rodndtube.com's (OLD) MyPaipoBoards Forums. Reading but no posting on the OLD forums.

[Poobah]

Thierry,
please tell us about this board.

Dead link removed.

[Thierry]

This the second bodyboard I've done (in fact the first one was more something like a paipo). It's made of polystyrene, epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth.
The first one I made could not be turned only on its rails which were much too soft but I had put two fin boxes so it turned ok with the fins. This first one was a way for me to learn how to shape and use resin (and insert fin and mast boxes) because I had the idea of making a windsurf board (then the vacuum technique appeared and it is the right technology to make a light and stiff windsurf board but much too difficult for me so I didn't do that).

The first board, the paipo, was shaped on the basis of a very cheap polystyrene paipo so I could not do the shape I wanted (template and rails).
For the second board I was given by a shaper a large piece of dense polystyrene so I could do something which is actually very close to a soft bodyboard.
I was afraid it wouldn't turn so I put fin boxes again and laminated two skegs.
The rails were something like 30/70 in front and gradually changing towards 80/20 at the back. It had an awful lot of scoop/rocker (I thought it needed this rocker as the board is completely rigid, unlike a soft bodyboard that can be bent while riding). The result was that it turned very well without the skegs and I soon removed them and put some tape on the boxes.
The hull had a concave in front and a slight vee at the back.

The board was maybe a bit too wide for me but most of all it was too thick and with too much rocker. So I removed the stratification of the hull as well as the fin boxes and re-shaped the hull (which is now concave in front and flat at the back) trying to make it a bit flatter. It changed the rails quite a lot and saved some weight without the fin boxes.
My stratification was of very poor quality and some water leaked at the back of the hull which has made the foam become yellow.

It surfs better on flat and mushy waves as it is but the fact is I now prefer surfing (short or long board) or bodysurfing and I don't use this board any more.

I will soon put some pictures of this board on my blog and maybe a picture of the paipo if I can put my hands on one of the old pic.
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Frogsurfer

[Thierry]

I thought it didn't work and posted the message 2 times.
Didn't find how to delete it.
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Frogsurfer

[Thierry]

Here is the link to my blog for the pictures. (I dont know how to insert pics in the text)

http://handboard.bodysurf.over-blog.com/article-741149.html
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Frogsurfer

[Thierry]

Poobah,
In fact this board has a "sister" because with a friend of mine we built two at the same time. I've added the numeric picture of the old paper pictures on my blog (very poor quality but I haven't a scanner).
So I know there are at least two fiberglass bodyboards in France.

The only other I saw was at the Paris boat show maybe some twenty years ago and I've never seen any on a beach.
Perhaps that's because I surf in a northern part of France than the famous stretch of coast between Lacanau and Biarritz where most of the experimentation happens.
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Frogsurfer

[Poobah]

[Thierry]

You know, all bodyboarders are on sponges around here and this kind of foam/epoxy board is really rare.

Apart from the rocker, the shape is very close to a sponge because that's what I could easily find and copy. I was sure this shape would work quite well and I added some ideas of mine about the rails and the concave/vee of the hull.
Yes the double leash plug was for a handle but it's really useless.

I would have liked to make something like the Cherry bomb or the Lollipop (in your league of lamaroos) which are, in my memories, a bit similar to the epoxy board I saw at the Paris boat show. The rails, the rocker and the template of the Lollipop are subtle and beautiful !

I haven't done any plywood paipo yet because I found the rocker, rails and overall buoyancy couldn't be shaped according to my idea of what they should be (my background knowledge about shapes comes from my practice of windsurfing).

It's also true that I'm too young to know well this type of board which I thought, not long ago, were only the ancestors of today's lamaroos.
Now I consider making one like the Tefnut of your site. This one is inspiring and I've read somewhere on this forum that wood boards are super fast.

I also have a piece of foam that could be fine for doing a cubit with the shape of the Slicer Dicer of your site (without skegs). I love this one too !
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Frogsurfer

[rodndtube]

[Thierry]

I live in the suburb of Paris and and I often surf In Vendée which is just south of Bretagne. I'll be there for the next two weeks.
Where will you go in Bretagne ? Will it be during this fall ?
It usually isn't an area for a surfari but you can find really good waves in beautiful sceneries if you know where to go.
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Frogsurfer

[rodndtube]

[Thierry]

Yes you're right, it's better to have the knowledge of a local with you on this kind of coast, or you can spend the whole day searching for the good spot.

Let me know if I can help in any way.
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Frogsurfer

[Thierry]

I gave and sent the board to a young paipo rider and I'm happy to know she's going to surf a few more waves.
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Frogsurfer