Background: I recently had a shaping lesson, and now I want to embark on my first solo project. I come from a longboarding background and have never owned anything under 7’4", but I want to try a retro-ish fish. Problem is, I don’t really know about their details. I just see people riding them at my spot and haven’t gotten a closer look.
I know there are fish outlines floating around online, but I’m wondering more about the other stuff like rails, bottom contours, etc.
What specs does a good, basic, retro fish have? Single concave? Flat? Vee in the tale? What kind of rails? Wide point? I may just try and borrow one and copy it, if I can track one down. Or perhaps somebody can point me to something online that has a copy-able description?
I do more of a modern style fish and like many people I do single to double and V off the tail. That combo when done right is just very intuitive and works well for a lot of people. For rails you can’t go wrong with a modern soft downrail. What length do you have in mind?
Wide point forward, straight outline from wide point to back, i use a semi gun back outline when design them.
For bottom, if you go with a thick board to keep higher volume and flat cc rocker, i find that, a rolled vee front- vee flat(= vee at rails) center - angled vee backwork nice and is easier to shape well than good concaves .
I’m thinking 5’9"-5-11". A bit oversized. I’m kind of old, but I know I can paddle something in the low 40s volume, so I guess whatever gives me at least 40 Liters.
“to remain true to their design concept it is recommended to stay within the 5-6 and 6-6 size range. These boards are for waves in the waist to head high range, although this does not restrict someone from pushing these numbers.”
5’11 x 21 1/8 x 3" would get you in the ballpark of 41-42L as long as your foil/thickness flow stays typical and doesn’t do anything wild. That info from Stoneburner should be all ya need to get after it! Good outline info for a Lis style fish and Those rocker numbers at the tips for both fish types will be great. A 6’2-AX blank from UsBlanks will be easiest to shape, rocker is already there and if you need to take any thickness off nose or tail just remove it from the deck. If you decide to include a concave you’ll end up 2 7/8 so to make up for foam loss just bump it to 6’0 or something
That’s about what I’m after. Thanks, guys, for all this info. I can’t wait to get a blank and get moving. (If anybody has tips/resources for stepping up my planer skills too, I’m all ears. I’m generally good with tools, but shaping foam with a planer is next level.)
The advice I would give for any tool on foam is proceed slowly and deliberately. Do not try to imitate the pace and rhythm of a professional shaper as seen on youtube. As a hobbyist who makes 1-2 boards a year for the past 15 years, I am basically starting over every time. So this is my M.O.
The power planer is a tool that was developeed for wood, and can easily over perform on foam if you are not careful and controlled. Better to proceed too slowly than too quickly, its easier to take a little more off than add a little bit back. Work a little, measure again, look at it in the light, decide where exactly you need to remove a little more, proceed this way. It has worked for me over the years, and I haven’t over shaped in a long time but I have done it so I know the sinking feeling when it happens.
I actually use a power planer very little, I prefer a surform for most actual shaping. But that may just be a personal preference. Even with a surform you can take too much off in a few passes if you’re not careful.
