By Daniel Thomson.
“For me, it’s all about top end speed. The more speed I can generate; the more radical my performance potential becomes”.
The Modern Planing Hull (MPH) is a design category for modern high performance surfing. Based from the 20th century planing hull research uncovered by Richard Kenvin and the ‘Hydrodynamica project’ including the Lindsay Lord planing research explored in [the Navel Architechture of planing hulls] of 1946, and Bob Simmons planing hull surfboards of the 1950's.
However the TOMO MPH is more closely akin to modern hydro-plane board sports of Wakeboarding and Kiteboarding. The past and present of planing hull board sports is meshed with modern surfboard design and technology to create a ultra modern and unique surfing experience
The TOMO MPH is like an extension of a surfer body. A mind surfing experience…. just pick your lines, and the board does the rest. Almost, like you can forget about a board beneath your feet altogether and just interact with the energy in the wave.
I am convinced that the modern planing hull design will allow surfers to experience higher levels of personal performance. I also strongly believe that the MPH design will provide a platform for top professional surfers to take surfing to new levels of ‘Ultra high performance’. A design capable of executing the aerial manoeuvres only attempted in the Skate, Snowboard and wake disciplines, whilst still excelling on wave face with incredible speed, flow and power fundamentals of all true performance surfing.
The TOMO MPH is like an extension of a surfer body. A mind surfing experience…. just pick your lines, and the board does the rest. Almost, like you can forget about a board beneath your feet altogether and just interact with the energy in the wave.I am convinced that the modern planing hull design will allow surfers to experience higher levels of personal performance. I also strongly believe that the MPH design will provide a platform for top professional surfers to take surfing to new levels of ‘Ultra high performance’. A design capable of executing the aerial manoeuvres only attempted in the Skate, Snowboard and wake disciplines, whilst still excelling on wave face with incredible speed, flow and power fundamentals of all true performance surfing.
TECHNICAL INFO
18 months of rigorous development and testing since first MPH concept in April 2009. I have achieved a harmonious balance of the following design properties:
- Lower drag and increased Thrust is achieved through applying:
. A Parallel (straighter) foiled outline with forward widepoint and:
. Fluid amplification curves. Outlines and rocker.{ typical Hydrofoil / Aerofoil curves } provides significant drag reduction and higher levels of Dynamic surface planing lift.
. Balance of Volume in relation to surface planing lift. {L = CL P2 SV2}
*SIMMONS FORMULA: Efficient planing surface provide effective lift to counteract the riders weight.
- Therefore a reduction of physical length, area and volume is necessary.
Naturally, the lower drag and higher degrees of dynamic surface planing lift result in increased Speed. Both Acceleration and Top-end.
With an increase of the potential speed of a surfboard design requires equal degrees of control. The balance of these two aspects is crucial to a successful surfboard design.
- I have set out to achieve this without compromising with drag induction.
This can be achieved by applying:
. Lengthening of the hard edge (further lift and drag reduction) combined with modern, low volume, medium/ boxy rail profile for sensitive and forgiving rail transitions.
. A parallel fin placement ( 0 degrees tow) will provide excellent control with negligible drag.
. Complex Channel and Concave bottom contours and calculated angular and vector tail profiles have also achieved positive results with low drag control through radical directional changes.
Custom Designed Power-Drive Fins and Keels: (Thomson designed) flex engineered hatchet fins provide increase drive and acceleration through turns with the low drag properties of smaller overall surface area and ability of the fin tips to instantaneously adjust (flex and load) to changing laminar pressures engaged by the rider and environment of the wave, providing constant forward thrust.
18 months of rigorous development and testing since first MPH concept in April 2009. I have achieved a harmonious balance of the following design properties:
- Lower drag and increased Thrust is achieved through applying:
. A Parallel (straighter) foiled outline with forward widepoint and:
. Fluid amplification curves. Outlines and rocker.{ typical Hydrofoil / Aerofoil curves } provides significant drag reduction and higher levels of Dynamic surface planing lift.
. Balance of Volume in relation to surface planing lift. {L = CL P2 SV2}
*SIMMONS FORMULA: Efficient planing surface provide effective lift to counteract the riders weight.
- Therefore a reduction of physical length, area and volume is necessary.
Naturally, the lower drag and higher degrees of dynamic surface planing lift result in increased Speed. Both Acceleration and Top-end.
