fish for bigger guy

Another fish sizing question (I’ve looked through the previous threads, but have not found the exact answer I’m looking for) I’m looking for advice on my 3rd board- Got a 6’6 funshape for the really mushy stuff, and a 6’8 shortboard for the chest high and up stuff. I’m thinking about trying a twin keel fish for those common waist-chest high-borderline blown out beachbreak days I see so often.I’m 6’2 205 (losing weight) Have any of you bigger guys found a retro fish that worked really well for you? what were the dims? any input is appreciated.

O.K… Maybe I should rephrase that question. I’m looking at 2 different fishes right now. One is a 5’10 Steve Brom fish( forgot the dims), and the other is a 6’1&21.5&3Tim Stamps fish. I could wait and order custom but I think maybe one of these could work well. I’m kind of leaning towards the 6’1. ANY INPUT? Thanks.

Quote:

cant go wrong with STAMPS

I am not a fish expert, but I’m in your size/weight class…

All the guys I know our size (I’m 6’2", 200#) are riding 6’-6’2" traditional fish.

Mine may be a little extreem at 6’2"x23.5"x3" but traditional fish should be wider than your standard shorty.

6’1"x21.5"x3" seems like good numbers.

i am 6’ and 180 - 190lbs (depending on the weeks takeaway consumption) - dont think of fish sizes the same way as you think of shortboard / thruster type sizes - i have and enjoy a G&S 5’6 fish - it catches wave with only a couple of paddles and once its up its fast and drivey - full specs are 5’6" X 21" X 2 15/16" - one thing that would have put me off if i was just trying my fish for the first time was constantly missing the back of the board with my back foot, but thats well sorted now - i heard from somewhere that with a retro type fish, if you stand it on its end it should come up to your nose

I’m thinking about trying a twin keel fish for those common waist-chest high-borderline blown out beachbreak days I see so often.

hmm…are you really set on on a TKF? TKF’s work good in fast downtheline type waves.

waist-chest high-borderline blown out beachbreak…

for this I’d also encourage you to consider a modern fish…check out Rusty’s Piranha…there are a bunch of other fine examples.

Theyre basically low rockered early 80’s planshapes with modern design features and fin sets. For your size, anything between 6 - 6’4 would work fine…go wide like 21 or so.

like my father use to say…gotta use the right tool for the job :wink:

Hello,

check this one, I’m only 6’3 1/2" and 190#.

This is my next board after the 5’9"x 22 1/4"

On that board a 200#+ Dominican was ripping in 1 foot waves.

It still is my favorite from 1/2 foot to 6 feet conditions

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=271989#271989

Thanks for the input everybody! Rusty Piranha Huh? I’ll check it out. Would this be better becuause It would make faster directional changes in beach break? Easier to get vertical?

sort of, yeah…

wind blown BBs tend to be sectiony requiring changes in speed…decelerating is easy…accelerating is not as easy…for sectional surf I like a board that can accelerate…for my taste, this means three big fins and lighter more responsive boards (epoxy, compsands). Of course there are many more variables, rocker, width, contour etc…

My take on classic TKF’s is theyre better for more lined up walls. But Im no expert there cuz I dont ride them…proly fine in Cali. I just know theyre thick flat and fast…some good things and some not so good. They have their fans but Ive seen local veteran bigger guys ride them and I could just see there’s something not right (heavy sluggish?)…but again its very wave and user specific.

I know Greg L doesnt like them…he made a comment here once…“those boards sucked back then and they still suck today”…I know he proly didnt win any fans with that comment…but I simply dont question him…he’s seen it all.

I think some guys like them just to break away from the norm…worn from riding three’s they go into this retro novelty thing that gives them a different or good vibe. If it works, more power to’em y’now…

There’s a scene in the famous video “Searching for Tom Curren”…he’s riding one in some nice SA point…very cool stuff but its obvious the board is holding him back…for better or for worse. Definitely nice to look at, cool flow, but not highest performance.

Bottom line on the modern fish (ex: Piranha)…think of it as a std thruster thats way easier to ride and catch waves. In fact, it should be one of the norms…but thats our little secret :wink:

I have a 5 10 21 1/4 twin keel and a 6 0 21 1/5 twinzer both 2.6 thick. I am 145lbs with 18 lbs of wet rubber. the 5 10 is a good size for me but I could go a bit shorter, probably 5 6 in good waves. the 6 0 can feel a bit like a cork in 6-7 ft waves but is a great all rounder and travel board for the pacific northwest where it is rarely under 4 ft mainland. It goes vertical and then I stand neutral until the wave reforms. I’m not a great paddler a staunchly intermediate surfer and have not been able to ride a standard shortboard less than 6 6. both these boards have advanced my surfing immensely in that I catch a lot of waves, I make loads of sections and can catch an occasional reform.

PS the fellow that sold me these boards is larger in height and stature he likes to ride his twin keel at 6 6.

Why everybody hates my little board, it catches waves, because of the width and concave in the nose, no padling required, just stand up. The thin straight rails give it hold and speed in the steep sections. The width and conave keep it planing trough the mushy sections or over it if you like and when you get the weight on the tail it turns like a skateboard. Only gets a bit skaty in the bottomturns in double overhead because the rails are so short and its a twinny with a little centerfin. Question, did you ever noseride in a barrel, this thing does…

The shape is not retro and not modern, it is my shape and I don’t care what people say, I just ride and enjoy.

This is superturtle 5’9"x22 1/4"x2 3/4"

I’m thinking about trying a twin keel fish for those common waist-chest high-borderline blown out beachbreak days I see so often.[i]

IMO these boards are best suited, as everyone has said, to a nice walling pointbreak rather than a sectioning beachbreak. In the uk we have what are known as fat boy flyers, generally a swallow tailed thruster with more width and thickness, usually around 6’8" onwards.

I struggle on my fish when it starts closing out and sectioning as it wants to draw turns out more. Beating sections is no problem, it shits them, but it’s the wrong board for blown out stuff, it likes it smooth.