I’m not a shaper myself, but I’d like some opinions what I should be thinking of for a semi-gun for next winter. I have managed to push myself more than I expected this winter and I’m looking to go even bigger next winter. I was riding a 6’5" rounded pin that could be considered a boarderline semi-gun, but it was more of a winter all-rounder. I will be surfing fast pointbreaks, like Jeffries Bay and other spots around the South African coastline. I managed to get myself into some hollow double overhead waves this winter and the biggest wave I surfed bordered on the triple over region, but I need to get into some other serious breaks that are about an hours drive from my home town before I can take it past that point. I am training hard and I should be super fit by next winter and I will be looking to surf some triple overhead freight trains, but if I exceed my expectations as much as I did this year, that might become up to quad overhead. I currently weigh about 85kg, but I should be closer to 90kg-95kg by next winter due to an increase in muscle mass.
So basically any board that will start working when the waves push double overhead and start getting to the triple-quadruple range…
"I managed to get myself into some hollow double overhead waves this winter and the biggest wave I surfed bordered on the triple over region"
If your current board is taking you that far, I'd say you are right on track as far as general design. As a general rule to increase the size range of the next board, your first step should be to accurately determine baseline specs of the present board. Assuming you are on target with your weight gain, that should also play a part in the equation.
Once you have length, width, thickness, wide point, etc. documented, consider:
increasing board length - bigger waves will handle more board length than you'd think and you will have an easier time catching bombs.
increasing board thickness.
shifting wide point forward.
decreasing tail rocker.
tapering rail thickness in the tail.
spreading out the fin layout and increasing the size of the center fin.
Just a few ideas. Discuss it all with your shaper - hopefully the same guy that shaped your last one. It sounds like he has shaped you a good board and that you know what you're doing on it.
Hmmm, ok heres my 2 cents: 7’0" x 19" - 20" x 3" round pin or baby swallow is a good all around board for 2XOH+. That’s what they call a Hawaiian shortboard. If you are surfing every day and consider yourself ASP pro level: 6’6" - 6’9", Kelly: 5’6", if you want to catch waves go for a 7’0"… Now 3XOH, 7’6" or even a solid 8’ pintail… 4XOH get a real gun and a sling to carry your cojones!
Is this what you had in mind? I don’t see how it is going to get me into a quad overhead wave, especially with water temps being in the 14C range here, but if you think it will help I’ll give it a try…
I was going to get a bigger board even for smaller waves too. I find that although my current board gets me into most anything I’ve been surfing quite easily and nicely, with me often getting all the big sets on the bigger days if I’m amped and ready, what started out feeling like a huge board suddenly starts feeling kind of small. I’ve found myself totally overturning on the thing, throwing my tail out when I want to do a power carve, and stuff like that. So I was thinking something in the 7ft range…
The thing is my current shaper is quite the beginner shaper, and has only been shaping for like 3 years now, although he shaped me a magic board. I haven’t seen him surf waves much bigger that what I surf since we both tend to surf all our local breaks when maxed out. I want to get into some more serious breaks that start working when all my locals are to big to surf.
So, essencially, a good idea would be to take my current shape, add at least 7 inches to it, some extra thickness, less tail rocker, tapering rail thickness in the tail, and bit more spread out fin layout. I’m already using M7’s so I doubt I’d find fins much bigger than that.
Here is some pics of what I’ve been riding. (None of them are me, but all are my local spots…)
Here is some photo’s of what I want to be surfing next season.
As far as decreasing tail rocker, I meant it in a relative way... I.E. if you add 7" of board length, maybe keep the tail rocker where it is now rather than adjusting it proportionally to the added length?
Those waves look like a board with plenty of drive would be a good choice. It is a rare board that does it all. If your shaper is keeping records or has access to measuring tools, stick with him and work together on the next one. You may end up with a golden quiver.
Jajaja, laughed my ass off with the Borat swimsuit. Seriously, for the waves pictured you can get a 4 board quiver: maybe something like 6’8", 7’0", 7’6" and 8’0". If you only get one board, a solid 7’0" is a good all around board for that size of wave, don’t be scared of a big board, you will catch the sets while others duck dive. Here in Puerto Rico, for anything bigger than 3XOH (Tres Palmas) I have a 10’6" single fin pintail:
So basically you are saying add the length to the front half of the board, not the back, thus keeping the tail basically the same…
I’d rather be riding a to big board in to small surf, than a to small board in larger surf, but I doubt I’d be going to anything longer than 7’2". As I said, catching the wave isn’t the problem for me, but I’d like a sturdy platform under my feet when driving through a triple overhead barrel at Impossibles in J-bay. Here in South Africa I’m a bit scared of owning a 7’6" or a 8ft board, since then if I rock up at a big wave spot and it is 5 times overhead, and someone sees one of those babies on my roof, I’d have no excuses.
