Whats is todays definition of a fish?? Is it anything wide and with a notch tail? Can a Single fin, wide with a notch tail be a fish??
today a fish is from 5ft-10ft with a swallow tail ad any # of fins an “old school” fish is 5ft- 6ft 6" and at least 8 -12inch tip to tip but, I agree the term fish is really undefined!
Hey Fish good. But even better, is a small wave board that works really well, any kind of tail, in surf from 2-7’, paddles well, catches tons of waves, and not in any naming catagory. All you need is short length, some width, flatter rocker, thicker and maybe harder rails and tail, enough fin to hold in, and apply some surfing skill. My best short small wave boards have all been diamond or rounded squash tail.
So, a fish is a small, short, thicker board?Is a 80’s tri a fish then?ro is it a squid or a piranha? or a catfish? what about calling it a shortboard?
was Cheyne Horans early 80’s Lazor Zaps --fishes??? they had fish or swallow tails were thick, wide boards that surfed small waves really well.
Hey I’m not baggin on Fish’s at all. They work well, they go fast, they catch waves easily, and most important, they are fun! But seems lots of surfers think a “Fish” design is the only way to make a small wave surfboard, when we all know there are lots of variances. By the way, does anyone remember when (1971???) the outlines of some surfboards actually INCREASED in width right at the tail? Those were real “fish” outlines. Oh…I was out with a tib/fib, 13 places, 6 screw, 12" wire, two removed plates, 3 pin left pinkie, 1 pin left next finger injury, so I wasn’t really around for most of 1971.
so a fish is a small wave board?So you shouldn’t ride a fish in long perfect overhead hollow point break waves??A fish is for small lousy surf??Help?
Hey TT er…obviously not talking to me! I quoted wave size “2-7’”. I think that covers your pointrights overhead stuff pretty reliably. My book, overhead is 5’, so you have well over arm’s reach overhead, for fish to rip. I’m 5’10" tall, but when I’m at the bottom of a wave, bet on shorter than 4’9". Fish + Cojo 5’= perfection!
overhead is a 10’face- double overhead is a 20’face. get over it.
I consider a fish the design Steve Lis originated in the early 70’s. It started off as a kneeboard around 5’0", wide nose, wide deep swallow tail (10"-12" tip to tip), with two keel like fins (7" base, 5" height). He shaped longer ones around 5’6" that you could stand up on. From there others shaped their own versions of that basic design. Thats what I consider a true fish.
hey foamdust ,can you get me a fish for me too?? will you post pic of your new one??
I grew up surfing in O.B. and Sunset Cliffs around 1972. We called a short,wide,thick board with two fins and a deep swallow tail a fish. Longer( over 6 foot or so) boards with a narrower split tail a swallow tail. Even longer boards with a slight split tail a dove tail. Anyone can name anything they want. To me a fish is a short twin fin (five foot to 6’6")with a wide deep swallow tail. Check out the Lis,Brom, Frye fishes on the board page. Herb’s, and Tom Stearne’s are killer, too in my opinion.
Hey So what do you call a 5’6" thick, turned down railed shortboard? Bunkerboard? I spent 3 semesters at Cal Western, Hall 3, 3rd floor, starting in '73.
terminology,debased ,diluted and diffusedIt used to mean somthing but now it just means like somthing nobody can really deliniate…they dont even call those good luck dave suckers Rocket fish any more…ambrose…I like mine sauted in olive oil and butter with garlic and lemon And hawaiian salt
Kato, Email me at and I will give u contact info.
Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself though, not a fish. What’s Fish? it is nor fin, nor tail, Nor nose, nor length, nor any other part Belonging to a board. O! be some other name: What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So fish would, were he not fish call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. fish, doff thy name; And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself. Thanks William Have fun, Dan
Lee D. I call a 5’6" shortboard with downturned rails a 5’6" surfboard. If it has a split tail I call it a fish. I’m just adding my two cents to the often asked question,“What is a fish?” Just about anything with a split tail is called a fish where I live now(Monterey Co.). Who cares? I guess definitions change over 30 years. Ask a kid how big the surf is and they usually call head high, “six foot.” KNow what I mean? Lee D. If you make it to S.A. I’ll buy you a beer and we can tell each other Jetty and getting chased out of NEwbreak stories. Mike
Hey Mike I’d love to, but never will make it to SA. I’ve been hassled out of NB’s even when half the guys in the water are CalWestern residence, like myself. Even in superhi tides, climbing down the rope, helping those guys, they give me the stinkeye. Oh, I’m Asian, goof, catch tons of waves, and usually surf SAbb, Ab, or Chasm, that’s why they give me so much grief. I’ve never been hassled riding reg, or kneeboarding there, tho. Can’t figure out why.