If taking the need to paddle up out of the mix is a long and skinny DW board actually more efficient or “better” for riding downwind ? Seeing a few people doing the recent DW races on small boards got me wondering. I personally prefer a smaller board because of the lack of swing weight and less oscillatory behaviour but if there is scientific reason that a longer board might actually be better for DW then I’m very curious to know.
Hobey Moss on latest Casey Catchup podcast saying the longer boards pump better with more drive which equates to faster speeds.
Thanks, I’ll listen to that one.
Long skinny boards are significantly easier to paddle up which allows for less wasted energy and or smaller foils. Once you go long and skinny you won’t go back.
I’ll have to listen to that, but I can’t possibly understand any way this could be true. I have ridden so many different boards and the one constant is that a lighter/shorter board pumps better no question. For me it is all about swing-weight for pumping efficiency.
I ride a long skinny board because I can paddle it up easily but it is most certainly compromised for pumping versus just about anything else.
Nope, I don’t think so. Take note of the new midlengths that have paddle friendly volumes… some advanced paddlers are trending towards the shorter midlengths for recreational riding.
The longer board is heavier, so it will be moving faster to produce the required lift at the same angle of attack.
It has more rotational inertia to fight pumping, so all else the same it seems like it has to take more effort, but maybe that inertia means you can get away with downsizing your tail.
Better for takeoffs