mini fish opinions wanted

General Discussion
1

…fellas,

In the past years I did a bunch of fish in a range from 5 4 to 5 10 for different types of riders and waves (so the others dims and the shapes rely on that)

I had been got good amount of feedback.

5 11 is the larger that I do for a big guy like 95 Kg/1.87 to keep tha fishness “thing”

so I did minifishes between 4 8 and 5 2 too

but only a few and I dont have contact with the owners to provide some feedback

guys, do you have experience in that range?

the possible riders are medium skilled surfers, 1.65 - 1.70 m tall 60 - 75 Kg weight; the waves are average from 2 to 6 (most beachbreaks)

thank you for the opinions

2

reverb,

in general I’m really into to riding small boards. I am 5’9 145 and have about 20 years of solid surfing under my belt…err birdwells. For a while i was riding 70s kneeboards as stand ups as i could not get a fish smaller than 5’10. Although i really wanted to surf them…i found both paddling and surf ability to be wayyy different than a board in the 5’8 to 6’0 range. The boards were very very difficult for me to surf, the only time i saw them used with any type of proficiency was when i let a good friend borrow them (he has a skill level that is amazing…i don’t…I’m just an average dude)

the pros were: they fit in the back seat of my car and they made me very very cool, but man to surf there are significant hurdles to over come before you can even come close to seeing what they do.

3

I’ve made a few in that size range and kept track of them. One of them, a 5’0’’ I made for a 5’6’’ 130 lb excellent surfer,

ended up getting hijacked by the guy’s big brother (also very talented), who’s 6’0’’ and 155 lbs. Good surfers can ride them

really small.

You probably already figured this out, but you need to make new templates for the tiny ones. The curves get tight as you get

small. It’s all proportions, and consequently the wide points tend to get down to about 20’‘, instead of 21’‘-22’’ for the 5’4’’ to

5’11’’ fishes. My tip-to-tip is usually 10 1/2’‘-11’‘, it comes down to 9 1/2’‘-10’’ on the 5’0’’ and unders.I agree that anything over

5’11’’ isn’t really a fish unless the customer is huge.

If the guys are normal thruster kids, I’d suggest putting 4 FCS or other in them. Most of those guys are going to like them better as 4-fins,

but they can play with twins if you have a removeable system. Although I love fishes and ride them most of the time, I don’t like the retro

twin-keel thing (heresy!). IMO more modern fin set-ups just work better. Steve Lis is over on Kauai making 4-fin fish so I don’t think I’m

too far off base here.

4
Quote:

…fellas,

I had been got good amount of feedback.

5 11 is the larger that I do for a big guy like 95 Kg/1.87 to keep tha fishness “thing”

Reverb What type of dimensions do you do for such a board as I am looking at making my first board and thinking of a fish, however I am similar to the “big guy” you speak of. Thanks for any help. Brenden

5

…Gabo

I dont understand exactly your point…I think

…Mike,

thanks

yes that similar to some dims I used

in 1 (but for a kid) I d put less than 19" in the wide point

I figured out that with a very good surfer in that weight is it possible to have good rides

yes Im in 4 fins too

6

…the basics are 5 11 x 22(4 up) x 3 (tapered out to tail) x 17.25 x 16.25

(most of the bulk from chest to back foot)

flat deck, super thinned in the tail (more than most)

more “pointy” nose outline if its for toobs only

60/40 s full rails to sharp on tail

tucked edged

buttcrack 5 1/2 to 6 (depends on the back foot)

11 to 12 between tips

slightly convex or flat to concave to tail

more overall rocker than most

hope that works

7

Thanks mate!!

8

…top this one

cause I think its not fully covered here and have plenty of room for feedback

dont be shy, guys

9

my current fish i accidentally cut 4 inches off the tail while templating(over anxious mistake) the board is 4’11.75" my complaints with it are that it is too damn wide overall. tip to tip is like 14 inches, near 17"@1ft from the tail, and like 22.5 overall. The board has plenty of volume, if I were to do it again at that length I would take the width down to 20.25" so I can have some curve in the outline and be able to get the board really to go over on rail. They are definetly possible.

as far as Mike’s comment on the keels. I have to say it is dead on. unless you just want to cruise and swoop, you are best of with either a quad or twinny set up.

10
Quote:

my current fish i accidentally cut 4 inches off the tail while templating(over anxious mistake) the board is 4’11.75" my complaints with it are that it is too damn wide overall. tip to tip is like 14 inches, near 17"@1ft from the tail, and like 22.5 overall.

hi mate !

do you have any photos of it , please ? i’d love to see it …

i made a 4’11 for a mate’s [then] 6yo son , a few years ago now . his 6 year old brother will be next in line to ride it , i guess …

11

…and the surfing feedback?

or is not finished yet?

thanks

12

What kind of bottom on these mini fish? Loehr says you gotta have Vee. thx

13

I always put some V through the fins, and usually a slight double concave through that.

My amount of V and bottom shape forward depend on the relationship between the rider’s weight and the

dims of the fish. Smaller boards in relation to rider weight get flat forward bottoms and a touch of V, closer

to ‘‘normal’’ volume I’ll roll it forward and put in more V. Keep in mind that all my “mini-fish” (actually they’re

more like ‘‘real fish’’, IMO) are between 2’’ and 2 1/4’’ thick. I believe fish should be short and thin.

There’s a pic of a 5’4’’ on one of the Coil threads.

14

chip I am about 650 miles(1000km) away from the board. but I will get one for you when I can.

feed back, I have posted this on other threads, but no problem:

too wide to go rail to rail. very slidey. excellent for floaters and long drawn out bottom turns. fast enough, it isn’t the fastest board I have ever ridden, but it does get up and plane early(i have turned down rails the whole length and like 10 degrees cant). The board is too wide for it’s own good. basically the thing is a dog. There is plenty of volume to spare in that length, so I can see making a sub 5’ fish work well.

15

…hey Mike,

I ll try to post a picture of the foil of one of the fish that Im doing right now

but is extremely difficult to obtain a proper pict of the bulk distro and ther relation with the rails/deck and tapered out (I shape the fish in that way)

-because I go with that thickness only with fish for the children or kids

most I shape between 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 BUT super tapered out to tail (stuff that I dont see too much in most fish)

so the very tips are 1/4" (shape without glass)

so there s only few real inches with plenty of bulk (between feet)

in this way the tail are really flexible and this is truly good when you crank up the beast

16

reverb,

It appears I would like your fish, what I don’t like are these big blocky boats that get passed off as ‘‘fish’’.

But that’s just my preference, everyone’s entitled to ride whatever they like.

17

Mike,

here s couple of photos

lam+Hcoat top without sand anything

2 5/8 max thickness

the tips of the tail are 1/4" (without glass)

the photos do not pick up the foil really well

I tried to shoot other angles but without luck

that tail is very thin (grabbing you can move easily with the hands, no matter the glass)

and the tail rails are thin too

from the crack to back foot (normally forward) on the stringer, is thin too

so if you look the board from behind you see a somewhat curved deck to the crack and a flat deck to the rails

the 10" until the tip of the nose, are thin

I put the bulk only in the feet and chest area


18

Yeah I like that. Carving not corking.

Now to totally divert your thread before I go offline for a few days, have you tried rail blades on one of those?

19

Like that side profile, very sexy shape.

20

reverb that thing looks like it would be sick. Wish my fish turned out like that.