I can only afford one board a year right now, but luckely my current 6’5" is still in really nice condition, and I can surf it in most anything up to double overhead. I’ve used it in bigger but I normally only catch one wave because the paddle against the current is way to long on those big days when you’re on a board only 2 inches bigger than you. (Oh yea, I forgot to mention, I’m 6’3".)
I’m thinking something in the 7’2" range will get me into 99% of the stuff I’m going to be surfing. Maby get a bigger gun when I move to Jeffries Bay. (I am just finishing school, I’m in Grade 11 right now, then I’m moving to Jeffries.) Over there I’ll at least get the opportunity to use a 8ft board a lot more often. At the moment it will only be used on the rare massive days, whilst a 7’2" will be useful from the moment the waves reach double overhead.
Nice looking template, Now get out and check out boards that are being ridden by locals that you admire. Ask around about who makes really nice guns and semi guns in your area. Look over boards in the shops what visually appeals to you? Ak tons of questions about the boards. Concaves rocker v fin set rails all make a difference. Once you have narrowed down to 1 or 2 shapers it is then a matter of which one seems to better understand what you are personally looking for in a Board. While you are out and about you may also run into someone that is selling a Gun/semi gun 2nd hand. I'm sure there are a few 2nd hand boards for sale around J bay.
Guns aren’t generally used around my area, and there are few locals that I admire. Sure, there are guys who surf better than me, but they are show-off egotistical dickheads. On the big days, I’m often alone out there, or with one of the bodyboarders. (We have a couple of really good bodyboarders who will surf most anything.) There used to be a very dedicated crew around here, but they have all moved to places where there is bigger surf more often. We have very very consistent surf, but when it gets any bigger than double overhead, you have to take a drive to find a spot that will handle it, the closest one being stillbay, which is 120km from here, and second closest, in the opposite direction, is J-bay, 300-350km from here, which is why I want to move to J-bay. Since I live with my grandparents and I still need to get my drivers licence, I haven’t surfed either stillbay or J-bay, and the days I’ve charged stuff over double over, was the rare days that my local spot handles the size, and then there was rarely ever another surfer, only one or two bodyboarders, sometimes I was even out there completely by myself.
Sounds like you’re a lucky guy Francois. I can count the double overhead waves I’ve caught in the last four months on one finger.
When I think bigger waves I think bonzer. Big center fin stabilizes everything, the long side runners provide as much drive as you could want, and at that size it will CARVE big radius turns with ease. SOmething like this-
“I’d like a sturdy platform under my feet when driving through a triple overhead barrel at Impossibles in J-bay.”
which is why DerricK Hynd rides J-Bay on an 8’8 Parrish at that size, and the better tube riders out there are on 7’6 - 8’0 guns…
At 6’3, you can easily push a 7’2 in DOH, where it’s all about wave positioning, driving deep, and making the wave, and you’d have fun with it even when just a couple feet overhead if it’s walled up and wailing…and you’ve no doubt got bigger feet, which means plenty of leverage to bank a tad wider board on rail in the pit…say 20" or so… more outline curve + appropriate rocker = looser ride with plenty of hold…
And once you get to J-Bay, plenty of excellent shapers there who have 8’0 rockets for J-Bay fully dialed in…
What exactly is it that you want to accomplish surfing those waves. Do you want a higher wave count, or do you want to be able to straight up, or do you want more drive and section making, do you want more stability & comfort?
The waves in the pictures are beautiful, but they can be surfed with almost any kind of a board...fish or long board etc.
More detail is needed in your style of surfing and what you are expecting. yes semi guns work extremely well in the surf you have pictured.....but semi guns can be anything from a big guy trifin, to a full blown charger.
Listen to Resinhead, he knows what he is talking about, he helped me a lot in the design of my 10’6". Yea, I think the question is how do you want to ride those waves being realistic with your ability and matching that information with a design that suits you. A 7’2" like you want may be very useful, we need to define the type of 7’2". Never been to Jeffrey’s but it looks like a fast drivey board is the go.
Well, considering my current skill, the amount of training I’m doing, and my probable increase in skill and confidence, I can say that firstly and foremost, I want tubes. I am going to J-Bay to get tubed. But when I’m not in the tube, I’d like to carve the hell out of that wave, but the key here is, I’ve got strong legs, and I will probably have rediculously strong legs with the amount of cycling up and down hills I’m doing right now, so I don’t need a board to be to lose. I like to meet power with power, and J-bay has more than enough power. I also know the crowd up there is hectic, so I can’t miss an opportunity, I need to be able to catch waves easily, and I need to be able to make really steep drops without nosediving. So essencially I need something with tons of paddle power, lots of drive, good hold on the wave, but still being able to do a nice hard cutback or carve when I feel like it.
Oh yea, here is a rough outline I made on AKU of my board. Ignore rocker and rails and stuff, I don’t know how to measure those so I can’t do those with any accuracy.