Donnie Brink Explains the Slyde Handplane Prototype

Donnie Brink of Brink Surfboards explains the hydrodynamics and principles behind the Slyde prototype shape.

It is unclear if we will be selling these anytime soon, but we love to play around with all sorts of projects and shapes, all in the name of pushing the sport of handplaning and handboarding forward.  Below is a transcription on the interview:

Hi. My name's Donald Brink, and I just want to talk you through some of the concepts and design ideas I had building some of these new little handboards, and maybe we'll get a little bit of an understanding of what we're trying to get done in the water. Last test we had the big boy. Also somewhat of a nicer, more chic model. Really we're just having fun with this one, but it's specifically designed and perhaps intended for some bigger or more critical waves. Obviously, you can ride it in anything, but the design concept, let's just go to it first as it's so obvious. Having a grip for your hand, just a real comfortable left-hand grip. The longer rail setup to go on left waves going left. Let's not interfere or interrupt the water flow over this left round full rail. Depending on the fullness of this rail for hold, and the biggest concept and principle that I was relying on with this is for an easy let go. Perhaps in the bigger surf, where you get into situations where you just want out or you don't want to be attached to this board getting tossed around and pulling your arm off, that would be a fun way to feel like you had a little more confidence, something to hold onto to, a good point of reference every time. Set that rail on the left and hold on. Bottom contour is an offset "V". Big concave running through the last almost entire two-thirds of the board here, and the deepest part right under about where your midpoint of your arm is going to be. The steering of this board is really going to be forced probably right around here, and the pulling of the rail is really handy. I'm imagining steering this board right around the mid arm over here. All the energy coming off the concave, loading up and forcing the board back under your arm, and really creating some accurate drive and line, being be able to let the board fall down the wave face and pull it up again, and find your best line in and out of the barrel.

So round out line on the left side. Pinch very, very down rail on the right-hand rail. Let the water come over the contour off the "V" and release. So this entire rail, from start to finish, all has all got to do about release and just letting go. This one engaging the water and holding you in the wave face.  Once again, a fin-less model. All hold is revolved around this fuller, rounder outline, and release on the outside rail. Hold you in, let you go. Pretty fun. A bigger board, and perhaps maybe even to get one in a little bit early, get a little bit of flotation forward while you kicking in with fins. Always getting in early on the bigger ones is going to help.