To be fair my test only made the tail thicker. What I think would be totally different would be to make the tail wider… but that is a much more difficult task, hence ordering a new board seems the better option.
From everything said here I am thinking a bit of everything. Definitely more volume. Definitely a wider tail. And definitely a bit more length. Not 100% sure on the width increase, but maybe a bit.
Current board is 4’5 x 19.5 @ 32L. I think something around 4.8 x 20 @ 36-38L and with a wider tail, more like a slightly longer Omen Flux, rather than a new style mid length. If I eventually get something new I will let you all know if its any better or not.
my #1 takeaway is that traditional surfing has determined our aesthetic for what a good board looks like. The more a foil board looks good to a surfers eye, generally the worse it is. I shaped a board that looked like hot garbage and it was magic. New board looks much better but doesn’t ride nearly as well.
CONCLUSION… Short version… I moved the track back around 15cm and it made all the difference. Feel like a f**king idiot, and almost embarrassed to post, but maybe it helps someone down the way!
Long version… After much frustration in bigger/harder conditions. I grabbed my old board and it was like another world. I was literally lying in the water, barely paddling and letting 1.5 head high white water smash into me, and then I would pop out in front totally in control. One of the biggest feelings was it seemed like I had so much nose in front of me, which gave stability in the white water and also gave more leverage to keep the board from flying away.
After the session I tried to study why. The board is tiny bit longer, tiny bit wider and has a completely different bottom shape, but then I realised that the track was miles further back. It was actually one of the main reasons to get the new board, as I always felt the foil needed to be further forward. When I first got the new board I had spent the first days finding the good mast position, BUT in hindsight those days were in perfect conditions.
So next session I moved the track back around 15 cm (6 inches) on the new board and it was like a completely different animal. Biggest difference was that now suddenly I felt the board was 6 inches longer in the take off. More stable and more leverage to push the nose down. For sure the turning/pumping got worse/changed… but suddenly I was making every take off.
Since then I have been moving it around a lot more depending on the conditions and getting much better success rate when it’s big. As I said a bit embarrassing to even post this, but wanted to share it and maybe help some other idiot get better.
what size and year Lethal did you ride? What would consider too narrow. I wanted a quick board to get in early and not for foam take offs. The lethal seemed good dims for this . If it’s not great to ride then I’m not sure. I haven’t ridden anything under 19”.
2022 model I guess, LETHAL 4’4 x 16 15/16" x 3 3/16". - 32L. much the same as the new one
A few people tried it when I had it and all mostly hated it, because of the very narrow standing platform. I got used to it but then when I got an Appletree skipper, going back to the lethal was a real nightmare. Too narrow isn’t great, especially at the back foot
I would definitely consider another one in the 40L range (at 70kg) as a bigger version, that would work well, and the price is really good. I would say if you go for one, go larger then maybe you’ll have less of the issue. I think 18" is for me personally a minimum width.
Though it didn’t last very well. Dings very easily.