Car wax for speed?

[daybit]

Hi Nev,

I just took delivery of a brand new Hellfire RF (yew!) and noticed that the bottom of it is much smoother than my Dominator FST after 1 year of use.
I've seen some people recommend using a car wax product or even Rain-X on the bottom of your board to increase speed. I've also seen people say that sanding the board is the only solution. Maybe I should just man up and paddle harder.
What are your thoughts?

[prjwebb]

Wait for the NanoTune retune kits to hit retail!

[daybit]

Yeah, but with FW boards retailing for US$2,000 here in Japan I imagine there will be quite a premium on NanoTune too. Hopefully it won't be too steep.

[prjwebb]

Hmm yeah not sure what it'll retail at. Shouldn't be anywhere near $2k though haha.

[Fritzkat]

wow, $2000.? I remember being in Yokota AFB Japan back in 1983 and someone offered $900 for my Rusty, back when they were under $300 retail in the US

[Fritzkat]

Daybit, did the Rain-ex Work, have you tried it yet?

[iggy]

Yeah, but with FW boards retailing for US$2,000 here in Japan I imagine there will be quite a premium on NanoTune too. Hopefully it won't be too steep.
Wow importation taxes must be up the roof!!!.
Taht gives me an idea on how to travel over there sponsored by... ;)

[Fritzkat]

did some research on the Rain-x. Boaters seem to think it slows them down. and to use 300 or 400 grit sandpaper.
I do not know about nanotune.

[core personal training]

thats where the "pro-tech" sanded finish trend of the 90's came from...research at the time showed water moved quicker over a non-gloss/rougher surface...(think quaser bottoms and golf balls)..but this modern take on surface treatment is aiming to stop the water attaching to the surface in the first place...

[prjwebb]

Loving the new sig Dave...

[daybit]

Wow importation taxes must be up the roof!!!.

I think it's just the distributor taking too much of a markup. Not all imported boards are that expensive. I bought my Dom when I was back home in Oz on holiday and ordered my HF from the US. Even with shipping and import duties it came out at half the price of buying it here. Even my local surf shop here in Japan said they have a hard time selling FW boards because people can get them from overseas for half the price. It's a shame though. If the markup wasn't so high here I'd be happy to pay a bit more and support the local stores.

[daybit]

did some research on the Rain-x. Boaters seem to think it slows them down. and to use 300 or 400 grit sandpaper.
I do not know about nanotune.

I read that somewhere too. Something about it making the water bead up and causing friction. I guess that's what it does on your windscreen - slows the water down so it collects into droplets that then get pushed aside by the wind. It's hard to tell what's best, that's why I was hoping to hear from Nev. The only thing I know for certain is that surf wax on the bottom isn't going to make my board go faster.

Yokota in 1983? You must have surfed down in Shonan then with a view of Mount Fuji. I bet it wasn't half as crowded back then.

[Fritzkat]

daybit ..Almost..It was USAF trip on C-141's, too cold at the beaches near Yokota only had my vest.. waves at that time were pretty flat, stayed in the car. Went to Okinawa later that week (and other trips incl P.I. Guam and Hawaii) scored Ikei island reef BIG and throttling and other spots, no crowds at all on Okinawa and back then in Guam. I was 20 back then, never thought to take a camera, just had beer, hydrogen peroxide, surf wax, munchies, condoms and pocket change.


I read that somewhere too. Something about it making the water bead up and causing friction. I guess that's what it does on your windscreen - slows the water down so it collects into droplets that then get pushed aside by the wind. It's hard to tell what's best, that's why I was hoping to hear from Nev. The only thing I know for certain is that surf wax on the bottom isn't going to make my board go faster.

Yokota in 1983? You must have surfed down in Shonan then with a view of Mount Fuji. I bet it wasn't half as crowded back then.

[Chris]

Haha! Awesome. Pretty sure that is also what MacGyver always had too.

[core personal training]

Loving the new sig Dave...
read it again phill......

[prjwebb]

You can't pick it up until I get mine. Grrr.
PS I sent you a Words With Friends/Scrabble request on the old phone. According to my phone you play it.

[core personal training]

its a race..first to the waters edge wins...!!

kids put scrabble on my ipod..only use it as an e reader for bedtime...i go online a couple of times a week to download books...i'll try and get on later...we'll see how far my expensive private skool educashun getz mee in a speling kontest....

