I’ve finished my first board (6’4" thruster) with some major help from Swaylocks and now I want to start on my second project. I’ve heard lots of good things about fish shapes performing well in small, weak waves - a common occurance where I’m from in Central Florida. My problem is that I don’t know anyone who has a fish, so I haven’t ridden any and I have zero ideas as to what the dimensions should be, except that I think I want the length to be between 6’0" and 6’4". What would be a good starting place for someone in my position? I’d like a board for smaller, flatter days anywhere between Ponce Inlet and Second Light this summer.
Sean, there are tons of shops in your area and fish shapes are ever so popular right now.I could name a few shops but don’t want to promote a shop on this site. Take a look around and take a tape measure(hidden) and grab some dimensions. If you still have questions I could email you with a few shapers that I like in the area. Greg Loehr makes sweet boards but I don’t think he is doing it right now…maybe he will chime in. The archives has a ton of fish in it with dimensions as well. Good luck… http://www.savesymrnainlet.org
sean, u surf smyrna? i went out sunday, to surf basically nothing. instead we stayed at ponce, adn walked down the whole jetty. u surf ponce or smyrna?
Fish range so much in design that it’s hard to estimate what you want. Generally what do you have in mind? Also, what do you usually rde? I often work off of that to estimate what would fit with your usual board.
My homebreak is between ponce and smyrna and all summer long I ride a 6’0 fish that I made . I left it real flat with a little flip in the nose and pulled the wide point up about 4 inches or so. It is real fast on small mushy waves, I rode it up to about 6’ with no problems any bigger than that it tends to want to act funny. But for small east coast central fl. a fish is no-doubt the way to go and my best sellin summer board.I’m 5’9 150 lbs and at 6’0 it paddles great and floats great. http://www.soulsurfertv.com
ncgyver, do you have a picture posted of this board? Going to be around ponce/smyrna area in May and wanted a fast board. Thinking of a roundpin low rocker, but not too sure about a widepoint 4 inches above center. Is it single fin?
ncguy, confused i am! between ponce inlet and new smyrna is the river, and theres not much surf there [smile]. which side do u live on, north inlet or south inlet. as the road isnt connected. also, for the guy who wanted the fast round pin. i wouldnt go with the roundpin if ur surfing florida conditions. unless it’s your hurricane board. then i would drop the size down to inches and make it more narrow, as the waves finally have some power then. but round pins really weren’t made with florida in mind. go for a “modern fish tail” not sure of ur height, but make the width 19, and keep a nice fat tail, and full nose. u could throw in a single to double concave throughout the board, but either way it’ll surf fine. and also, when u want speed, drop the entry rocker down alot. this is why old fish’s and singlefins tend to have speed.for florida, don’t be afriad to go a little wider and thicker than normal. u’ll appreciate this, when u are surfing right with the longboarders. dj
DJ,North Side (Ponce SIde) Sorry, in my posting I meant either POnce or Smyrna not literally in between. I live only a jump from sunglow pier,… http://www.soulsurfertv.com
Thanks for the info on roundpins, I want this to be a mostly FLA board, so I’ll go with your idea. Not too worried about having nothing for hurricanes, I want something more for the mushier days. So now my dreamboard is refined to Single fin, wide swallow tail, low rocker. Wide point 3-4 inches up as for now.
Fluffy, Don’t have pic excpt for what’s on the site. I call it a Manx model, actually been my main Fl board since about 1982 when I first designed the board with my mentor Bernie Crouch (MAd Dog). DJ was right keep it thick and wide but not eggy. Mine is 6’0 x 15nose x 19.5 wide x 14.25 tail, definately swallow tail. I use reg FCS g5’s on the summer mush and put my Red Lines in when it gets juicier. When A storm blows through I switch boards. http://www.soulsurfertv.com
boys and girls the groovieee fish for FLA is Steve Forstall 321 676 5307
Sorry for the delay in response time. Greg, the board I ride is 6’4" long, 21" wide, 14" nose, and 15" tail. I was thinking of making a fish 6’4" give or take a few inches based on input.
Sorry, and 2.5" thick.
ncguy, just a jump from sunglow? now thats nice territory. i love that place. kinda weird how on many occasions breaks better than the inlet. it also has 711 across the street. i surf there all the time, probably seen u there befor. do u ever take the trip to the smyrna inlet? i have only a few times. tend to levitate towards ponce though. I’m actually from ocala, me and my buds have just drove up atleast once a week for the past couple years. about an hour and 1/2 to ponce. maybe well cathc a surf soemtime! dj
DJ, Yeah that’s the homeland, Sunglow has a nice peak especially once the sandbar gets built up, I do smyrna side weekdays during school hours or summer if there just isn’t a wave anywhere else, ponce more often, but Sunglow Pier usually. yeah if your down this way , I’ll see you out in the lineup. My fish is yellow with a big batman “POW!” on the bottom. Our whole crew hangs on the south side of the pier, it’s our little slice of paradise. Until the sharks or the skin eating bacteria show up.All a man wants to do is surf and be cool!No problems! http://www.soulsurfertv.com
nc, i might be headin ur way sunday for some waves, looks liek there might be a lttle left overs for some waste high mush. sounds better than sitting at home. as of now im riding friends boards, as i sold my log, im fixing massive delam on my short, and im in the process of making myself a new ride, just busy witha few other sticks in front of it!should have it glassed soon, chances are ill be riding a neon yellow/green richenburg. due to not wanting to ride my 2 other shorts. maybe ill see ya out there soemtime, i’ll be looking for that board. south side of sunglow was always a favorite wave of mine. and that crabby restraunt up on the pier has some aweosme “shark tips” [smile] the dude who runs the fishing part is nuts. we ran past him one day a coupel years ago with our boards, planning to jump off instead of taking the long ass paddle, he chased us haha. we made it and jumped , and he laughed and cussed. see ya in the lineup dj
Try using the same dimensions but trim two inches off the length and add about and inch to the width of the tail. The shorter rail line will give you more manuverability and the width a bit more planing area in the tail for smaller waves.
Greg, sounds great, thanks! -Sean.
What about the length of the space between the two points in the tails? I’ve always heard 10-12 inches.
Bah, I keep thinking of questions. And now deep should the “crack” between the tails go into the board?