Howzit guys. I’m looking for some advice and ideas on me making a “retro CI type single finish” board. I’m wanting a board that I can move around on and still keep a loose feel, but something that wont be like a shortboard to catch waves on. I have a 5’8" fish, so I’m thinking something in the 6’5"ish range for this single fin. Maybe something really thick - 2 3/4" to 3" or so. I’m looking for a fun type board I can do the shortboard stuff on, but wont have to work AT ALL for waves on. I’m not looking for a ton of speed either. I’m hoping that by asking for advice here, I can get a ton of ideas thrown around and maybe come up with something eventually. Right now, I’m thinking about staying extremely close to the CI template. I’m 100% open to suggestions.
I am ghost shaping and working at a glassing shop in the South Bay, no longer at Proctor. PM me if you wanna know who, as I dont think I’m supposed to say
In any case, not really a funboard - I have a 7’2" funboard. I’m wanting something that surfs much like the green board in Thicker Than Water (I think that’s the one, maybe Shelter) does. Ive heard the CI single works pretty much the same. I’m not wanting to go as short as my fish, but at the same time get the float and looseness of a smaller board. Does that make sense?
I’m digging the single fin, I’m just not sure how I should be fine tuning this board.
Single fin good, but at 5" longer than a tri fin, barely makes up the paddling and wave catching.
Just personal experience, but I, as a lightweight, catch waves better with a 6’ tri fin than a wide, funboard of 6’6", as I can drop my head and move the smaller board easier, while only paddling speed propels the 6’6"er.
You’re bigger, of course, and younger, so it might be different.
So you’ve been riding your 7’2", and don’t like its turning radius?
I haven’t seen ThickerTW, but isn’t it the surfer who makes the board look good? And given head high plus waves, almost any board can be made to look good.
Hey Brian i have 6’9’’ CI Singlefin and i think that this photo will give an idea of the rocker, foil and template.
And this otherone about the bottom (deep single concave at the center and close to the nose, and DEEP double concaves at the tail, a la Bonzer, with vee).
There’s a resurgence of short singles lately. Most run the tail width 13-13.5 inches, wide point 19-19.5 inches, smooth rail template curve to a wide point centered, or slightly forward, rear rocker 2.25 inches (give or take a quarter inch), 5 inches front rocker, no hard rails in front of the fin.
People that really know what they’re doing add spiral vee to make the rail line as good as possible.
It’ll catch waves and turn even easier with my fin system.
That green board in ThickerTW looks like it rides pretty awful to me. You can do better.
McTavish describes it as adding Vee at the rocker corner where central rocker transitions to rear rocker. This smooths out the rail line at a fairly critical point, slightly in front of the fin.
If anyone else is interested here is McTavish’s explanation.
"The bottom shape that really works is like this. Nose vee, into flat, into tail vee. But there’s a little more to it. The tail vee is only a swelling around the fin, due to the straightish rocker into the fin and the radical little tail kick. So the rail rocker line is a nice curve due to the vee. get it? Have a look at one closely and you’ll see what I mean. The vee has gone by the time you get to the very end. Some people call it the spiral vee. It’s the only way it can all add up.