[prjwebb]

Haha ok mate

[core personal training]

going online now mate....

any other spellers out there...we could have a firewire spell-off....chris will be easy to beat...his reliance on voice recognition software will be his downfall..!!..and iggy will be let down by his online translation..!!...

it could end up a battle for the ashes...!!.(yanks wont get that)

[prjwebb]

Ha classic! I'm off to a nice start there.

Hoping to get my board this week Dave, so I might still win!

[core personal training]

if i forget the spray it'd be here tomorrow..!!..

lets get a tri-nation thing going...the americas vs poms/irish vs aussies.(begrudgingly including you piha..!!)

[iggy]

if i forget the spray it'd be here tomorrow..!!..

lets get a tri-nation thing going...the americas vs poms/irish vs aussies.(begrudgingly including you piha..!!)
jajajaj

[Chris]

uh oh the table has been set...

[Gnubee]

FWIW - used to put either car wax or RAin -x on the bottom of skimboards to get them to go a bit faster. Surprisingly enough it did actually make a small difference. Wears off pretty quickly, but when it is first on there it goes great. I suspect the nanotune stuff would up that a notch or two.

[Slowman]

I think both my hellfire and spitfire have nanotune. The spitfire definitely has it, as it's only a week old and I remember looking at the sticker and thinking that's how the hellfire looked brand new too. They both go great but the dom I bought second hand and looks to be maybe a couple of years old as it has a valve and to be honest it really seems to go pretty fast as well. If I were to compare the spit and the dom speeds down the line they seem to be about the same not surprisingly except when it comes to the speed of rail to rail transitions...the spitfire wins no contest, much like the original spitfires with their Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engines, the ME109 was faster but not as manoeuverable in a dog fight.

I think there used to be a similar product a few years back called Superkote or something, and you sprayed it on bottom of your board. My mate's brother in law used this stuff, he seemed to be convinced it worked. Hard to tell and I remain sceptical but still open to the idea. If I get the time I might do some digging I want to see why sharkskin which is rough and why dimples on golf balls, aero bike wheels, and other aerodynamic applications actually works. As well one of the fastest boards I've ever had, had quite a rough surface.

[Piha Local]

Thanks for the reluctant inclusion Core, I don't feel patronised at all! My Dad was from Aussie and it was his love for body-surfing Sydney beaches that got us brothers into surfing in the first place, so no hard feelings. Anyway I'm off to the Maldives 5th May, 7 days at Cokes, land based, then 11 days Charter trip to the Central Atolls. Got a cameraman surfing with us so should get footage of the Dom and Hellfire in action on very nice waves [just ignore the geriatric body spoiling the pretty pictures!] Between us we will have 2x Hellfires and 2x Doms and a Sweet Potato got and probably a couple of others so Firewires will be well represented. At last count I have put at least 9 people onto Doms since Nev talked me into getting one 2 1/2 yrs ago. Best board I have ever owned till I got my Hellfire figured out. A good friend of mine will also be bringing a superior Nano speed product onto the market soon with scientific testing to back up it's claims, so watch this space.

[core personal training]

on ya piha...knew you would be lurking and pick up on that..!!!...

sounds like a good trip...enjoy...

and good on you for spreading the FW word...the more sold, the more golf balls nev can buy....!!

[prjwebb]

Oh Daaaave..... My board is in Firewire Europe HQ, being delivered on Friday. The race is on :D

[core personal training]

oh-oh...unless christian sprays it and gets it back today for freight then you'll win.....nev, nikki, raz,, drag christian out of the surf and back on the tools....we cant let the poms win here..!!

[prjwebb]

hahaha, well i'm probably going to get my spray on too, but i'll still have the board in hand.

[iggy]

on ya piha...knew you would be lurking and pick up on that..!!!...

sounds like a good trip...enjoy...

and good on you for spreading the FW word...the more sold, the more golf balls nev can buy....!!

jaajaaja you mean that Mr Neville has actually spare time??

[Chris]

HEY!!! YoU!!! Nev has no spare time....

[iggy]

HEY!!! YoU!!! Nev has no spare time....

Not according to Dave...unless he's trying to bribe Kelly with some golf balls now that he's getting serious with golf ;)