THE EPS DIXI SPOON

Perhaps you could call this board a real hybrid in the true sense of the word. It certainly looks like one, but indeed does not surf like one. By all reports those that have surfed the Dixi Spoon say it surfs like a performance short board more than a hybrid fish. There are a few integral reasons for this not the least the use of EPS to keep it light and buoyant.
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I couldnt help making this simple looking little plank out of EPS since it is primarily a small wave runner and ripper. Not being so much on the wide side, I figured it needed all the float it could get coz most will want to ride this board short! Also the Dixi has a wider and flatter nose for the rest of its body which for one helps paddle and secondly creates the more parallel plan shape that is the main feature of this design inspired by the current paddle pop plan shapes we are seeing emerge of late.
Perhaps the mechanism creating the short board performance feel to this board is the fin positions.
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With the front fins moved further back than normal – to being closer to the trailors effectively what we call clustering up. This creates more pivot, particularly if you stay back over them. The wider tail of this design also will encourage you to stay back in order to help bight particularly when in tri mode. It is important to ride this board short for all this to work. The position of the trailors is also another mechanism for added pivot. Normal fin set for modern quad trailors is about 2” in from rail, but the Dixi has them over 3” in making the quad turn more pivotal rather than feeling a little trackie…if there is such a word?

IMG_0318Okay with all that pivot going on, what gives this little plank the drive? The parallel plan shape theory is a proven one and this feature surely counters pivot and restores drive when the rail is set. Additionally, the toe in ( the direction the fins are pointing to toward the nose ) of the 4 quad fins lends a shit load to the drive also. Although not totally parallel to the stringer, they are a lot more toed out than standard quads- giving the Dixi no impediment to taking off at speed once on rail. Quad fins that point right at the nose lose drive and become too pivotal.

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The Dixie Spoon I believe has balanced different features in different ways to produce an outcome where a board that paddles well- surfs like a contemporary thruster with extras.

DIMENSIONS
5.8 X 19 7/8 X 2 9/16 = 33.31 LTS
5.10 X 20 1/8 X 2 5/8 = 35.62 LTS
6.0 X 20 3/8 X 2 11/16 = 37.65 LTS
6.2 X 20 5/8 X 2 ¾ = 39.7 LTS
6.4 X 20 7/8 X 2 13/16 = 42.08 LTS