Paddle experiement
Volume vs length - how much does it matter?
All three boards have the same volume.
Which one will paddle better? By how much?
Help us find out: Test paddlers wanted (SF Bay Area)! Do it for science!
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Bonus: You'll be supervised by world-renowned paddle coach Rob Case who will give you advice, solicited or not (he can't help it).
What is this about?
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There are three parts to surfing: paddling, catching, and riding a wave.
For paddling, how much difference does a longer board make? We all know that longboards paddle better than shortboards. But in addition to length, they are also much thicker. What has more effect, length or volume?
To find out, I made three boards with the same outline, rocker and volume but varied them in length.
Boatbuilding theory (and practice) would suggest that a longer board will definitely paddle better. In the case of surfboards, it might not transfer directly. Unlike boats, a lot of the payload (our body) is hanging off the vessel. Unlike boats, paddling speeds might be so low that the differences don't come to bear.
We plan to test this in a controlled environment: An endless pool and a lake.