My new Bonzer...

General Discussion
1

So there I was, after completing the glassing of the fins of my beautiful yellow bonzer.

It’s a 5’11" x 19.75 (wp 3 in. forward) x 2 5/8 egg. Nose rocker: 4 inches. Tail rocker 1 7/8" for a kid who’s 5’10", 140 lbs.

I didn’t really know what kinds of waves I would use it for. I was thinking maybe 3-5’ fast punchy beachbreak.

So anyway, I was just sitting there marvelling at the board that I had made. It has this beautiful deep-yellow resin pigment on it with the words “Surf with Heart” on the deck. I prop the board onto the wall so it stays upright so I can get a view of the fins (sounded dirty)

I look at it and think to myself “Damn, if this fin-setup doesn’t work how I expect, it will make up for it by looking so cool!” I look a bit more closely at the board and I am absolutely horrified. To my dismay, I notice that one front side-runner is 3/8" further up than the other! ACK!

I have never been so disappointed in my life, after spending like 2-3 hours just figuring out online where the fins were positioned, then getting them to stay at a 20-DEGREE CANTED ANGLE! LET ME TELL YOU IT WAS NOT EASY GETTING THEM TO STAY!!!

I also noticed that the front side-runners look sorta close to the stringer, like as little as 4.5 inches from the stringer.

So, I breathed deeply thinking maybe my swaylocks brethren can help me.

Will one fin that’s further forward by 3/8" make a noticeable difference or will it not matter too much?

If I don’t have to take out the side-runner then I wont. The reason being that I’m flat broke (I’m 16 so I don’t really have any source of income) and I don’t have any resin left to rip out the fin and start over. If it will make a noticeable difference in the performance of the board, I guess I’ll just have to scrap up some cash and re-adjust the fin.

Oh, and pictures will be posted tomorrow, you will be rewarded.

2

Just surf it.

The best boards I’ve owned were not the prettiest, the most even, or the coolest colors. Unless you plan to make and sell your surfboards, function before form.

It’ll surf great.

And if it’s asym in feel, you can cut the runner off later and move it up, or even out the back with a saw and add some to the front.

Try it first, it might be asym the correct side for your style and the waves you ride.

3

Alrighty then Lee, after 2-3 years of knowing you in cyberspace I always knew I could depend on you (hah).

It’s been absolutely FLAT (as in unrideable) for a week now, and we’re finally getting waves saturday (still only about waist-chest high though, hey, after a week of flatness I’ll take anything)

i got my first hang-10 on my 9’2" last friday and I haven’t been able to surf since! Talk about aggravation.

The bonzer will experience her maiden voyage on Saturday. The fins that I just put on will probably be cured too.