Would appreciate any input on attached board. NOTE! I am putting a classic swallowtail in it, but don’t know how to show that in akushaper…
What I want to do is a classic fish, but supershort, with more curves and foiled thin in tail and nose but thick in center. Hoping for a funky, responsive riding experience in 3-6 foot mushy waves for a pretty lightweight surfer but I guess I just think it´s fun to see how short you can go…
I¨m thinking quads, front and back placed closely together and close to rail.
I found that it was fun but once I started moving with any speed I was wanting for a bit more length. I too like to go as short as possible but at a certain point you almost feel constricted and I was almost putting my foot off the back of the board everytime I popped up. I’m thinking 5’ or 5’2 and pull the nose in a little and you’d be closer to a classic fish. that’s what im planning for my next one anyway. super short is a fun novelty but after a couple of surfs mines gone on the shelf.
Thanks for your input, guys, really appreciate it. I believe you are right it’s a bit plump and short to be useful but I think I will shape it anyway for funs. We’ll see if I bother glassing it.
I´ve shaped two straight outlined mini simmons boards, one 5’5"x22.5" and one 4’8"x22. The 5’5" felt too big and the 4’8" I just tried it two times in very small and pretty big and messy conditions before I left it at my parents house on another coast. It was fun once I got it up and running but I regret not trying it out more before leaving it there, hence the urge to try something similar, but a bit less skatey.
What makes a fish or a Simmons work in those lengths is the straighter rail line they use in the rear quarter to compensate for the lack of length. Having lots of curve in the tail is good for turning but works against drive, quickness and top end.
You need to change the side cut, generally a fish has the wide point up front and straight rails narrowing into the swallow tail. Your board is going to be fun in anything up to 3 foot surf, then it will just be problematic. It seems like you are just trying to pack volume in it. I don’t know how light you are, but 35 liters for such a short board would have me bouncing all over, and I weigh 180. You have too much foam in the nose and up front. I know puting a lot of foam up there is good for grovelers, catching waves, whatever, but puting too much foam up front can be problematic, the nose will stay afloat but you won’t be able to get the tail up enough to decrease drag to catch waves.
Check your rails. A fish typically has 5050 rails with small grovelers bottom contours are really important, look to adding some they displace water and keep drive going, I know it’s a fish but you should probably add something
Thin it out, 3" is really thick for this kind of board.
