Next board to add to my QUIVER?? Quad Fish???

OK, I weigh 175 pounds, intermediate surfer who goes out 2-3x week. Surf anywhere from SanO to Salt Creek (Usually Trestles, middles, T-Street). Here is what I have already.

9’0" longboard-For when the old guys want to go out at SanO, Churches (on a slow day or busy day) or make a late night session at Doheny.

7’6" “Fun board”-isn’t all that “fun” because it doesn’t really excel in any one area, selling it.

6’9" Twin Keel Fish-This board is really fun, but it is heavy. It is a great board to ride on slow days, small days, mushy days, or when I want to ride something “short” when I go to a longboard spot and have to battle the longboarders. It is really fast, but pretty hard to be aggressive on it, and on BIG days the twin fin isn’t enough.

6’10" Big Guy Tri Epoxy (Santa Cruz surftech Thruster with box tail)-This board is a lot of fun when it is shoulder to head high AND glass, but on chop or mush it isn’t all that fun for me. It seems soooo light that I lose my balance and look like a kook unless the conditions are just right.

6’7" Al Merrick Flyer template (thruster bump squash) custom so it has heavier foam, glass, resin-gloss, fiberglass fins. The board is really NICE, but it was built so solid that it is a bit heavy and doesn’t float or paddle nearly as well as my Santa Cruz. Fun beach break board, but if the waves are slow, I am hating it.

I was thinking of something in between my 6’10" epoxy shortboard and my 6’9" twin fish. Since wave count and the length of the ride is what is important to me, Plus I am not really a guy to get much vert, much air or 360s, etc…

I am thinking a 6’4" to 6’6" quad fish. I think with the fish shape, flat rocker, quad fin (vs tri) and wider/thicker foam, it would be easy to catch waves, but being a bit shorter than what I have, I can still have fun on the wave as well. I am also thinking of finding one in epoxy since it is lighter and easier to maneuver. Also being a quad it would still work in overhead conditions better than a twin.

I know a “true fish” is usually a twin under 6’0", but I am getting older, have short arms and small hands (so my paddle power isn’t the greatest), so something under 6’0" would be a waste of my time.

Thoughts??

well it sounds like your mind is made up. i recommend a quad fish as a worthy addition to your quiver. they’re a lot of fun. you should make one. i did:

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=261074;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

Oldy, WOW, I just went trough your thread. Amazing board bro!!! I would kill myself on the 1st ding, that thing is a piece of art. I would love to make a board, but my wife gets pissed already when I spend so much time fixing my (and my buddies) dings :wink:

Quote:

well it sounds like your mind is made up. i recommend a quad fish as a worthy addition to your quiver. they’re a lot of fun. you should make one. i did:

http://www.swaylocks.com/…_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

I’d thoroughly recommend a quad, (I’m 46 & 170lb) Mines a 5’10". I’d recommend basically scaling up a rocket fish type thruster. Say 6’6" Stretch it out to 21 1/2 and push some more width into the nose. Keep the foil refined not like an old school fish/ and keep the butt crack new school, single to double & your all set. I enjoy my Quad up to overhead, the bonzers come out then. I highly recommend pro-box with Robin Mair Quad fins.

I’m working on a compsand version at the moment

Hey rodH,

Since you already have a twin, I’d say go with the quad, but recommend getting it down to a more Fish like size. I weight the same as you at 6’1". My twins are at 5’9". Get the right dims and it’ll float you just as well as your 6’7" flyer, yet turn so much better. Might take some getting used to, but it’ll blow your mind when you do.

My latest:

http://www.70percent.org/blog/full-gh-shots/

5’9"

15 1/2" nose

20 1/2" width

16 1/4" tail

2 3/4 thick, but the rails are think like a thruster. (KEY!)

If you can’t shape it yourself, I’d recommend going with Gary Hanel here in Leucadia about 30 min south of you. He is super cheap, a local legend and makes great quad and twin fish. Go with a King Mac blank and 6+6 deck over 6oz bottom at Moonight for a durable board. If you went cheap on the glassing options (wetsand, glassons, do the art yourself or no color) you can get out hundreds cheaper than off the rack fish from bigger names. PM me if you’d like details and/or his number.

Thomas,

Thanks, I think a Quad is probably the way I will go. how would you compare the Bonzer to a thruster? Seems like a Bonzer is supposed to handle a LOT like a thruster, but all the bonzers I see are sort of retro, flat rocker, glossy resin, etc…so you really couldn’t compare them to a 4oz sanded clear thruster, simply based on those facts, but from what I understand, if the rocker is similar and the wt is similar they should ride very similar. Thoughts?

Quote:

I’d thoroughly recommend a quad, (I’m 46 & 170lb) Mines a 5’10". I’d recommend basically scaling up a rocket fish type thruster. Say 6’6" Stretch it out to 21 1/2 and push some more width into the nose. Keep the foil refined not like an old school fish/ and don’t keep the butt crack new school, single to double & your all set. I enjoy my Quad up to overhead, the bonzers come out then. I highly recommend pro-box with Robin Mair Quad fins.

I’m working on a compsand version at the moment

The Bonzer is a fin system, so it will go on any board. Really improves the carve type turns and barrels & you dont have to pump for speed once you hit your bottom turn right. But they don’t go in slop or slow waves. People who ride potato chip thrusters well don’t go for bonzers as they already generate speed well and are tuned into the timing of their board. The rest of us would benefit from a Bonzer when the waves are cranking.

Kieran