use the surform and dragonskin next.

Garage Works - 8/17/2025

In between the morning skunk and the afternoon session, I did some work on two projects in the garage.

First up was Marlon's prone foil board repair.

The tracks were leaking from the around the back of the boxes.

This board has a substantial wood stringer, so there was a lot of routing in lifts to not over stress the router.

The block fits nicely, but the port side has some overage (nothing that brown gorilla glue can't handle).

And I planed off the excess gorilla glue on the blank for No.42.

And I traced the template that I made to pull characteristics from the latest downwind boards - notably the tail of the board.

This is probably going to be one of my biggest experiments -

Garage Works - 8/14/2025

Got some cool stuff in the mail yesterday.

This 61 liter Patagonia bag - holds all my single skin parawings.

Pretty efficient!

And I got around to gluing up the blank for No.42

And speaking of No.42, I've been doing a bunch of internet scanning to get the shape refined in my head - and the Frank DW board keeps plowing its way to the front.

I haven't done a pin tail board - I think ever.  And this one will be thicker - like around 5.5" at the thickest spot (where the foil tracks are).  The nose rocker will be shallow but extends further back than what I normally produce.  And I think I'm going to flip the board some the precut nose rocker is now the tail, including the higher spot becoming part of the tail (higher than the rest of the deck).

Experimenting is what keeps this fun and interesting!

Garage Works - 8/11/2025

I've been contemplating what to build next - 

I've been thinking about a board in between No.34 and the KT Dragonfly.

The offcuts from Norm's FD board (and Prayot's blank) are 6" thick.

Gluing these two together will yield a blank that I can get this template onto -

This one will lean more towards displacement (vice planing)

I'll get it glued up this week, and I'll be mowing foam this weekend.

Garage Works - 6/12/2025

The wind seemed to be too much for good Foil Drive-ing and not enough to wing/parawing (without having to wait out lulls) - so I decided to get some stuff done around the house (and get some rest).

I mowed the lawn, reset the sprinkler timer, helped La wax her car, then worked on some stuff in the garage.

Up first was doing the final shaping on No.41 

It's good to finish the rough shaping on a board then walk away from it for a while.  That allows you to see all the anomalies easier.

I also had to get the top deck cleaned up at the nose (rough surface foam needed to come off) and I dialed in the back of the board to blend in the track block.

I'm happy with the shape now.

And I also got a layer of thickened epoxy into the joint between the offcut and the section with the tracks.  I used 0.56 ounces to get the first layer of sealant on.

I'll get the bottom deck laminated next - but I'll probably buy some beer first (I'll have to babysit the lamination).  I'll put a layer of carbon tape over the offcuts extending over to the nose area (double stringers), then get a cap sheet of the 4.8 ounce carbon nose to tail.

I also set up a different coil leash for FD and PW.  This is a short coil for bodyboarding with a length of standard line.  I'm going to put the knotted pig tails on the boards (same as I have them on the wings) and use a lark's head to stay connected to the board.

We'll see how this works!  I'm hopeful that it'll resolve the fights I have with the longer coil leashes.

And while working in the garage, I got to meet the new neighbors!

Noe and I fed them lots of bread.  I hope they stick around!

I love living here!

Garage Works - Progress on No.41 - 5/26/2025

After riding Bill's board today, I felt inspired to get progress done on No.41

One of the things I noticed about the Amos was the lack of ability to open the nose cone latches (so if you want to change batteries, you have to take everything apart).  I did some layups with the Foil Drive unit and decided to make some cutouts for latch access.

And then I cut out the trench and cleaned up the cuts.

The FD unit fits comfortably.  There are arguments on multiple fronts on how much space should be given here - hydrodynamics, access, volume, etc.  I ended up adjusting and going with what was aesthetically pleasing.

And while I'm placing epoxy on Stu's board, I'll get the boxes laminated and maybe the vertical walls of the trench.

Lots of extra steps here...

Garage Works - 5/24/2025

i was able to go to Lance's house today to use his hot wire cutter.  We were able to split No.41 -

And I decided to skip out on the afternoon winds/waves to get some work done around the house (painting for La), and to go ahead and make some progress on No.41.

I measured, remeasured and adjusted the box location - I ended up moving it up about an inch.  I used my projected feet positioning to figure out where the mast would go, then I made sure there was enough adjustability back and forward.  This isn't the 16" thick box - so I wanted to be a little more accurate with placement.

And I got the box glued in.

I also measured and marked out the trench cut lines.

Tomorrow I'll trim off the excess glue, make the trench cuts, tape up the tracks, laminate the carbon strip that tops the tracks, and laminate the vertical sides of the trench.  I'll do all this in the morning.

If the laminates settle in nicely, I'll glue the pieces back together to set the board up for the regular lamination.  If I keep at it, this board may be done next weekend -