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| 35339 | 423 | Mighty Water Dragon: | 1 | Roy Stewart | Jan 22, 2012 | 2012-01-22T18:47:19-0500 | We are approaching the Year of the Dragon, which is when we build Dragon Boards. This coming year of the Dragon is the first one since 1964 which is a Water Dragon year, so it is exceptionally auspicious for a Dragon surfboard. The previous Dragon Board was built during the year 2000. At 13'9' long and 23 to 24 inches wide the Dragon board has a length to width ratio of 7:1, and with a low rocker ( only 7 inches overall) it relies more on displacement based lift ( buoyancy ) than planing lift than most boards during the transition between paddling and surfing. Dimensions are length 13'9" Width 24" Thickness 2 & 5/8" Weight ( projected) 55 pounds Volume 90 litres approx Rails 50/50 elliptical ( continuous ) Rocker circular arc 7 inches overall The original board proved itself to be an exceptionally good and reliable performer over a wide range of conditions, from knee high to triple overhead reef waves. it took a bit of getting used to taking off on waves over head high on such a long and heavy board ( the original board was 65 to 70 pounds in weight) but the beast never let me down and survived some drops which I thought were impossible, so confidence was gained through experience. This board will be a tad wider, thicker and lighter than the original, but still has beefed up scantlings to keep it heavier than it would be with my regular schedule. Planking is 10mm instead of 7 to 8mm, blocking extends into the board further ( also required for the 'pinched' or elliptical rail section) and there is more solid blocking in the tail area. The extra weight means more effort is required to carry and paddle the board, but that is more than offset by the fact that it is there when it is needed i.e. at all times when riding the wave and particularly in strong offshore or bumpy conditions. Riding the Dragon was a unique experience and I'm looking forward with slight trepidation to doing it again. Here's the third of four Dragon Board panels being made today: http://olosurfer-woodensurfboardsatpipeline.blogspot.com/2012/01/mighty-water-dragon-part-2-building-and.html |