Could someone help me with real fish design for my height/weight, please? Thanks

General Discussion
21

I saw the Kane Gardens at Surfride Oceanside today and they are great. I was a little disappointed that they were not glassed with Volan. I don’t know if that makes a big difference, but I do know that for a fish weight is good. Keeps the momentum. Plus, it looks so much better.

The Al Merricks have volan, but I won’t consider one because he didn’t really stick to the original foil. His have pretty extreme concave in them. I’m not against that, but I want something that is most true to original design.

I liked the Hynsons the best. They are sweet. I found a 6,2 that was spectacular, but it was only 2 and 5/8 thick, and I am hoping to get as close to three as possible.

So, I am still looking, and even considering shaping it myself (a shaping friend said he would help refine it when I’m done—phew), or getting it shaped (but everyone is busy right now—wonder why :wink:

Surfride Oceanside is getting a new shipment in right now (at this very moment) of Hynsons and Kane Gardens, and I told the kid there to hold any 6,3’s or 6,4s for me until the morning.

They are $525 for the Kane Gardens, and 575 for the Hynsons. Not bad. Joel’s are 750! Yikes! But, I won’t complain. It’s worth it, I know, but…yikes!

I called at least five shapers today and yesterday…answering machines.

It’s funny how summer and surfing seem to go together around here. :slight_smile:

Maybe if I take the time to learn this myself, I might get somewhere. My problem is that in the fifteen to twenty hours it would take me to make my own board, I would rather be surfing. And if I do it after surfing, my wife won’t dig it. Plus, in my neighborhood, I have no place to shape…yet! :wink:

22

Jeff,

watch your widths on fish below 6-0 lengths.TOO wide,and they tend to saucer and lose forward drive.Herb

23

Fairmount. those KG look nice…take a better look a the Hynson’s, they aren’t vary symmetrical at the nose. the light blue one was hidious… I think SurfRide has demo’s you can test ride…

Weren’t “real fish” ment for kneeboarding? … standing up and they need to be ridden with a very low stance , I have a 5’-5" Lis that I only use for kneeboarding.

24

Hey, that’s interesting about the Hynsons. I didn’t really put any on a rack yet to get a better look, but I will.

I did, however, notice that the fish had more rocker than the original seventies fish. It seems that some people are really hung up on adding more rocker than necessary (my opinion, of course). The consequences of lower rocker are usually not severe in Southern California. The waves aren’t super critical, especially when longboarding or using a fish, so I am still amazed when I see a lot of rocker in boards around here.

Not everyone is riding double overhead Blacks.

25

Hey Fairmont,

Im 6’0" tall and weigh in at 220 pounds. 29 years old. Standup Surfer for three years but have ridden everything else since I could swim.

I made a traditional fish at 6’4" x 22.5" x 2 7/8". I got the rocker wrong and the board has about 1.5" too much nose lift. I got the rails wrong too soft on the underside. The bottom has a slight single concave exiting.This board still flys and yes i am finding it too big. I have had my best barrel ever on this board - 5 sec coverage.

I am about to make a new one at 6’0" x 22" x 3" (a direct proportionate scale to the original 5’5" Steve Lis) with the correct LOW rocker. The bottom will be slight belly to flat- very traditional. I know it will paddle well. Its all in the fish design. I will run the skegs in FCS plugs so i can switch to a more upright twin fin template when i want to change the lines the board draws.

Even though the 6’4" feels big and hard to duck dive, it is still my ‘funnest’ board and it paddles into well overhead waves. By moving to the 6’0" I expect to lose the wide wave catching range a bit, but in the right waves should really feel like a skateboard to me.

26

Grabbed a 6,2c from Mitch’s and took it to Steve Clark up on Westlake.

VERY friendly guy. Had a wonderful conversation. Seems we are connected. I grew up with his son-in-law. Small world. And he even stayed at my father’s cabin in Idyllwild, the Shingled Shanty.

Had a great time talking about North County and watching him outline the board.

The final fish measurements are: 6,1 x 22 wide x 18 nose x 17 tail. The pintails are set twelve inches apart and about 7.5 inches deep. It will ride insane. Keep your eyes on all the magazines for center spreads of me ripping at Swamis (Oops, did I say Swamis?). Nah, just kidding. But it will ride great.

It’s going to get marine ply fins, the real deal. It will be about 95% retro, with some very minor modifications.

I got to see Joel Tudor’s fish that is being restored. Very cool.

27

I have a question about weight and the effect on peformance in a fish. If it’s inapropriate for this thread I apologize but I think it’s somewhat relative.

I just finished my second fish, it’s a copy of a Joel Tudor 6’0" - 21" - 2 3/4" - 10 1/2" @ the tips. The original had a veed bottom, I changed this one up with about a quarter inch of single concave from the mid piont tapering to flat off the tips. When I finished it I noticed imeadiatly that it was heavier than the original. I thought I had blown it, but we’ve had some decent surf the last two week here at OB in SF and I’ve been riding it everday… It’s really fun. I’m not the most experienced surfer, so I’m wondering how the weight differnce factors in. I can’t tell if I’m stoked because it’s my board or if it’s weight makes it better suited to the waves here in SF? Or maybe it’s just the concave I like?

Any takers?

Dan

28

deja vu?

29

Go to Harbour and check the size chart.

http://www.harboursurfboards.com/surfboards.html

Than buy a harbour.

30

Hi,

Having read through the suggestions given I thought I’d stick my oar in. I got a fish made up for me in January and have been loving it. It’s 5.11 - 21 - 2 3/4. I’m 6 foot and around 75-80kgs and would describe myself as an intermediate surfer. I was worried about dropping down from my regular 6.6 to something under 6 foot but now with hindsight I could have gone down to 5.8 (at a push) and probably beeffed up to 21.5 at the wide point and gone a bit fatter too.

31

That chart is very off and misleading.

Being a large man 6’2" 250-275 I ride an 8’ Tony Staples Monster Fish from 1’ slop to a couple of feet overhead with ease its 22.5 wide with a pointy nose and a 7" buttcrack tip to tip.

Being barley 3" thick at the thickest and a domed deck with pinched rails this board is very loose and responsive, I have zero problems with catching waves.

I have ridden a toughlite 6"8" Al Merrick flyer with some success at a certain wedging jetty in San Diego. I have a 10’2" Kies longboard that is harder to catch waves on then the above boards. So its all about rocker, volume placement, wave knowledge, paddling power and wave quality I believe on the right day I could ride an ironing board with success.

Ride what feels good and allows you to catch waves, if there is no crowd you can go as thin and short as you want add the crowd and its a diffrent story.