New shaper from Goa India, this is my second board 1st was a 6,6 classic fish so almost no experience at all so all tips most welcome, anyways i got mostly small waves (knee to chest high on a good day) shore brakes which is my local wave, any tips for rocker/bottom contours i want something I can catch waves like a long board that’s not so big i need a truck to carry it there. All help and tips please im really unsure if all the mini wave catching hype is real or a good old fish will suite me better.
Mini Simmons are fun boards for small waves, I enjoy them on the East Coast in the US. 5’8" is definitely on the larger size for them, but the volume is typically the selling point for them and if that’s what you want, then it makes sense. I would almost argue that a midlength may be more beneficial to you since it seems that it fits your preferences, but judging by the fact that you previously built a 6’6", I won’t. Mini simmons are very flat. This sometimes makes them look awkward in shaping software since the thickness with the rocker leaves some spots, typically the deck by the tail, to be taken away at an angle leaving it sloped down (search up some pictures if you want). Mini Simmons are fun boards with lots of volume, but putting the volume in the wrong place will make it not so fun. I would say 1.5-2 inches of tail rocker and 2-2.5 inches of nose rocker would be sufficient, but the way the rocker interacts with the board tends to be just as important. Flat equals fast, but the continuous rocker makes it easier to turn. You can have both by making a concave(single under belly)/channels leading to double concave or channels. Be sure to think of tail width as that also plays into speed and maneuverability. Depending on your skill, weight, etc, you may also want to downsize the 5’8"…
Hey thanks for the info, im on the smallish side 5’10 and 64kg was wanting the size for the tiny waves i mostly have to deal with though im getting a template off blending curves so maybe the 5’4 nug or should i go for the 5’0 straight away? also thanks for the belly info was definitely missing that as well as the weird deck shape was looking through a lot of pics (unfortunately i dont know any one with a mini i can inspect) would definitely have thought i was doing something wrong otherwise. Will start gluing my blank on the weekend
I’m roughly the same size and I find a 5’4" to be perfect, so I would think about it. You could always start big and downsize as you see it up close. 5’0" I find it to be good if the waves are strong, since losing the 4 inches takes away the paddling ease you desire with a mini simmons.
