Hi there,
I’m new to shaping, and just have a quick question about a 5’9 lis fish that I’m Shaping at the moment. I have planed the blank down to thickness but think I may taken to much off, the thickness around where my front foot will be is only 2 1/3 thick. I weigh 79kgs. will that be enough volume or am I pushing the limits? Just curious to know before I go any further on it
You are gettin close, but it’ll float you.
Performance will have more to do with your rocker/fins.
Looks more like a modern outline but what do I know hahah.
Looks pretty good to me. As far as the float. It should be ok. I assume you are making it around 21-21.5 wide?
21 wide. Just wasn’t too sure about the thickness people seem to go 2 1/2- 3 inch so I thought it might of been a throw away or give it away to someone a lot lighter haha
its defs a bit on the thin side but its jyst a bit under 2.5, it will be just a but more performance like. You still have the planing area to get up and go. worst case, you can sell it after you have tried it for enough to pay for new materials for the next one. best case you love it.
I have a 5’7" X 20" fish that’s only two inches thick. It’s 23 litres. (I have an immersion tank so this is an accurate number) I am 67kg. The thing doesn’t paddle that great but it catches waves just fine and once I’m up and riding it goes like a raped goat. Pretty much the fastest board I’ve ever ridden. The way I see it a lot of fishes are too thick for my liking; i.e. they’re made as small wave grovellers rather than performance boards for a wide range of waves. The thing with a fish design is that you basically have skim board under your front foot. Mine has a fairly flat rocker and a flat bottom which adds to the speed factor. You’ve got 12kg on me, but with the extra length, width and thickness I reckon it’ll go fine. These boards are traditionally ridden as twins, although I have a quad set-up as well which is a bit more versatile but not quite as fast and loose as the twin. Go for the twin and prepare to have your mind blown!
Find the steeper waves! Looks a lovely shape, nice work!
The way I see it a lot of fishes are too thick for my liking; i.e. they’re made as small wave grovellers rather than performance boards for a wide range of waves.
I don’t think your riding a “fish” but maybe some variation. if you look at what lis did with the fish you couldn’t call it anything but performance. fast hollow waves. Back to the what is a fish debate…
So what IS a fish anyway? 
Actually on a serious note I think that’s a very good point. I haven’t made myself one yet, but notice SO many of them down the beaches and they always look like a huge chunk of foam made shorter with a chopped tail, and watching them in the water they look like a foamy rental board the way they move and float, big boxy rails etc. I am all for each to his own, but my preference is always for a thinner board, would rather add a bit of width or length before making it a doorstep. But again, each to his own
Just looking at the outline; I would say you did a very nice job especially for a first Shape. A lot guys who have shaped for years can’t do that nice a job on a butt crack. You guys and your Kilograms. No Patriotic American would ever speak in terms of Kilograms. It’s a natural tendency to over-shape on your first few boards. Invest in or make yourself a set of calipers. One of your five most important tools in the shaping bay. I don’t know how you went about it; but next. Time try taking the Blank down to within 1/8-1/4 inch(sorry no millimeters here) before cutting the outline. Then sand and screen it down to final thickness after you have cut out the outline and turned the rail. You will lessen your chances of getting it to thin by overshaping this way. A tad thin, but should go great. Lowel
Now you can do like all the other first Noobs on this site and attempt to do the most complicated multi-colored popcicle type glass job with ten fins and glitter that has not ever been done before. And you can ask the resident pros on the site a bezillion questions on how to do every intricate detail. Lol. Nothing personal. Just stating the “Norm” on Sways
Get ready for some burn-thru experiences on that tail with your 20000watt sander on full blast
It looks like a really nice shape from here! Be careful though setting it up on the tips… most of us would likely sit it on the nose and take a pic with it upside down. Swallow tips without support from a stringer are vulnerable to damage.
