rocker angles

ok i'm lookin at the viva and the mana and i know that the mana has a higher degree of tip/tail angle compared to the viva...the mana is like 10.8 compared to 9.4 on the viva does that mean that the mana will get a higher "straight up kick" compared to the viva??

The way Ronix describes rocker is great (inches + degrees). It really gives a better clue on how a board rides. Subjective rocker descriptions like three stage, continuous, aggressive continuous, super-duper-mega three-stagelicious (I made the last up) are just words. Ronix not only tells you how much rocker, but where the rocker is located. A higher angle means that the bulk of the rocker is located at the tip and tail. A lower angle means that the inches of rocker are spread more evenly along the board.

To answer you question, no board will send you up, down or round and round. It is all about the rider. The main difference between a low and high angle has to do with drag. A higher angle will increase the suction off the tail of the board and be considerably slower. Both are actually middle of the road speed-wise. I prefer the Viva (and I am an up and down type of rider), but for entirely different reasons than the discussion above. They are both great boards.

Justin that might be the best description of rocker ever!

I have never ridden the viva but the mana has got to be on the slow end. dont get me wrong i loved everything about how it edged/popped/etc. except how gliding when flat felt like riding through silly putty. Great board, just too slow for my taste.

also, dont mean to contradict justin, but if the belly of the board is flatter wouldnt that make it fast? the old HL drive claimed to be continuous but had the flattest belly ever and felt like gliding on ice. loved that!

Flater, less curved boards tend to ride faster. just hop on an older continuous board and you will see. because wakes have gotten bigger, no one makes boards with tiny rockers otherwise they'd nose dive.

The flat spot is not a problem in of itself making the board go slower, or rather it is not the only thing. the flat spot gives the board two transitions at each end of the flat spot- two curves and a flat spot (thus "threestage)

It is more difficult for water to smoothly traffic and glide over/through these transitions

also the board is not riding directly on the belly's center but slightly toward the back end. the water hits that flat spot more like a wall (exaggeratedly speaking).
see crude pick bellow



**too much of a transition for the flow to smoothly go around in comparison

The angle alone will slow a board. a 3 stage and a continuous with the same rocker (in inches) will have very different angles. the threestage will have a greater angle and so, again, the water has to traffic this angle more steeply. Even a super bent continuous will actually be slow, like the older Murray. Angle has a ton to do with the speed. Think of yourself hiking up a hill or mountain with a greater angle than the other, it takes longer even if the distance footed is the same?? right



all this also helps explain the "abrupt" or "agressive" or "less predictable pop" of threestage. Now imagine another image. imagine siting in a rocking chair with a little flat spot in it. as you rock onto that flat spot the whole chair is gona buck. thus giving that renowned "bucking style of pop"
Water and the wake is ever changing and unpredictable ("can you ever stand in the same stream twice") and then to throw in another less predictable factor such as a flat spot gives the board its renowned less predictability.


(Message edited by wakerider111 on May 07, 2009)

if i am flawed in this at all, please correct me

ok guys thanks for the input this is what i wanted to hear for sure!

Justin - you say you like the viva...can that board also be ridden less hard (don't have to ride it like a wide open missle) sometimes because i know chad made the board cuz he wanted to carry out further in the flats? does that mean everytime no matter how much input you put on the edges you gonna get launched? this is prolly a dumb question btw i just want the assurance lol

Taylor, you can ride the Viva soft and wake to wake and take it easy, its very smooth and forgiving. If you look at alot of Chads more tech ticks he still goes big wake to wake.
But when you start getting more aggressive to the wake the mana shoot you up but also out (still very smooth). Where as something like the mana will transfer that speed more up and up at the wake. But you can still take it way out into the flats with a little bit more effort.

There are some good explanations of rocker lines on this thread. Its funny to think that years ago, 3-stage was just a way to try and speed up a board with a steep rocker and look what it turned into.

ok good to know...i want a board that i can take out in the flats but something smooth i can take wake to wake such as my backroll i'm trying to land at the moment (don't wanna take it out in the flats just yet lol) i think i'm gonna end up with the viva if i can ride it easy but send a 3 out in the flats when i want to