Sepiida
I’ve been interested in the notion of active hydrodynamics changing the performance characteristics of how a board performs throughout the duration of riding a wave since I started shaping. Having previously built active robotic ornithopter wings that change structure during flight, traveling down this research path was only natural. While I understand the characteristics that a flexible tail presents given the valuable findings of previous generations, I was keen to explore the value that a dynamic flexible rail-line would present. Thus far, I have realized that it allows the board to have two personalities, one of a wider small-wave board and one of a narrower “good wave” board. The rail will flex away when you need less width, then provide torsional drive to redirect when you need more speed.
Named after the highly intelligent shape shifting mollusk, the Sepiida is my 5th iteration of flex-rail design. In comparison to my earlier flex-rail designs, I’ve made the rocker more gradual, made the outline straighter and narrower, and moved the flex panels closer to the bottom rail which created a less extreme transition between the inner rail line and the outer rail line.