Folk’s - I need sum input on an idea I’m think n of putting into reality.
Ok, I got a arctic mabile fish blank -it’s six two x 25". Not sure the rocker specs, but it night have a tad or so over three and five eighths of nose rocker, and prob a inch and a half tail rocker… and! We got a “staged curve” rocker!!! I’m kinda stoked man! I mean, I heard these staged curves rockered boards jam! Now heres my idea:
Board design for fast semi-hollow beach breaks. Here goes: I’m think n of putting my front foots “sweet spot” a little above center. I’m thinking of doing a fourteen and three quarter inch width for nose as I want board to hopefully generate speed and energy at the beach break… we’ll put a fifeteen and a quarter squash tail -with a width at the very back about eight and a half wide…
Now on bottom contours, I’m envisioning a slight rolled bottom -with a possible concave v in v panels… but somethin tells me a rolled v might ride freeier? The rails I want on it are low and kinda hard… oh, and this is going to be a quad. Ill set my front twins at eleven or so, and a inch and a quarter in rail, and tow in around three sixteenth… the rear quads I want more inboard and straight r…rocker in nose ill leave stock. The tail kick I think I should put a bit more kick behind the fins? Now, I just would like to know what setup for my quadz should make my “fishkie” model fly at za beach!!? Oops, I forgot to mention I want board around twenty and a quarter at my widepoint. Upfront, I got around a size twelve foot, so I’m hoping like hell the damn thing will zigzag on my turns!!? Lol. And pls folk’s if you are also into non-mainstream designs do show or describe what type of boards you prefer over the norm. Tia
I just made this out of what used to be an 8’ bonzer that got broken where the nose is now. It ended up about 5’11 and the outline isn’t too far off what you are describing I think, though maybe wider up front and narrower in the tail. the bottom is a shallow concave up front into a bonzer tail (obviously). Not much rocker. So far it works pretty well in the conditions you descibe. less well in mush, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how small a wave I’ve been able to catch on the thing. I’ve got big feet also I don’t have much trouble moving it around even with all the width.
Good job Sir! I’ll type in more ltr im zonked! T c
I’m back! Here’s a drawing of a
board I shaped about fifteen
yrs ago, or more? Sadly I didn’t take a pic of it. But I’m hoping to track it down at the beach one day. But here’s my drawing of what I built.
The dims were: 5’9"x 19 1/4" 11" nose x 15 1/2" tail, widepoint back 1", and I pulled the swallow tail in bcuz
I wanted it to hopefully do sharp turns. I also added xtra kick at a foot up from tip at tail end, I added about 1/4" of v in front of fins… in my nose section - about fifeteen inches down I put around an eighth inch of v, but I rolled it as I was think n it would help…flat bottom and a low med hard rail
Through most of board. I put a slight rolled edge started at nose and it faded out to almost entry rocker area… in front of my fins I made it as hard as humanely possible… the rail was low reminiscent of late 60’s boards as it’s what I got from a donor beat up board I got n stripped down. Anyhow, I sold it for $140.00 to a friends - friend. Sadly I didn’t get to try her out:(! But I was stoked to see the buyer out surfing every one outhere at the beach break. Anyway, when he came in I asked how he liked the board, and that I shaped it. Then he says you gotta make more! Sadly, I lost my shaping tools, stands, calipers- everything short my planer bcuz a control freak where I stayed decided it was junk…lucky my planer was stored in my bed rm. But yeah, alternative boards I’ve always liked!
I was watching sum surf vids the other day of a few guys who tend to surf or build non-mainstream designs… ci surfboards, Greg Griffin, Haut, Pearson Arrow, Steve Colleta natural curves boards, Stretch, tomo etc… I think it’s cool! I personally don’t think five fins are a breakthrough…I think it look like a thruster with two xtra side bites…not even necessary. A.it might add more weight/drag… b. It might make board less responsive c. It’s possible gimmick. Otoh - alternative boards can be modified twins , twin finner, twinzer etc…prob better boards.
Hi there…if you don’t currently work for a surf mag you should send in a resume. Quite a bit of spin in your comments…and all of your non-mainstream shapers are “mainstream”…
.really…CI not mainstream…ha ha…the biggest brand in the world bro… go out to the shed and build that board! Forget about CI and Tomo and others…
Those not “mainstream” Tomo boards are sold by Firewire!..too much fun.
You want to look at a non-main stream board? Stoker V Machines by Dead Shaper. Also Tom Morey has a really interesting looking shortboard. Another out of left field Board is the McCoy Nugget. I have always been a big fan of Bonzers. They have been an out of the main stream board for 40 years.
Gentlemen - ty for your thoughts! W out feedback boards will not be going anywhere.
