I have a 6' i want to turn in to a 5'10. If I cut the swollow tail off and turn it in to a box tail, what is the result?
Stiffens the board up. Although losing a swallow may not make that much difference, moving even an inch makes a dramatic difference in how a board performs.
Do it for science m8, let us know how it goes. I used to do things like that in the 80's/90's, but from the nose...& surfed boards with a missing fin quite a few times coz the surf was too good to repair my one board quiver in time for the next day. You could do that no prob before fin boxes & epoxy. People would comment on how loose the board was 
+1 on Mr Drips comment...hey Drip you heading to the next Hotter than Hell again? Not as good as this years imo, but Frenzal are playing, I'm pretty much just going to see them 
Select to expand quotethedrip said..
Stiffens the board up. Although losing a swallow may not make that much difference, moving even an inch makes a dramatic difference in how a board performs.
I thought increasing tail length from fins would make it harder to turn the board (stiffen)? and decreasing the length between the end of the tail and the middle fin would increase responsiveness?
I was thinking of carving off an inch of the nose too and tapering it the sides to look like a normal nose shape.
Reducing the tail length relative to the fin position reduces the pivot point - therefore it is harder to turn the board off your back foot.
I don't think taking an inch or two off the nose will do anything at all. Look at your nose rocker - the front 3-4 inches of the board should be out of the water 95% of the time - so taking an inch off that is not in contact with the water will do nothing.
PS - I tried this when I was about 15yo. Tried to turn an old 7'2" single fin into a 5'10" twinny by cutting 14" off the tail. Surfed as good as it looked - like a pig! 
Select to expand quotedrewpweiner said..thedrip said..
Stiffens the board up. Although losing a swallow may not make that much difference, moving even an inch makes a dramatic difference in how a board performs.
I thought increasing tail length from fins would make it harder to turn the board (stiffen)? and decreasing the length between the end of the tail and the middle fin would increase responsiveness?
I was thinking of carving off an inch of the nose too and tapering it the sides to look like a normal nose shape.
Exactly what GPA said about the nose. Except for excruciatingly late drops that inch will make absolutely zero difference in performance.
As far as your instinct goes, wrong I am afraid. Fun forward = responsive (a little less drive) Fin back = stiffer (but more drive).
You need to surf any board with a fun box so you can play around and go, "Oh my god...that small a change makes THAT much difference in performance." An inch really does make a big difference.
But like I said, does the swallow really equal the back of the board, or is it the vee on the stringer that is the true back? I dunno.
like MickPc said, do it for science and let us know.
GPA - that sounds truly horrid. It'd probably be a collector piece now if you hadn't taken the saw to it.
Mick, the missus and I looked at the line up for Hotter and think we will be giving it a miss. Now The Mark Of Cain next Thursday night? I am there. Sooooo pumped to see those boys again. And most of Fugazi too...
I have an eight foot singo in a box. Moving the fin from the front of the box to the back changes how the board goes dramatically. Further forward its to loose on the back hard All the way back and I can't turn it on my forehand.
Select to expand quotethedrip said...
Mick, the missus and I looked at the line up for Hotter and think we will be giving it a miss. Now The Mark Of Cain next Thursday night? I am there. Sooooo pumped to see those boys again. And most of Fugazi too...
Yeah no way near as good as this years, but its worth it just for Frenzal Rhomb imo love those guys.
Mark of Cain & Fugazi, didn't hear about that one. That will be worth the drive to Perth for sure...havagood1 m8 
Re: Reducing nose length I should of added it wasn't for science so much but to just have something to surf after snapping the nose off. I used to break so many boards back then they were lucky to last 6 months.
