"Some general hull building info:
Typical outline dimensions, depending on how much drive versus manueverability you want, range from 16" x 21.5"(+5) x 15" (manueverable) to 18.75" x 22.5" (+10) x 15" (drive). Bascially, the more drive, the more nose area and further up the wide point. The further up the wide point, the wider it needs to be in the center to keep the tail wide enough as the outline curve tapers in. 15" is a safe tail width a foot up. Build forward from that number for most mainland small wave conditions. That's a good constant for a hull with no tail V.
If you want to use V, go up to 15.5" or even 16". Keep the V ahead of the fin. V behind the fin adds too much rocker to the rail line in the back. No drive. V in front of the fin flattens the middle rail rocker line, making the board fly out of turns. However, V kills the forward trim capability of hulls. Turns the board into more of a tail rider. Personal taste determines which is better.
6'8" to 7'8" is a comfortable length range, but not limited to that. 3" is a safe thickness, but you have to use a triplane or domed deck to keep the rails thin enough. Resist the temptation to go thinner with a flat deck. The bouyancy of the center area is what get these boards rolling in smaller conditions. If you want thinness, put it in the rails and tail. And keep the rails at least 60/40 or higher until the last 24" to 18". Rocker low...4-5" in the nose. 1-2" in the tail. A slight straight spot running through the middle. Avoid evenly curved rocker schemes.
Tail shape can range from anything from hard square to squash to arc to full roundtail to round pin. Swallows and pins don't seem to work on hulls for surf under 8'.
Use a fin box. Fin shape and placement are pretty important, and every board is different...so give yourself a chance to fool around and see what works for you in your surf. Most hulls like a 9" Greenough/Liddle/Frye fin between 8" and 14" up. Stick with the rear measurement in the beginning. The hulls with fins all the way up are used on proven shapes ridden in good point surf. Put the box 7" up, that will give you plenty of lattitude. Glass over the fin box if you want it to last.
Single 6oz. top and bottom, with either a 4 or 6 deck patch in the middle 3' of the board. Weight isn't super critical with flat rocker and a hull bottom. Use a sanded 320 W/D finish. It helps to water flow stay wetted out. Volan cloth is more durable, especially on boards that bend and twist a little bit. S-Cloth stiffens the structure, so use it sparingly.
The classic S-deck displacement hull, like this circa 1998 7'2" Paul Gross Designed Hull, has a 9" Greenough Stage IV fin, set 14" up from the tail at the trailing edge of the fin. The extreme forward placement is NOT intended to "loosen it up," but to allow the forward rail line to bury into a turn. The entire board (rocker, rails, and hull) is designed around this concept. It appears radical, but in fact it's carefully balanced. The thickness flow on this 7'2" Paul Gross Designed Hull is 1.625" one foot back from the nose, 3" in the center, 1.75" one foot up from the tail.
The tight, parallel track is unique to these boards. They are very fast down the line, but weak in vertical performance." -- Paul Gross (Swaylocks Resources)
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