There is always lots of talk on Swaylocks about Brom frye style fish. How do these boards surf and what are the performance characteristics of the boards. How do they surf???
They are a top turn to pumping into a roundhouse 70’s style of surfing which is a quick pump-not vertical but fast flowing. Does that help?
From James Kinstle’s book "surfboard Design and Construction: “Steve (Lis) is the original developer of the fish. He first built it as a kneeboard for himself, then he built a few as surfboards for his friends. The translation between the super slow paddling take-off to the super fast speed turn-on shocks your awareness into a new time frame. The fish has affected a lot of surfers the same way. You have to ride it to believe it.” Rob Olliges
The keel type fins and wide tail do they tend to be squirelly and slide around a bit too much like some more modern small fin twins. Or can they be surfed powerfully like a thruster, without having to nurse hard turns too much.
Nursing isn’t the right word, more getting used to is, I think. When you’re used to it, boy, can you carve these baby’s round the house like there on rails. One board, two fins, two tails, that’s all it takes to fly. Peter Rijk.
A true twinnie fish “Brom like” should skate flat,from rail to rail,and in the same token,be able to stand it on end in a splitsecond response, and go straight up the face into a radical of the lip or whatever…I have to give it up to this style of fish as the “roundhouse cutback king”…they also noseride and drift nicely as well…Like the man said,you have to ride one to know one.Herb
I enjoy the glide and paddle of a longer board. What would be the max length that the rider be able to enjoy the skatiness of a Lis fish and still get that paddle and glide? Sorry for the poorly construcued sentence.
…That depends on alot,but I have built them in the 8’ range,with great results.Herb
To Wondering, My personal favorite is 6-10. You have to make some adjustments . The keel fins are flat on the inside and toed 1\8 inch. The rocker is bumped up slightly and there is a subtle v throughout. If the bottom is too flat on a longer fish (real fish) they are really stiff and forget it if it isn’t glassy! These boards are too fast for their own good, so you have to adjust accordingly. The tail rails are thin and pinched. The remainder of the rail line is down but soft. Paddle speed is that of about a standard issue 8-0. Good board for the points. When it gets big and hollow I prefer a bonzer or tri fin. aloha, tom
thanks!!!
I just had a conversation with Steve Brom of www.surfenginez.com the other day whom makes old school fish and ask him the same question. I told him I’m 180 lbs and normally surf a 9’8" Cooperfish (heavy, retro-type longnboard) and he said he’d recommend to me a board around 6’4" because bigger than they they lose some of the fishy/skatey characteristics.
speaking of original fish, where is Steve Lis? Is he still shaping? Where? Anyone have any info?
He’s still in Point Loma, San Diego surfing lower cliffs with alot of other punks!
You may contact Steve Lis & Rich Pavel through the Greenroom Surf Shop in Ocean Beach, San Diego, Ca. USA, 1-619-226-1311. Or email Rich at:
Lis now lives in Kaua’i. http://www.ancientartsurfboards.com
do you think i could get away with using a frye fish as a one board quiver for anything upto 6ft as long as its not too hollow.
I’ve got a picture of NUUHIWA at Pipeline on a Fish circa '73. As long as you can handle the conditions a Fish will handle the conditions. I’ve dropped into pitching overhead beachbreak many times on one
Howzit Rick, Just came from a memorial for a good friend and fellow waterman. Spent some time catching up with Steve and Betsy, they’re doing great and enjoying life on Kauai as permanent residents. Aloha, Kokua