Hi all, I’m about to start working on a single fin retro/fun/semigun thing aimed at good waves, headhigh to double O. Here’s what I came up with: 8’ long, 21" wide about 3" ahead of center, 2 3/4" thick, 13" nose, 13" tail, 2 1/2" tail rocker, 5 1/2" nose rocker (see picture, grid is 6"). Primary a single fin with a box, might add removable sidebites to be able to surf it with any kind of setup. Hopefully it will hold well on the rail on a steep wall, be fast, stable, catch waves early and do long, drawn out turns. Surfed from a center stance. Brewer rails to hard down rails in the tail. What do you think? What would you change? regards, Håvard 
Looks just like the outlines I sketched on my school books!!! Real nice! The only thing I’d suggest is keeping the rails soft from the nose to two feet up from the tail. Nothing to catch when you lay it over. For a little more paddle power, you might lower the nose rocker an inch or more and add a real soft bevel (2-3 inches wide, 3/8" max depth) from the nose to about a foot behind center. The maximum depth should correspond to the break in nose rocker. That way you’ll have a little more planing area but will keep the nose rails from catching.
Nice outline!! It looks a bit like Matt Miller’s “Rocket 88” (resource # 489)
Nice…I wouldnt change a thing.
Thanks, I value every input I can get. I’ll try my best to implement it. regards, Håvard
Thanks, I’m so not worthy being compared to anything. You’ll see when it’s done. For the outline, I’ve looked at tons of board and tried to combine old with new, 70’s shapes but with a wider tail and slightly more curve in the outline. Hopefully it will work in the water. regards, Håvard
You are very close to a “magic” template that I designed in 1967, and refined over the next 5 or 6 years. At the 8 foot length I would suggest 21.5 inches wide. The nose rocker is exactly right, but don’t exceed 2 inches in the tail. Also, I STRONGLY suggest that you use a 7 inch square tail, with hard, sharp down rails in the tail for the last 6 to 12 inches for clean release. Make the board a full length down railer, soft at the widest point, with little or no “beak” at the nose. For single fin, use the FU 10.5 inch box, set 4 inches up from the SQ tail with the leading edge of a 7.5 to 8 inch fin set 11.5 to 13 inches forward. I have ridden a 7ft 10in of this design in 2 to 3ft La Jolla Shores, and 10 to 12ft Sunset Beach on the North Shore with no difficulty. Best of luck, you are on the right track.
I just finished shaping a board similar to this only its 7’4" x 13.5 x 20.75 x 13.75 x 2.85. Rocker is about 5.5 nose (a bit of a flip in the last few inches); 2.25 tail. I’ve got a slight vee in the last third, rails hard in tail, softer as moving towards the nose. This board will have a single center fin and with sidebites (versatility and some pump action!) installed and is slightly longer and wider, with a wider nose template than a similar board I have ridden with much success the last few years. I’m going wider with more volume forward to give me more paddling oomph to get into waves a little sooner due to some physical handicaps I have. It is very much inspired by the classic 70’s round pins that I always coveted but never really rode as I was a twin fin aficionado in my youth and the waves rarely got big enough to warrant a “big gun.” You gotta love that drive coming out of your bottom turn. I’m going back to the future I guess. In fact, I’m starting to think about implementing some old twin fin ideas that have been kicking about my head since '77 or so!
that’s it fellas- restudy those old designs ans let it ride!
Thanks all, sounds like I’m on to something good. I hope it works out that way. regards, Håvard