What are the performance characteristics of a 5 or 6 channel bottom semi gun? Are they better or worse for certain conditions?
The Channels are only in the last 18" or so of the tail , very pronounced and deep. The tail is a rounded pin. Thanks, MDM
Basically, channels loosen up the board where they are placed, so if you like a gun intended for big, serious waves to have a loose and free tail, it will do that.
Then you gotta consider shaping, laminating, sanding, and applying 2 coats of resin to something like that.
To add to Lee’s comments, the channels are very sensitive to water texture. They just don’t handle chop very well. They work great when it is glassy…
So the Channels work more to loosen up the tail rather than provide squirt out of turns? I take it they are a pain to glass and sand and thats why we don’t see many on the racks.
I’m surprised to hear others take on 'em here. I’ve had several absolute identical semi guns made ( exact same measurements, same machine, made side-by side), some with and some without channels. I absolutely did not like the channel bottoms myself. Even though the waves I rode them in were supposed to be ideal for channels: long, walled up, fast, clean, hollow. I talked with another guy who had the same impression I did: it felt like having five or seven fins back there. We compared notes, and for us, it was a loss of looseness and responsiveness. Additional squirt? Not in our experience. I figured it was because the board with the channels was actually thinned out in the tail by the channels, and I actually felt a loss of power and squirt and even trim speed, and even loss of ability to quickly gain speed down the line through a few pumps. The boards balance were thrown off. Maybe if it were thickened first, then brought back down to normal thickness with the channels it would have been ok.
If drive and squirt is you goal, then go double concave exiting out the back into a modifyed flat.
Hanalei is famous for leading shapers there into that direction, as it’s long, connectable, usually shallow and sucking out, so glassy.
I don’t know any shapers who shaped channel bottoms for drive and squirt. Most like the looseness and slideable change of direction, similar to a snowboard on hardpack.
Sounds like the Channel bottom is less than ideal for our conditions here. When it gets big enough to ride a gun/semi gun it is always windy, with side off shore 30mph give or take, lots of current and some sort of chop and texture on the face. Our last big swell was around Christmas and you needed a big board just to stay in the line up. Thanks for the info. MDM
Guys I’ve had a double concave ,six channel and was unreal at ulu never surfed hawaii. but it was great.
So you were the exception!
Ulu might be a different wave with different water conditions than continental USA.
Talking semi guns, just how big was Ulu and what length board?
So would you still ride a 7’6" x 19" channel bottomed semi gun NOW?
Quote:
Guys I’ve had a double concave ,six channel and was unreal at ulu never surfed hawaii. but it was great.
Off topic but ULUs is a bloody screamer of a wave! I watched from the clif on about a 5-6ft swell and it was just awesome, I think Channels would rock out there and at big clean Burlz!
the six channels I’ve seen have all been single fins. And all went unreal ! In glassy burleigh , kirra , angourie , kong’s island and ulus.
The ones I have seen in real life were again being ridden in smooth point break. But the owners made the comment about them not handling chop at all well.
Where will you be riding them , and in what kind of waves , MDM ?
Here…Windy, fast ,cold. Point and reef rock bottom. This day was classic. MDM
" go the channel ! go the channel ! "
…DEEP six , thicker blank , big ol’ single fin . Modern foil, rocker, and rails … OHHH, YEAHHHH !
[you’ll never know till you go … you’ll never know till you try it!]
ben
It would be 7’6 x 20 and 2& 3/4 -7/8 thich I’m not 20 anymore and would most probably go a double concave due to the simplicity in all aspects of building and the chop factor , Then we go into fin systems , I am impressed with speeedfins but due to the instalation would stay away from channels . Fin systems are ideal for travel and i hate to get to denpasar and find the fin snapped of my 7’6. but balo ding repairers are awsome. No worries talked me into it I’ll order a blank tommorrow .
p’s ulu 6 to 8 on a 7’0 by Alan Byrne