With an increase of the potential speed of a surfboard design requires equal degrees of control. The balance of these two aspects is crucial to a successful surfboard design.
- I have set out to achieve this without compromising with drag induction.
This can be achieved by applying:
. Lengthening of the hard edge (further lift and drag reduction) combined with modern, low volume, medium/ boxy rail profile for sensitive and forgiving rail transitions.
. A parallel fin placement ( 0 degrees tow) will provide excellent control with negligible drag.
. Complex Channel and Concave bottom contours and calculated angular and vector tail profiles have also achieved positive results with low drag control through radical directional changes.
Custom Designed Power-Drive Fins and Keels: (Thomson designed) flex engineered hatchet fins provide increase drive and acceleration through turns with the low drag properties of smaller overall surface area and ability of the fin tips to instantaneously adjust (flex and load) to changing laminar pressures engaged by the rider and environment of the wave, providing constant forward thrust.
THE RIDE.
Ride Speed of the MPH is immediately noticeable compared to traditional high performance shortboard design and requires little energy output from the rider. It has impeccable rail sensitivity and a predictable and controlled feeling underfoot.
. The parallel rail line combined with a significant increase in hard edge provides the boards with the ability to draw powerful, drawn out bottom turns and radical sharp directional changes with shifts in weight between the front and back foot.
. Physical shortness of the design allows natural free flowing manoeuvres in critical sections of the wave and inside the tube with speed and control.
.The excellent planing attributes and low drag allows the design to glide freely and hold speed in even the most flat face weak wave conditions.
. Outstanding aerial control: The MPH’s natural speed, control and small profile automatically favours itself to ‘above the lip attack’ however it is the aerofoil like
plane shape of the outline gives the design remarkable boost and flight control. the symmetrical nose gives the rider excellent control and pivot in a “nose first, re-entry into the wave face situations”. Also, the improved safety of rounded nose gives the rider more confidence to push the limits of their aerial creativity.
. Comfortable flat water paddling. ( comparable to hp shortboard)
. Increased wave catching ability ( improvement to hp shortboard)
. Tri fin, Dual fin Quad fin. All equal in performance with different ride personalities to suit individual styles in a wide variety of wave conditions, knee high – to a maximum of double overhead conditions. ( Each model is more specifically tuned to certain wave conditions.)
MPH SCALE RECOMENDATIONS
The MPH is a at the forefront of modern refinement and hence a smaller more efficient package to the traditional hp Shortboard, using more effective planing shapes and redistribution of surface area to counteract the reduction in size and volume.
. Larger surfers, don’t be deterred , the MPH scales perfectly to suit just about any surfers needs. If you can ride a regular hp shortboard – you can ride a MPH
More comfortably, in fact!
Please refer to the following sizing recommendations.
. 6 “ –8 ” shorter than traditional all-round Shortboard. [ reduction in length in relation to the surfer ability] : 6” for Surfers of average ability or fitness, 7-8” for Advanced to professional surfers.
. Same width as customer’s ideal width for all round shortboard or general wave conditions. (Daily Driver)
. Same thickness as generally ideal for the customers weight.
Example: if you ride 6’2” x 18 ½” x 2 ¼” HP Shortboard of Average to good level rider . You will ride 5’8” x 18 ½” x 2 ¼” MPH .
THE FUTURE:“There’s no doubting the Modern Planing hull’s efficiency and I feel the future of high performance surfing is wide open! In a rapidly growing and diversifying time period, the rules of the game are constantly being stretched and broken and i feel the time has come for the shortboard to evolve to the needs of the most radical and freeminded athletes. And, with advancements in material technology to aid our quest to defy to laws of physics….. there’s no telling what the future holds.The Modern Planing Hull is a foundation of endless possibilities, broad enough for all designers to add their own creative flair for the future”. Enjoy……Tomo (2010-10-28).
* And here's a little sample of the future. the one on the Right is a Tomo 5'4 x 18". in Krypt Technology Carbon fibre.
ORDER NOW FOR 2011
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3 comments:
The future looks bright, I'm stoked to be along for the ride.
Looks like a windsurfing board shape. I have a formula board from the year 2001 with same lines.
the hulls in the books were designed for flat water. a wave face, with turning too, is quite a bit different. bet tomo surfes exactly the same on his regular shortboards prior to his new stuff
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