I’m preparing to shape my first board, and I’m noticing a large number of home-built retro fish. Are these particularly easy to shape as a first, or are they just popular in general? I would guess that the low rocker would be easier to shape, but I just thought I would ask. Thanks in advance for your help!
They are super easy to shape becuase they have very flat rocker, are short, and pretty thick. if you skin a longboard put the template toward the nose of the board. if you want to start from scratch, i would recomend using the 6’2"C for a retro fish if you are going to make one under 6’.
1 more thing, they work super good in small waves…even big waves. probably the fastest board you will ever ride, and catch waves like a champ. if you are under like 180lbs you should try making a 5’6" x 22" x2.5 the size might seem small but it has about the same amount of float as a 6’6" shortboard. if you want any more dim’s off the fish just ask. 1 last thing get the biggest twin fins you can find also! FCS’s TF2 and GMRX are good choices or red x makes a nice set of twin fins also. Put the fins 9" back from the tail on that board.
I have heard a lot of people talk about skinning old boards - I assume this a a good way to get into your first without shelling out $$ for a blank. Is there a trick to stripping the existing glass without ripping the hell out of the foam? Or do you just expect to lose some volume, which should be ok as a result of the smaller board? I have an old 9’ with a broken tail that I could use. Thanks for the blank recommendation! I was thinking like 5’10". I have a 5’10" JC stingray that I love.>>> They are super easy to shape becuase they have very flat rocker, are > short, and pretty thick. if you skin a longboard put the template toward > the nose of the board. if you want to start from scratch, i would recomend > using the 6’2"C for a retro fish if you are going to make one under > 6’.
I have heard a lot of people talk about skinning old boards - I assume > this a a good way to get into your first without shelling out $$ for a > blank. Is there a trick to stripping the existing glass without ripping > the hell out of the foam? Or do you just expect to lose some volume, which > should be ok as a result of the smaller board? I have an old 9’ with a > broken tail that I could use. Thanks for the blank recommendation! I was > thinking like 5’10". I have a 5’10" JC stingray that I love. you can skin and old blank if you want, but if is 100 times easier to just go buy a blank for $55-$90 depending on were you live and how much the shop charges for blanks. the board will probably come out alot better too. you are going to loose volume from chunks of foam that will be ripped out when you are pulling up the glass. but if you have that longboard and are willing to get stuck w/ some itchey pieces of fiberglass that start stripping. lots of time sold boards are delammed so you can just rip the glass up pretty easily. give that a try and see how that works. if you are riding a fish thats 510…you will def. want to make the retro fish 5’6"! trust me on that. they are super wide in the tail…and just wide in general. they are also real thick and float like a cork!
Cool, this is great info! I think I’ll go get a blank and give it a shot. What do I have to lose? You said you like the 6’2"C? Isn’t that a little long for a 5’6", or do you use the larger blank for the increased volume? If you have more retailed dim’s that would be killer! Thanks for the help… can’t wait to get going. I see a couple guys out at La Jolla shores on days that even my 5’10" fish won’t go, and they’ve got these 5’7"ish retro’s that just FLY. So fast…>>> you can skin and old blank if you want, but if is 100 times easier to just > go buy a blank for $55-$90 depending on were you live and how much the > shop charges for blanks. the board will probably come out alot better too. > you are going to loose volume from chunks of foam that will be ripped out > when you are pulling up the glass. but if you have that longboard and are > willing to get stuck w/ some itchey pieces of fiberglass that start > stripping. lots of time sold boards are delammed so you can just rip the > glass up pretty easily. give that a try and see how that works. if you are > riding a fish thats 510…you will def. want to make the retro fish > 5’6"! trust me on that. they are super wide in the tail…and just > wide in general. they are also real thick and float like a cork!
for sure! go get 1. na the 6’2"c is perfect the 6’0" R is also real good. those are the 2 smallest fish blanks you can get. you have some room to play too. if you want more rocker you can push it way up toward the nose of the blank, and alittle flatter move it back. but the 62C is super wide and thick so it will give you room to play. i’ll get back to you with some more dimm’s. but the easiest thing would be for you to just trace a retro fish on to some red rossin paper and make a template. see if you can borrow 1 of those guys boards on the beach and trace it-Ryan
That would be an interesting request… ‘hey can I borrow your board for a sec?’ I’m going to give it a shot. If you have more specs, you can email them to me at - thanks!>>> for sure! go get 1. na the 6’2"c is perfect the 6’0" R is also > real good. those are the 2 smallest fish blanks you can get. you have some > room to play too. if you want more rocker you can push it way up toward > the nose of the blank, and alittle flatter move it back. but the 62C is > super wide and thick so it will give you room to play. i’ll get back to > you with some more dimm’s. but the easiest thing would be for you to just > trace a retro fish on to some red rossin paper and make a template. see if > you can borrow 1 of those guys boards on the beach and trace it-Ryan