Hi, I’m new to swaylocks, but i love it already. i currently ride a fish, 6’3’’ x 21 x 2 1/4 but i dont really like it. its great for catchin waves early, small surf and straightling, but i cant seem to surf it off a rail. i’ve always wanted a bonzer five fin, but not sure if i’ll get on with it. i’d shape it myself if i did get one,but what size should i go for? i’m 6’5’’ and i weigh about twelve stone.
Sounds like you are from a place where you will wear alot of rubber? I have 5 bonzers and am 6’3" 200lbs without the 6mm i am usually wearing. The shortest 5 fin bonzer I can ride with all that rubber is a 6’7", 21.25 wide and 2.75 thick. If i can manage in a 3mm, I ride either a 6’4" MR twin or 6’5" 3 fin bonzer bumblebee.
Your Fish is too thin for one. I’ve seen guy’s rip on them that are 6’0 tall and 11 stones ride 5’10 x 21" x 2 5/8".
2 1/4" is way too thin for you. Maybe that’s why you don’t enjoy it? Lack of Volume.
You don’t say where you surf or describe your waves.
Although I’m a bonzer addict, I have to admit that they like a good clean wave. So if you mostly surf junk there are better options for a main board. I’m only 5’8" and 175lb and I can throw my 7’6" Bonzer egg around pretty well on a good wave, so a mid length egg would serve you well. My main board is a 6’6" bonzer egg.
There are pictures on my blog
hi sorry, i surf mainly at whitsands, cornwall. sometimes it can be cranking, but its fickle. when its good on the north coast i go to newquay or somewhere around there. my fish is fine for the mushy crap, and if its proper small, i ride my 9’0’’ longboard i made. i want the bonzer for nipplehigh plus waves. i surf a lot of beachies so duckdive-ability is a big factor… (and in my last post there’s a typo… sraightling - straightlining… sorry)
p.s I weigh 81.7 kg and wear a 5/3 wetsuit all winter.
So i’m guessin ‘ll need a 6’8’’ or something. what dimensions would be best for me?
If i were your size, that is what i would go with. Maybe 2.75" thick and 20.5" wide. Have you given any thought to the nose and tail? Maybe go to bonzer5.com and look at their board gallery?
the dimensions of the nose and tail? no, not thought about that. was just gonna use an average thruster template. would that work?
as a long time? bonzer rider(since 1990)-----bonzers are about the bottom contours not so much the outlines. i ride eggy and full shape bonzers (five fin) my son rides a basic thruater with five fin and concaves in stead of the three fin thruster set up and loves it. so what ever numbers you would like for the outline and then add the bonzer bottom and then go search for the 'sacred 5th gear" you’ll know when you find it!
my latest is an 8’3" epoxy(RR) and mako EPS egg from my local shaper , brian wynn-----first rides today 2-3foot and offshore–very zippy board think i’m going to like it(o, i’m 61 and 100kilo)
alright, so i’m goin with 6’8… gonna get a profiled blank from homeblown. what rocker do i want? i was thinkin these dimensions: 
but was thinkin of reducing the rocker, maybe 1.7’’ tail rocker 4’’ nose rocker?
Quote:
my latest is an 8’3" epoxy(RR) and mako EPS egg from my local shaper , brian wynn-----first rides today 2-3foot and offshore–very zippy board think i’m going to like it(o, i’m 61 and 100kilo)
Beware: Thread high-jacking in progress
I just had Brian shape me a quad fish and I love it. So I was thinking of getting a Bonzer from him next. I don’t know much about them, but have read that they are great in hollow surf, fast, and offer a very different feel. How do you find the Bonzer in our Jersey surf? I was thinkging about a shortboard template. I want something for fast hollow days. Something about 6’2" with a little extra width and volume. Basically, I’m looking for your impression of bonzers in Jersey surf and Brian’s bonzers. Thanks!
hey, go make your own post!! while we’re on the subject, anyone got any dimensions/ templates for bonzer fins? (5 fins)
Go to the True Ames site, some good pics with measurements for the side runners as well as the center fin.
generally i find bonzers in jersey surf by looking down at my feet ;-0 however i have found that they really like steep takeoffs and walls, and while both are not that common in jersey they still really go when you get the hang of them. i’ve had bonzer shapes from point blanks, steve seabold, malcom campbell and now brian wynn. over the past 16 years i’ve found that they just plain suit my style of surfing no matter where i have been–panama, costa , hatteras and herre at home----i just like them a lot…first impression of the new Wynn board is that it’s going to be a good one-paddles well and is quite zippy on the wave face…we’ll see