Hey.
I’ll be traveling to Tahiti for my honey moon in Oct. I’m hoping to get lucky and find some nice big hollow tahitian barrels. Up to now i’ve never had the need for a big wave board. I’d normally only surf 6ft beach breaks.
I’m thinking of making a 7’5" Gun / mini gun. At the moment I’ve go very little idea of design details. If any body out there has template info they’d like to share I’d rerally appreciate it.
Thanks
Brian
when did a 6’5" become a gun/min gun big wave board??? i guess i haven’t read a surf mag in a while…
but really, how much do you weigh???
your probably looking at something like a 18 1/2" wide 2 3/8 thick round pin…
my girlfriend just got back from a month in Moorea… she said the waves were amazing, perfection like she had never seen before (and we’re from Hawaii)…
happy travels
oops. I meant to write in 7’5" in the origonal message.
This is my mainstay take to where ever minigun. 7’-7’3" x 18.5-19.5" x 2 1/2"-2’78"
I have made lots of these with no complaints. I am not sure where you live, but I have 10+ roughed shaped, 2lb eps blanks with 1/2" or triple 1/4" stinger set up.
Can go, round, round pin or squash tail.
7ft5" Will pearl on really hollow waves your better off with 6ft10-7ft3.
I’ve owned over 30 mid 7’ semi guns, none pearled except for chips that float worse than 5’6" tris.
For outer reefs, paddle is most important, then control for fast, slightly cross ripped faces.
Something around 7’6" x 19.5 x 11" nose x 12" tail, thick at 3.15 for anti breakage if caught inside, and lots of volume in the rails for float with a flattish deck.
That would be for 165 lbs. surfing Cannons, Pipe, or OBSF outside waves.
Remember, when the waves break, the rips and currents are at least paddle speed, and the break itself is countercurrent to the true reef currents. Wave count is most important, you don’t want to spend your whole day paddling to get into position.
Duckdiving is the LEAST important criteria, as at Pipe, Cannons, and those outer reefs, you toss anyways, or get ground on the bottom, break your board and your head.
i take a 7’0" and a 7’6"
both are 18 3/8" with 11 3/4" tail
recomendations on thickness are bogus from someone who doesn’t know your weight and rail/foil preferences.
i find ‘too long’ a board a pearling liability in smaller hollow surf.
i think narrow tails are the most important factor.
my dimensions: 6’1" 200 lbs 41 years old
Hey this is a little late but anyone else lookin into the post, my buddy got a gerry lopez pipeline gun there all in the mid 7 foot range and there fast as hell look for the lightning bolt
With all due respect the original post is referring to big hollow waves and not smaller hollow surf.
Have a great honeymoon in Tahiti Brian K. Careful with the reefs or you’ll be well shagged 
“Have a great honeymoon in Tahiti Brian K.”
Brian K. posted this in April 2005… Maybe his honeymoon is over by now…
Classic!
Didn’t spot that.
Oh yeah, the Honeymoon is definitely over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdpSkCGKgj8
Hopefully he hasn’t lost that loving feeling.
Very Truthful!
<span style="font-weight:bold">Post:</span> I've owned over 30 mid 7' semi guns, none pearled except for chips that float worse than 5'6" tris.
For outer reefs, paddle is most important, then control for fast, slightly cross ripped faces.
Something around 7’6" x 19.5 x 11" nose x 12" tail, thick at 3.15 for anti breakage if caught inside, and lots of volume in the rails for float with a flattish deck.
That would be for 165 lbs. surfing Cannons, Pipe, or OBSF outside waves.
Remember, when the waves break, the rips and currents are at least paddle speed, and the break itself is countercurrent to the true reef currents. Wave count is most important, you don’t want to spend your whole day paddling to get into position.
Duckdiving is the LEAST important criteria, as at Pipe, Cannons, and those outer reefs, you toss anyways, or get ground on the bottom, break your board and your head.
I went to Tahiti with a couple of 7’0 and 7’6 speedsters I used in Cali and Hawaii juice and found them to be too long, wide (19.75") and thick (2.8).
Ended up borrowing an older Downing that was 6’8 x 18.5 x 2.5 and it worked great - and I’m 6’3 x 195#.
The waves in Tahiti are unlike waves I’ve surfed in Indo, fiji, etc. All the reefs are very shallow, and the waves just hit the reef and go inside out. There is no gliding in, there is only taking off under the lip and making a very fast and tight turn to fit into the barrel.
Most of the locals (guys 5’8 x 185 lb plus) ride 6’4 pro style boards,thin, narrow and with a lot of rocker, and don’t go up in board size unless it get’s big, and then they only add a few inches. And believe me, you won’t want any part of it when it get’s big on those reef passes…truly scary dangerous.
Almost all of the waves in the island chain require a boat, unless you’re willing to make some hella paddles that can take over half an hour…there are several exceptions, however, with two closer to shore excellent waves on Moorea and an outstanding wave on the island of Hauhine…which incidently is a great place to honeymoon.
So suggest a little research on wave locations, and a quiver that includes a standard racy shortboard and a step-up a few inches longer…
first of all ,
congrats for the new lady…
as a gift I will give you my favorite mini-gun temlate ( usually used to rob banks)
and here are some screenshots ( “shots” … ha ha ) from
aku shaper virtual shaping bay:
joking