I love fish. Really love them, and yep they can be fun in small waves IF they have good shape, and a bit of push. IMHO, for me, the best waves are from chest to a bit overhead, fast breaking but open faced. Where you can fly way out down the line, then bring it right back around. Shortboard manouveres in very small waves, im not sure you'd like it. I think a "shorter,wider,thicker" shortboard would be a better fit.
Sorry man, I missinterpreted your comment. I’ll try to bite my tounge next time. I was also trying to help, I believe I am the one who let the fumes get to my head. I know you are one of the persons who tries to share his experience with others and I honestly appreciate that so my sincere appologies to you sir. Peace! : ) Anyway, I enjoy riding my fish low… Currently 5’10" and around 200 lbs, my fish: 6’ x 17" x 21" x 17" x 3" with 11 1/4" tip to tip and marine ply keels. Not exactly a “classic” fish but very fun to ride in hollow points and down the line reefs (thin lips, not gnarly stuff).
…that “hello” is a a greeting not something like saying hello and knocking with the knuckles on your head…
Still I perceive the amount of sarcasm in your comment, no matter how many fumes I smelled…if you check most of my comments, you ll see that have concrete and simple hints and tips for the guys with less experience in this field than me; not only me, most of the members, that are in this forum since around 12 years ago are “helpers”
I put those photos to contribute with your observations about the riding of a fish.
-my suggestion to the thread creator was the one in the previous comment
Not to mention the past 3 years on the east coast have not been very good either. Im 195 lbs and surf a 5’10 simmons(by far my favorite) in thigh to waist high waves.I also ride a 9’6 singlefin when it gets 3x overhead and nobody else wants to paddle out. I’ve got a nice 6’2 quad for shoulder to head high waves when the entire planet wants to surf with me.Sometimes I break out the 1’6 hand plane and eat dirt in the shorebreak. Surfboards are like guns,ya need a different one for each occasion.
Reverb, I have not built many boards, in fact only one, but I do know about board design and about what makes them work and not plus I have been surfing many different kinds of boards for 25 yrs, my advice was based on riding experience and intelligent observation about the relationship of many surfboard and surfing variables. It was your “hello” that insulted me, it is used typically in phone conversations and/or by dumb blond airhead high school girls. By the way, don’t take it personal, I am not questioning your IQ… Please, share with us some of your knowledge about fish design. Oh and re-read my recommendations to the thread creator (didn’t recommend a fish). To all new board builders: please use an adequate mask when glassing…
…hey Tonylion you are a bit insolent, being not a board builder, I must say.
Thee modern fish sport many attributes of the Lis fish.
-also, in my opinion, is not suitable for begginers; so, if the guy think he s one, better to think in other design to help with his learning curve; in case he think that he s will go just fine, well, go for a modern fish and not for a retro one. Go with Pavel s fins or similar; if not, go with a quad (you need to check what s better for your riding and size)
I didn’t notice that he’s from NJ. Unless he’s travelled some, he hasn’t really surfed much, at all. 3 years on the EC is like 1 year in California, at best.
This is a pitfall many beginners seem a victim of. They think that spending money for another, different board will improve their learning curve when they should stick to learning how to ride what they already own.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re all about having different boards for different conditions and we definitely don’t like to see people try to solve their “what board” question by simply throwing money at it. You’re making an effort to solicit feedback from people who are passionate about boards - you’re making the effort. That can’t be bad.
1-2 ft NJ conditions and a 3-yr surfer could mean a fish so long as you recognize that in those conditions you don’t have much wave face to work with. They’re good for going down the line and making sections but it’s a lot harder to turn a 9" or 11" tail block than a 5" tailblock. It just is. You can make them a little more versatile by choosing a quad version.
Keeping a shortboard layout but going a little shorter, flatter and wider would also be an improvement in those conditions, although probably not as much as a fish. That improvement might be enough for you, too. Or you could go a little longer like an egg and start learning to work the flow - a different style of surfing but much more fun that sitting on the inside and being bitter about watching everyone else get their waves.
They’re all compromises. Every one of them. What you give up in nimbleness you pick up in wave catching and vice versa. The trick is to pick one of those compromises and enjoy it for what it is instead of what it isn’t.
There are guys who rip in those conditions on ridiculous boards but that’s because they have ridiculous talent and are making a ridiculous amount of effort. Truly, we are not all created equal when it comes to surfing.
alright, because three years isn’t enough to ruin an already used board. Obviously i know im no expert, but to get better i’m hoing to need a new board, just trying to get my moneys worth
HELLO, EARTH TO REVERB… Read my comment, I wasn’t writing about modern fish, and since you are such a fish expert, why don’t you give some more detailed advice to the guy who initiated the thread other than “oh, 6-8 inches less”, I can find that advice on the Channel Islands site. Otherwise… Shut up!
alright, because three years isn’t enough to ruin an already used board. Obviously i know im no expert, but to get better i’m hoing to need a new board, just trying to get my moneys worth
You’re apparently trying to do the pro thing and no pro would ever let themselves get caught dead on a real fish. What they do instead is ride fishes that are disguised as shortboards - short, wide and flat like a fish but with the thruster setup that tells everyone who sees them that they rip.
That being the case we recommend you try that for a few years. Then when you realize you’re still not getting your waves in those conditions maybe you’ll be a little more open to the idea that there’s more than one way to surf a wave. That’s not a bad thing, either. Everyone has to find their own process on this. You’ve got time. Surfing is a lifelong endeavor.
Surfed differently: low center of gravity, use rails to let turns flow instead of “forcing” your turns like on a skateboard (no center fin), it’s a little hard to explain in words… Get a friend to let you use his/her fish, my advice would be to try it on perfect clean shoulder high waves and just ride them easily without trying to destroy the lip or anything. Ride it for a full day and when you get comfortable, take a high line (frontside) and just lean on your outside rail hard (keeping low on your board)… if you love the feeling of a hard cutback on a fish and the speed you get down the line you’ll be hooked… BTW I am talking about a Lis style “classic fish” no taller than 6’ (look up lis fish in the archives). Good luck!
yes,and i have gotten suggestion for me to get a fishboard for choppy small waves. Also whatdo you mean it is required to be surfed differently, in what ways.
