Hi - soon to be getting a long fish type board shaped up and reckon it will be a wide 22 plus X 2 3/4 X 6ft 8 board...based around a tradiitional fish kind of shape with wide tail. I know true fishes are really much shorter and use the keels for loose turns. I'm just wondering if on a longer type of fish the keels will still be a good match or whether a quad set up is better. Been wrestling with this for quite a while and not able to try first so advice welcome. Thanks
I have a 6’8 with approximately the same dimensions, the nose is a little more pulled in then a traditional fish would be, but it’s a twin with keels and surfs great. The only fish I’ve ever ridden, so have nothing to compare with, but I like it. Hope this helps. Take it easy.
Hobbyist warning ..
My first fish was / is what you describe
http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1026291
I had an absolute blast on it , got some really memorable rides - it flies in clean walled up waves with the keels and relatively straight rail line but ... a bit limiting backhand ( user error not withstanding)
For my second I used the identical template and made it a quad , a little shorter and pulled in a tad all round.It's a bit more foiled and a diff. hull shape as well , but once I got the fins tuned in no. 2 was noticably more responsive and free'd me up in a wider range of waves , possibly at the expense of a bit of ' get up n go ' and down the line speed.I've ridden the snot out of that board.Really works for me in the beachies and soft breaking points , but when the waves get some speed and push ( not necessarily size ) it gets hard to sink the tail.
So , Just my opinion of course but if you're buying only one board , go quad - and perhaps pull the tail in a bit with wings or a hip.On the other hand , when those keels do hit mach speed it feels damn good!
[quote="$1"]
Hobbyist warning ..
My first fish was / is what you describe
http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1026291
I had an absolute blast on it , got some really memorable rides - it flies in clean walled up waves with the keels and relatively straight rail line but ... a bit limiting backhand ( user error not withstanding)
For my second I used the identical template and made it a quad , a little shorter and pulled in a tad all round.It's a bit more foiled and a diff. hull shape as well , but once I got the fins tuned in no. 2 was noticably more responsive and free'd me up in a wider range of waves , possibly at the expense of a bit of ' get up n go ' and down the line speed.I've ridden the snot out of that board.Really works for me in the beachies and soft breaking points , but when the waves get some speed and push ( not necessarily size ) it gets hard to sink the tail.
So , Just my opinion of course but if you're buying only one board , go quad - and perhaps pull the tail in a bit with wings or a hip.On the other hand , when those keels do hit mach speed it feels damn good!
[/quote]
Hey Nuclear - you did some job there...nice one! I'm coming down from a longboard so not really looking for a board that will feel too squirrely, but noticeably different and looser. I take it the keels will do that nicely? My worry is whether keels on a 6ft 8 with a wide tail will love straight line speed but be tricky to turn? Quad's appear, from what most folk say, to be able to handle bigger stuff so as you say, a quad might give me better all round options....just wonder if they are still reasoably loose. What's the dims on yer quad? Thanks again.
I feel a bit of a pillock posting pics of myself , but this is me on the keeler
After 5 yrs. as a longboard disciple, the fish felt plenty loose and peppy , but I look at it now and think it's a bit of a boat.
The quad's a bit easier to hit the lip , responds quicker.It's 6'7 x all widths pulled in a 1/2 inch.
Will you be getting the board made or shaping it yourself ?
More knowledgable opinions welcome
Cool pic ....any more pics of the board would go down well if you have the time?
I'm getting it shaped - would be a disaster if I tried myself. I'm seeing it as a step down and after a couple of years may go shorter still if I like it...so one step at a time. Nothing worse than getting a board that is just nothing but frustration for ages before things click...I just don't get out enough so value each time. Happy for a challenge but want to keep the fun factor too. Cheers!
So did you decide what you'll do yet ?
Don't know where you're based but you might like to check out Michael Zippi's boards .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omuZtdol0nU
He's got a nice little niche going with modern twin keels.
Going for a 6ft 6, 22 and a bit wide X 2/34 thick trad fish. Leaving it to the shaper to make it work for me!
…hello man, normally when a new customer arrives to my wshop and he comes from a longboard but want less board, I recommend some type of egg, that in that range or bigger will perform better than those “no fishes”.
possibly you can go with single fin 7 x 21.5 x 2 .75 or quad 6 6 x 21 x 3
[quote="$1"]
...hello man, normally when a new customer arrives to my wshop and he comes from a longboard but want less board, I recommend some type of egg, that in that range or bigger will perform better than those "no fishes".
possibly you can go with single fin 7 x 21.5 x 2 .75 or quad 6 6 x 21 x 3
[/quote]
Yeah, an egg is an obvious choice for many and one often suggested. But, I wanted something a bit different, nice and wide and fast so a fish template with keels sounded a good option. There' s lenty of folk making the big fish/fat fish/long fish/non fish/fish hybrid with keels these days and they seem to work well in weak surf so I will try it out and see how I go. You never know, give it a year or two and I might move down to a "real fish":-)
Hey flexor, what is your height/weight? If you’re over 200lbs, you’ll be pretty stoked on the 6’6" coming down from an LB. You could probably go a little shorter, but the dims you put up will work if you’re a bigger guy. I’m 6’1" 215 lbs, and I ended up getting a 6’ 5" twin keel when I was coming down from a log. It’s my favorite board of all time. I could have gone shorter, but it’s allowed me to ride it in waves up to overhead and a half without feeling undergunned, and it grovels really well. I’m shaping myself a 5’ 10 Mini Simmons, so I’ll see how going shorter feels. My next twin keel will probably be in the 6’ 2" range.
I'm around the same height and weight as you, a tad lighter, but I'm happy with a bit of extra volume to help me out. I can go smaller later on if I like the board....not over the hill yet!!