I’ve read that the bonzer really needs a quite powerful wave to come alive (although there is some dispute about this). We have some decent waves around here, points mainly, however it’s not exactly hawaii. What kind of size an power does it really need? Clean, waist to head point surf would do?
I’ve had a look at quite a few bonzers I could find online, it looks to me like the modern campbell bonzer has a very subtle concave compare to most others (and older) bonzer like eatons f.ex. Does less concave make it more suitable for bigger/smaller waves?
Also, the article on eatonswebpage(http://www.eatonsurf.com/Bonzer.htm) got me thinking. It says there is a low pressure area inbetween the fins due to the concaves. I have always though of concave as a mean of creating lift, rather a high pressure area, from making a concave shallower and narrower through the tail. However, the idea here seems to be to make the concave not only narrower but also deeper through the fin area to draw the flow into this area between the fins. Is this right? Does the concave continue to become deeper aft of the fins? Why? Is the concave between side fins (for a bonzer 5) really necesarry?
Hi Haavard! Iwas up in Norway 5weeks recently in october and november. Got to surf a lot of different in Sogn og Fjordane and Möre og Romsdal area on my Bonzer.
I’d say my bonzer works well in medium and small waves as well, it depends more on the wave shape. To get the bonzer I have to really accellerate and go into fifth gear You need waves that are more hollow and sucky.
I had alot of 1,5-2,5m (wave face) days in the beachbreak Ervika on Stadtlandet, I don’t know if You’ve surfed there but the waves are semihollow very fast with something like 70% closeouts.
Well got some insane speed on those waves and made some sections I don’t know if could have made with a thruster?
Also surfed one day on double overhead waves on one of the reefs on Stadtlandet with my bonzer and got severely overpowered on some big waves. Too much pressure for the concaves on some waves, the whole board sort of started lifting…
One bonzer is probably not like the other, this fin setup and the concaves can probably be varied a lot.
Make one and see if You like it, it’s a drivey board that is a lot of fun but might not suit everyones taste
Good luck
If You need pictures of the setup I can help out but right now my bonzer is in a house 300 km away from me so You might have to wait.
I’ve got a 3 fin Campbell Bros Bonzer (6’5’’ X 20 X 2 3/4) that I like to surf a bunch up here in Santa Cruz. My experience with it has been that it really does need more powerful waves to work right. In smaller/mushier stuff it’s really kinda squirrelly, but when the waves are head high, man that thing rips. Think huge roundhouse cutties.
there re 2 mainly type of bonzers. The “retro” modern stuff and the contemporary shapes
the contemporary are pretty the same shapes like a thruster (outline, rocker, tail area)
I ride with a bonzer 5 10 from waist to 2 m (real) without any problems
but they work better in toobs condition or any beach break; because is like to surf with a thruster shape and a single fin
by the way I surfed (in 1996) 3 years or so in a thruster shape but with a single fin an a stabilizer behind (in line)
and with a bonzer (contemporary shape) you can obtain the same type of looseness; for ex. when you hit the lip and do a floater or a reentry, then when you “land” the board dont lose the speed like a thruster.
you dont need large waves, you need vertical walls or toobs, no matter dee size
I agree that the bonzer likes a steeper wave of any size but I have had a blast on regular beach break waves on mine which is based off of the Merrick Single Fin.
If your surfing point breaks the bonzer is really nice as you have the room to really get it up to speed. If your looking for a bonzer for smaller waves try a Bumble Bee which is very fish like in outline and people swear by them in knee to OH+.
A lot of people don’t like going over to the Surfermag BB but it is probably the best online resource for bonzer information.
Since the Surfermag BB search function can be tricky here are some links to a couple good threads.
I was a team rider for Bing in the Bonzer days - early 70’s - riding mostly Eaton made boards. I had a couple dozen of them back then. I haven’t ridden many more modern ones, although I have friends with them. My friend George has about six of Malcom Campbell’s boards - all guns (he only rides guns).
The boards I had were great on fast, steep waves of all sizes. Sticky on slower waves. Down the line speed and traction were great. Making quick, swoopy turns was a chore. I’d think with a wider tail and more rocker in the backend, you could make them way looser.
Bonzers come alive in steeper surf but I’ve owned excellent small wave Bonzers. I ride 5 fin Bonzers by Malcolm Campbell in a variety of planeshapes. Bonzers take a certain technique to ride but once you figure it out they are highly rewarding in my opinion.
I hope things are going well, I think of you often. I have a 7’6" Campbell egg 5 fin, and I just shaped a 6’10 shortboard based on this. The channels are more subtle than on other bonzers. I posted a measurement recently on the forum. The channel between the side fin set is almost not there.
I find that with bonzers its the wave shape that counts more than the size, They like a good walling face. I have seen the Octafish model ride well in smaller waves.