hulls

an ode to

greenough high speed volan fin high aspect ratio on a lula surfboards lulita model with clear glassed on fins. sitting on the rocks at the beach at county line in Ventura California
two stringerless displacement hulls shaped by Tim Leckington from lula surfboards at lula surfboards shaping room at shred mfg in torrance california
A white surfboard with a wooden stringer running down the center, placed on a gravelly patch of ground with dry leaves and twigs around.
A white surfboard with a red fin lying on gravel ground next to a red vehicle, possibly a van or bus, with black trim and tires.

While not a model per se, my first shapes were informed by displacement hulls, and remain in my overall approach to shaping and surfing. So much of the idea that a board should carry its momentum without the rider doing anything - which is an important characteristic of the displacement hull bottom - translates into all board design.

I was reading Marc Andreini’s book ‘The Gift’ in 2019/20, and I picked up a US Blanks 7’3 A Pat Rawson blank, which - unbeknownst to me at the time - has a domed bottom. I wanted to have a go at the rolled bottoms and stubbies that Marc featured in the book. I shaped a 6’10 square tail single fin that has about 5/8” total hull depth, and a very hard bottom rail tuck. I think this was board #10 for me. At all the point breaks in LA and Ventura this board felt like it had no top speed. I could drive it as hard as I wanted and each time it would respond with more speed. I still ride that same board to this day, and have made several iterations of it. These boards will always allure me and remain a constant in my shaping.

Variations feature hull depths that marry with the rocker, from deep belly low rocker to more minor belly and accelerated rockers. Wide point forward and wide point center to define performance characteristics. Convex longboards to thinly foiled deep belly “liddle-syle” hulls.

A beach scene with overcast sky, sandy ground, a surfboard with a blue fin, yellow posts with ropes, trees, and ocean in the background.
From a top-down perspective, the photo shows the nose of a surfboard inside a cluttered workshop. The workshop contains tools like files and a hammer, a workbench with a strip of bright light, cardboard tubes, and a trash bin. The floor and walls sho
The image shows the nose of a surfboard with a visible stringer, standing on a concrete floor in a workshop or garage area. Surrounding the surfboard are various tools, paint cans, and equipment including a portable air compressor, rolls of cardboard
A surfboard with two fins on top, positioned vertically in a garage or workshop setting.
Close-up of a smooth, curved, light grey surface, likely a piece of furniture or equipment, in a workshop or tool room with shelves filled with tools and supplies in the background.
A surfboard is propped against a workbench in a workshop. The workshop has various tools, supplies, and clutter, including gloves, boxes, and plastic bags. The floor appears rough and dusty.
A surfboard in a workshop surrounded by tools, boxes, and workshop materials.
A surfboard resting on a yellow foam block in a workshop with a workbench, tools, and clutter, including a trash can, boxes, and cords.
A surfboard in a workshop, with a sticker on top that reads 'mfluence' in red and yellow writing.
Workshop with various tools, fluorescent lights, and a surfboard with a green laser line, on a workbench.
A workshop scene showing the top view of a boat hull in progress, with workbenches and tools surrounding it.
A white surfboard with a natural wood stripe running down the center, lying on a dark asphalt surface.
A surfboard standing upright in a room with unfinished, damaged concrete and construction supplies scattered around. The room has blue walls and white shelves with various tools and materials.
A man holding a white surfboard with a leaf design in a parking lot.
A partially finished surfboard with a white hull standing upright in a dusty workshop. The workshop has blue walls, various tools, and equipment on shelves and tables. Fluorescent lights illuminate the space.
People enjoying the ocean waves, with one person paddleboarding and others swimming or wading in the water, under a clear sky.
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