i shaped one and it seems like everyone else is but how come i never see any in the water. maybe its just where i surf but i have yet to see anyone riding one.
i want to get a count of people on here who have
I shaped one last summer, 5’10" by 20". I rode it at Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla shores. White pigment with red pin stripe. Wooden skegs. Lovely.
have shapped will glass come spring and will ride come summer it a five foot
I’m currently in the process of shaping one.
It will be 6’3" x 20" x 2 5/8" (Design is almost finalised, so it may change slightly)
Check my website at www.geocities.com/thefishexperiment
In answer to your question “seems everyone is shaping one but why don’t I see them in the water?” - my feel is that:
a. there are still a hell of a lot of shortboards out there and
b. I don’t think too many guys would have a fish as their only board, it is usually part of a quiver.
From that, you won’t see a fish out all the time and it will always be out numbered by shortboards 
That said, I see a fair few fish boards out but mostly they are the more modern variety.
I’m finishing up the hotcoat on my 5’10
knocking out a 5’10" x 21" this w/e. starting to see a lot more fish around over here in the uk, they tend to suit the waves we have to put up with .
I have shapped several now but still rarely see them in the water. After riding my first one I still have not pulled my thruster back out yet and have only ridden my fishes. I just finished a new one today that I set up as a quad and can’t wait to get her wet.
see this is exactly the thing i was talking about i surf cocoa beach mush burger waves and it seems to me that a fish is a very good option for the conditions. i do a fair amout of surfing all through that portion of florida and i have still yet to see anybody out on one except for myself. i see people buy them but i never see people in the water. i see the new school fish a lot but never an old one.
I have shaped several. Mostly modern template but have shaped a couple old schools this past summer. The fish in my quiver gets used more than any other board I have.
I live in Jax Beach and depending on the design of your fish they can be very fun in Florida waves. I have also ridden them on good California Point breaks and they go off. I am planning on taking one with me to Costa this July. I think that a lot of why we don’t see the fish out there is that you primarily only see High Performance Thrusters in the mags and on your local shops rack, so most people think that the thruster must be what’s happening. 10 years ago you would never see one on the East Coast but now you may see one every once in a while as the word is spreading. I believe that all boards have positives and negatives. The best thing about building your own is that for the price of one board off the rack you can make three. Each for different surf conditions. I have built a few fish in order to experiment with tuning them to different wave conditions and have been having a blast doing so. You may see one of my good friends out on one of my hand me down fish at Second Light sometimes. I know he was out there the last two days. Until everyone catches on enjoy flying past them at mind expanding speeds.
I’ve done two now. Actually see quite a few around depending on the specific break. I see a fair amount on some of the LaJolla reefs near home, almost a cultish thing at some spots. Up in Oceanside/Camp Pen where I work, you never see any but then again, the only place I really surf up that way is DMJ’s which is a pretty heavy wave.
5’6 x 21 x 2.5 homemade keel fins.
this is a pic just after the resin swirl on top.
seen a couple in newport beach.
Rio
I’ve just finished one. Road it for the third time yesterday. I’ve probably built four in the last year for me or friends. I like them because they are strange looking and they work well in small waves. Kind of keeps me connected to where I grew up and learned to surf.Hollow waves, though. Mine suck in mushy waves. I’d rather have an egg or hybrid thruster for mushier stuff. I live in central CA. There are a few more people riding the KG fishes around here in the last nine months or so. I hate being part of the fad and hope it all passes over. Most people on this end of the bay don’t really know what a fish is, either. Of course, some would say mine are not fishes. I like mine about 6’2" to 6’4", big keels, minimum 10 inches between tips. Very little rocker and about 3 inches thick. Most have a bit of vee. Next one I’ll try a little concave. mike
Haven’t seen much fish at Newport lately,just dirty waters and dead giant squid.Herb
…I think therefore I AM…
Howzit turbohog, Got one sitting on the glassing racks right now,as soon as I prep and hot coat the bottom I’ll take a pic and post it. It’s going to be set up so it can be a twin fin or a 4 fin. Aloha,Kokua
Kokua - using FCS fins? Or doing maybe a glass on with a removeable fin for the smaller quads?
Aloha
Bryan
Howzit Bryan, Going with FCS with custom made fiberglass keel fins. It’s a Sunburnt shape that Ian wanted to have enough plugs for 3 fins on each rail but today he told me to forget about one set of plugs since the plugs would have overlapped one of the other sets. Aloha,Kokua
where do you surf? i live in ocean beach (the south version), surf sunset cliffs mostly, and feel like i see one evey time i turn around. of course, i ride one at least once a week–my go-to short board for the cliffs.
hey Turbohog…I got a 5’-11" on the racks ready to be painted and two 6’2"C’s all ready to be templated plus a 6’9" E-winged swallow tail bonzer in the works. I make my own wood double and single keeled fins for the fish. I see true fishes almost everday I surf. but I didn’t see one today though. I guess it was to big for the those little guys.
I’m finishing, my first fish, ist’s my #2 board…
5’8" x 20" i made some mistakes (too thick in tail and nose, and some air bubbles in the laps) but i think that it’ll work,i’ll put FCS and homemade keel fins…