Select to expand quoteImax1 said..Shifu said..Imax1 said..
I have to agree with Sandman . Do the experiment . Get two boards , one with domed or flat deck , the other with sunken mast track . Connect a mast extension and bend it sideways until it hits the rail . There will be an angle difference. Not much in a scooped deck but a lot in a board with high rails and sunken track . This angle has to have an effect on the vulnerability of the rail . How can this be disputed ? In the real world I don't think a scooped deck will make much difference but a sunken track with high rails , especially if climbing onto the board to uphaul , sitting on the board , letting the mast hit the rails and getting washed in shorebreak ???
On another note , why don't wave boards have sunken mast tracks ? Surely they can benefit from better control , more rigidity, less weight up front and no difference in strength ? Obviously I'm missing something and waveboards don't need these , "must have" , huge improvements .
I have popcorn , discuss 
It's a gimmick.
In a couple years decks will be flat again for superior handling , strength , rigidity, user friendliness whilst saving the planet even more . Next , due to superior advancements in shaping concepts , our team can now design boards without the necessity of complex and heavy multi stage cutouts . Creating a smoother more laminar flow character derived from nature which will increase dynamics providing a unique riding experience resulting in better handling , improved speed and light weight whilst reducing our carbon footprint .
It'll return to flat to get more volume so fins have half a chance of competing against foils 
I've seen boards with damage on the deck near the rail on the raised part, so its not a fantasy. I'm wondering why that damage happened.
It took me while to go through my videos to find this still, but it you climbed on the board with the sail under the water would a recessed deck so lower mastbase put more pressure under the mast onto the board? 80cm wide and 125l. Flat deck.
I uphaul this board more than my other and there are no dings on the deck. I dont actually drop the sail or fall in much on this board though, and can water start the 8.5m with a bit of effort.
The Ezzy mastpads look thicker than some other brands. It could be the damaged boards I've seen have had a sails with thinner pads, something on the extension connected with the board, a lot of climbing back on board, light and fragile board or whatever.
With the weight of the sailor climbing on the board, tilting it, and the weight of all the water on the sail, would a recessed deck give more pressure under the mast? Anyone want to volunteer and stick a finger under the mast? 
ps. I agree with whoever said slalom boards are designed for racing and not longevity, and are inconvenient tacking, but thats not what the are designed for. Freerace boards to a lesser extent, but freeride boards dont need them.
Going back to the opening of post of which boards dont have them, Surfmag put this in their slalom v freerace test and Tabou didnt favour recessed decks. But now I think they do, on both Manta and larger Rocket+.
Select to expand quotePhilUK said..
I've seen boards with damage on the deck near the rail on the raised part, so its not a fantasy. I'm wondering why that damage happened.
It took me while to go through my videos to find this still, but it you climbed on the board with the sail under the water would a recessed deck so lower mastbase put more pressure under the mast onto the board? 80cm wide and 125l. Flat deck.
I uphaul this board more than my other and there are no dings on the deck. I dont actually drop the sail or fall in much on this board though, and can water start the 8.5m with a bit of effort.
The Ezzy mastpads look thicker than some other brands. It could be the damaged boards I've seen have had a sails with thinner pads, something on the extension connected with the board, a lot of climbing back on board, light and fragile board or whatever.
With the weight of the sailor climbing on the board, tilting it, and the weight of all the water on the sail, would a recessed deck give more pressure under the mast? Anyone want to volunteer and stick a finger under the mast?
I put my fingers between the mast and board, the mast puts a lot of pressure on the deck especially when a wave rocks the board while sail is in the water, so be careful! But I was able to see how the mast point of contact changed on the deck with a 3/4" mast base shim made out of 1/4" PVC, shim moved point of contact off of concave deck ridge onto a flattish section of the deck closer to the rail, and because I added deck padding along the sides of the mast track, the mast no longer point loads on the deck.
So you lift the mast base ever so slightly and the point of contact becomes a little closer to the rail ?
Well done sir
Select to expand quoteMr Hooper said..
So you lift the mast base ever so slightly and the point of contact becomes a little closer to the rail ?
Well done sir
I'm still with Sandman . We understand the mast will hit somewhere and we should be careful . Look at the pic above from Phil laying in the water . In that situation if the mast base was sunk and the rails were high , the mast would be bashing on the rail trying to lift the board . We've all been in that situation where the mast tip may be underwater a foot . That would be lifting the board up at an angle .On a domed deck the mast may not even be touching .
The correct answer to the original question is not , don't crash ! I'd also like to use a palm on forehead button because I don't understand why some don't understand angles and leverage. In the real world , by average people , doing average silly things , how much more vulnerable ? I'm not sure , but it will be more than negligible .
Keeping the stoke alive
Select to expand quoteImax1 said..Mr Hooper said..
So you lift the mast base ever so slightly and the point of contact becomes a little closer to the rail ?
Well done sir
I'm still with Sandman . We understand the mast will hit somewhere and we should be careful . Look at the pic above from Phil laying in the water . In that situation if the mast base was sunk and the rails were high , the mast would be bashing on the rail trying to lift the board . We've all been in that situation where the mast tip may be underwater a foot . That would be lifting the board up at an angle .On a domed deck the mast may not even be touching .
The correct answer to the original question is not , don't crash ! I'd also like to use a palm on forehead button because I don't understand why some don't understand angles and leverage. In the real world , by average people , doing average silly things , how much more vulnerable ? I'm not sure , but it will be more than negligible .
Keeping the stoke alive
Thanks Imax1!, now I remember why I can not see hoops posts!