Question to you surfers: have any of you ever tried a old used board you thought would be a pile of cr_p- but it was fun as hell to ride?..
Well, it happened to me! And it was on a neo fifties-to-sixties long board! It was as if going in a “time-machine” riding an old log…and get this! My freaking fin looked like an enormasized keel fin tagged at very tip end of tail! Everything in my own head told me beforehand - boards gotta suck. Well, I was WRONG! This thing had magic! I was doing perfect heavy footed bottom turns, swivelie cut backs, nose riding (hangin five), hell - I even knee paddled it! The coolest maneuver I tried was hit n lip…so much swing felt cool for first time…it’s like going back in time, and seeing present. Maybe that’s going to offer clues into a future shape?!
A7’10" hybrid Twinzer squash with a very mellow (~?) rocker through the front 3rd shaped by Rick Hamon in 92.’ Brought it out for a sesh a few weeks back in clean conditions and the thing was fast, quick - snappy despite length, paddled well (low volume - but obviously long). Need to ride it more than once every 10 years. Rember riding it at NB point almost 20 years ago and it handles well in steeper slightly overhead waves.
Sister had bought the board at Leucadia Surf shop, but she left it with me when she moved back east.
Refreshing and surprising. Must be the twinzer set up. Seems real loose and almost jet-like, but still holds well. Doesn’t look like a bitchen board but it rides great.
Crisp - I haven’t tried one yet. That said, I’m not saying they are no good. I’m just saying it’s not any major breakthrough is all. Why? More of anything can sometimes be bad… too much rocker, too much thickness, too many fins… maybe boards are going too far in wrong direction? I think there are other options is all. But don’t sell ur
Five finner bcuz of my post!
Altabrig - that sounds like a fun twinzer you have there! Fyi - I test road a friend of mines seven ten and it was fast! Turns I was not used to as my board was substantially shorter at six four…so I was just jetting shoulder, and doing the old half turn thing (when it’s not turning!)lol. But it did jam + -catch waves easy! I’d say take that twinzer out in solid med size waves that have a lined up wall…ty for info on Twinzer!
Yeah, lined up walls is what it was for the Hybrid (which I guess is an alternative to a shorty). Rides more like a 7’2"-7’4" Squash IMO. Boogies through the fast sections and can still snap top to bottom despite the length (albeit not like a 6’6" squash or round-pin).
My 6’4"X 21" is 2.75 thick and fat (flat deck - long 7’7" blank for bottom contour) and paddles awesome but can be corky out of an off the top or a snap, but is fine through a roundhouse. Bottom has a forward (reverse) v going deep single to double out a swallow tail. Thick rails up front to hard rails in the rear 3rd out the swallow. I guess that is alternative in terms of thickness and bottom contour. Can handle faster and hollow and makes it through flats, but isn’t ideal for either. Can be fun on mushers with good sections and can be an all out rocket ship through fast sections once it is on step with the lift from the deep concaves. Thruster setup.
My 6’3" x19.875" swallow (single to doubleconcave) sinks my 210 lbs up to my pits so it needs to be perfect (no-paddle) take-offs or it sucks. Bad paddler and it is not fun sitting in water up to my shoulders, better in boardshorts at a warm lined up point or clean head high beach break peaks. Fun for riding when waves stand up. Thruster set up. Not enough volume for me most of the time.
Crisp -agreed! I’ll try one from someone who’s done several…I’m just thinking out loud -try n to figure out what I want to create out of my -
Mabile fish blank. Good reads
so far tho!
Update! Here’s the blank I will be scrubbin to shape on weekend! Have to do it on wood n saw horses padded w camping foam… ill post the the tail rocker pre built/bent in blank it’s insane!
Here is blank (pu foam), so ill glass with poly/cat n glass ons…notice the nice tail kick… deck/bottom view…I wont have to take anything off tail- unless I cut a bit off tail end to fit shape. But if at all I prob cut I inch off .and maybe a three off top side (nose).
I think I would like to shape myself a stubby egg shape with a thumb tail? Maybe make a 7’2 or a six ten? Not all of us like to fly out the wave like the pro’s do anyhow…time to - just ride somethin simple.
I’m shaping a modified jet fish right now. I started out wanting to build a retro twin fin, but I decided to do a quad instead.
Here’s a pic of my personal"Jet Fish "which is going to be my ‘go to’ board. I am planting into bottom a - single to double concave, and no v out tips…kick tail on bottom…little flip in nose, but otherwise pretty fishy flat rocker…down rails.:0
The board described in post here I hope to get to soon. It’s basically going to be a psb built on a fish/egg blank. And the plan is to make singles -to five finners! All on the same blank.:))
ill post the the tail rocker pre built/bent in blank it’s insane!
