My buddy got his new fish today from a “professional” shaper. He calls me up to come over and have a look. We stand it up agianst the wall to get a better look but she won’t stand up straight. So we straighten her out and there is a 5/8-3/4" difference between the two tail points. First will this have a diverse affect on the boards performance? I didn’t think so until I started thinking that maybe the fins are off as well. Not sure about that. Second, I thought it ironic that someone would fudge something that much. poor quality like that is only making the asian boards look that much better! Third, it got me thinking…about a purposefully designed assymetrical fish. Is there any reason not to? I think it could be interesting. I was thinking a longer front side rail and shorter backside by about 2-3". What thinks ye?
You can do it, and it will work fine, but you’ll never be able to sell it.
Possibly worse, your body adapts to little stuff like “3/4 inch” length diffs, and also 4-6" wide point diffs, so you end up with a bad looking board that works about the same as a symetrical board.
If you need asyms, maybe a removable fin, via fin box, is the best call.
LeeDD, I can see what you mean about the fins, but I surf differently front and back side. I was wondering if adjusting the back side rail (shorter) would increase it’s performance. Y’know, like hypothetically moving the foot further back without actually moving it. Seems like rail to rail may be more responsive on the back side. ???
i saw a shape someone made awhile back that was half retro fish / half thruster shortboard…i think it was some florida shaper, but i don’t recall which.
Long Time San Diego Surfer/ Skater Henry Hester told me he loved asym fish and rode them through the 70’s and early eighties before he switched to Twinzers. He had about 15 of them and said they went great in his favorite right handers in Mex. All were shaped by a now famous LA Jolla Shaper. MDM
You wouldn’t happen to have some pics would ya?
I’ll ask him. I know he still has one in storage. MDM
Sweet! Thanks! By the way, who’s the famous shaper?
What’s the deal with pics of asym boards? Been done, then abandoned, by every shaper or surfer who tried it.
THEN ABANDONED! That’s the operative word!
If you are still shaping your first 30 boards, or are still in your first 5 years of surfing, go make/get yourself one. Make an asym board!
Then the next board, you will ABANDONE that idea.
LOL!
…there was one posted at forum.surfermag a long time ago …the aptly named "frankenfish " . Not sure if the ‘search’ facility there will “bring it up” , but maybe even a “google search” might locate it ? [has it been posted here before, or maybe at shaperoom ? …a lot of that going on ]
hope this helps !
ben
ps - [according to google] , the offending ‘fish’ was posted there around the 26th october … under the heading " Frankenfish for halloween"… give me a minute or two…
okay … found it !! [ good ol’ “Rolliges” [from here and surfer] posted it at forum.surfermag on the 26th october , 2004… thanks , Rob !]…
[I hope you don’t mind me reproducing it here Rob ?]
ben
That one must be diffcult to ride! I mean it has two fins on one side and only one fin on the other side. I wonder how many got sold…
Jimmy Yoshio Shibata
i made my fish with an assymetrical tail cuz i have a week back side it sounds like ur board is simmilar to mine and yeah i havn’t ridden mine yet(or glassed it yet cuz it has been a cold winter here)
Here’s an asy kneeboard I made w/ CF bottom. It’s half of a twin fin fish, and the other half the swallow shape was inverted. I surf a lot of shore breaks and it goes right pretty much like a sym. board, but the big difference is when I turn left by pulling up on the rail this thing has a turning radius of about a foot and I lose very little speed. Going right it’s got the speed and trim of a normal kneeboard but turning hard left it’s got the turning qualities of a skim board.
That thing is so bitchen!
Don’t matter if you gots 9 fins on one side, and one on the other.
Your body gets used to it in about 10 waves, your mind, which should be working, should know about it’s characteristics before the first wave.
Asyms are OK if you ride ONE wave all the time, never travel, never vary, get bored.
Check the level on the floor? If level name your board “Ilean”
in my dream quiver i drew up (if i lived some where close to the ocean with a large variety of waves like hawaii) i made an asym. tow in bonzer withh a tail like a fish looks weird as hell cuz on tthe opposite side it has three stingers
…i think all of us are assymetrical beings. here there is two assymetrical surf boards. i love both of them, the old freeline was shaped by Jhon Mell, i paid 60 us $ on a Santa Cruz west-shore yard-sale, cup of years ago, kind of half fourfin, whith a twin, goofyfooters riding left ones. Whith an unstable back side but you will get lot of fun on your front side, loosing tail, snaps…the other one was shaped last year by myself down south mexico, thas different stuff, goofy footers riding whatever. 5´11" -21´. so much fun, fast, easy heavy grap rails cutbacks. i prefer , i mean, i feel more comfortable riding round tails on my back side, so thats all about, an assymetrical custom made surf boards, even the fins are differents shapes.
i hope this can help you and sorry for my english, i know it is terrible
hi from the spanish north shore
