over here in hong kong in the summer the waves are super mushy and small and allthough i play around on my mini mal quite abit i would like a bit of a change of pace some times. So i have dedcided to try and make a retro fish (thsi will also be the first board that i have shaped but i have had some experience with foam and fiberglass building planes so hopefully taht will help).
But my proablem is i have nothing to base it off as everyone over here just rides thrusters (even my minimal gets strange reactions). so i have drawn out a template for the fish and i was just wondering what people think of it. 5’10" 23" and about 3" thick. Considering that i would be riding it many in knee high mush most of the time, i would also like to keep it quite skatey and loose. O i am 5’11" and about 70kg.
Sounds like a fun project, James. The basic numbers sound fine, but check out the archives for vast amounts of information about retro fishes. You can check out a bunch in the photo archives, too, and they’ll give you information about rocker (low), foil (barely), rails (thick, down), bottom (flat), nose and tail widths (wide), swallow depth, tip to tip length, widepoint, and fin placements. People might look at you funny this summer, but you’ll be laughing as you catch all the waves!
You’ll have lots of fun shaping and surfing your new fish. 5’10 would be max, I’d go 5’6 to 5’10 for your size/weight. I think you’re going to find 23" wide x 3" thick too much. 21" wide by 2.5" to 2.75" will give you HEAPS of floatation. 3-3.25" nose rocker, 1-1.25" tail rocker, wide point up 3-5" from center. Fins (easily made from marine ply - and I like mine single foiled) about 7" base x 4.75" height, set at 7.5" from tips, 1.25" from rail with a little cant and a little toe-in (adjust to your preferences).
There, that’s just my 5c worth. Search the archives and you’ll come up with oodles of info from those far more knowledgeable and talented than me.
I’m exactly your height and weight, 55 years old, surf once a month, and find a 5’6" x 22.5 fish super easy to paddle, catch waves, get up on, and kinda clumsy for tight pocket surfing (flat rocker, fish’s), possibly would like it shorter.
This, surfing point rights about chest to arms reach overhead, Cojo, with a 3 mil full wetsuit and booties.
thank you both for the information i think i will go shorter now the the orginal 5’10" maybe not as small as 5’6" proably around the 5’8" area only becaue the waves are so mushy and small over here.