Sub Vector Design Talk from the Man (Parmenter)

So, here's the ingredients for what I call a SUB-Vector:

*The planshape is more or less the same template as my original conventional Stubb-Vector line (dating from 1991) of high-performance 'hybrid' surfboards. This is comprised of a very balanced outline curve and a modernised version of a Michael Petersen-type Queensland point break stubby a'la "Morning of the Earth".

*The decks are concaved from rail to rail, and blend into twin tail footwells. Lower CG, more ergonomic and comfortable when standing, and gives the below rail profile; also, the footwells lessen tail volume and give enhance traction and comfort in high-G turns.

*To complement the scooped deck, the rails are all angular boxy rails along the lines of the old Brewer guns of the `70s. This provides a very crisp and sexy deckline from nose to tail, and the rail shape gives volume (and thus stability) when lying horizontal but grants a lesser profile and more penetration, more of a cutting rail, when laid over in a turn. The thickest part of this SUB-Vector design are the two rail extremities, thus making this design a sort of twin hull when it comes to stability------and combined with the planshape help keep the board from yawing when paddled hard on one side.

*Hard, tucked-under edges with a comparatively smaller radius that typical tanker or SUP knock-offs. This gives crisp handling and enhanced planing at lower speeds encountered in smaller or slower waves. Also helps pull the useable hull width to a maximum. There is some disagreement about hard edges versus soft in the surfing world, but all the fastest surfers and my personal favorites (MR, Fitzy, Reno, Lynchy, etc), all favor hard, crisp edges on their boards. All surfers who claim hard rails spin out are making the mistake of being too weak or unskilled to properly set the rails into the water and gain the ensuing holding power.

*Flat bottom rail to rail, and through to the entry and nose portion. Again, all about quick planing and fusing control harmony into the design. Flat bottoms feeding into harder rail edges and crisp vee panels are the least tempermental of all designs, and react the quickest from rail to rail. This is from the Brewer school and will never be outmoded. The 'exhaust' of water entering and then exiting the hull cannot be exceeded by any other planing hull shape.
*Scooped out inverted vee. This offers both the benefits of traditional flat vee panels with the added leverage of light concaves; the concaves also cut through the tail rocker curve and offer the water flow a straighter, more drag-free passage off the tail.

*The only thing the two newer models have that the 9'3" does not is the increased bottom rocker. This had to be curtailed in the 9'3" as it would have cut off a good amount of entry level suers who found it accessible.

So, what we have now is a range of boards bearing the same collection of components. The only difference is the lengths and volumes of each. Confusion has arisen only because the volume original 9'3" was tailored to bigger surfers, as sort of a gateway short SUP; thus, people think ithe SUB-Vector is just an oversized board. But my rationale is this: As a design, the 9'3" SUB-Vector was so short that it had to be bulked up. It has baby fat. As the line climbs up into the 9'6" and 10'0" range they lean out and rocker up and become more versatile.

The new models are emphatically NOT just for me and Brian and Todd------they are meant for the widest possible intermediate/advanced demographic that is looking for Level II of their SUP journey.Think Bruce raymond and guys like that. 160-lb guys will rip on them becasue they are so refined, but the volume and width and rail profiles will accomodate surfers up to 220+ lbs of intermediate ability. Because they are around 29" wide and 4" thick they will work for a much wider range of abilities than our other boards in the size range to date. However, because the boards are composed of so many potent features, they will be rippable for even us guys. These are the best boards I have shaped, bar none.

So, the Sub Vector line is not a fat boy's board just beccause the 9'3" was over-volumed: It is a series of highly-tuned SUP surfboards each bearing the same collection of unique-to-the-field components.