Thanks for all the help so far - just finished my third board - 10’ Balsa 50’s style plank which is being glassed this week! - All three have most definately been ‘Swaylocks inspired’ - Which brings me to the next! I recently made a 7’2x20" single fin which is the best board I’ve ever ridden!!! However, I live in Porthleven Cornwall UK which is home to a rather sever rock reef - can get very hollow - I usually ride a 7’4" thruster (semi gun-ish) when it’s over head high - the biggest I’ve dared to surf it is six foot - and I’m usually just gunning for the shoulder when it’s like that! I’m not a good surfer but still progressing slowly - I weigh 13 stone and I’m 35 Years old - I want to make a single fin - longer than the last - maybe upto 7’10" (or bigger) for such days - I’ve seen loads of pics of the old lightning bolt boards and they are the kind of thing Im thinking of - can anyone please help with suggestions of sizes - including rocker?
I had an old Lighting Bolt 7’6"…worst board I ever surfed, definately not a board for Southern California, it ended up being broken in half by us kids jumping on it in the pool, busted out a few teeth and pool tiles in the process. I finally wised up and got a 7’6"Hanely RPT from the OB surf shop, and that was the beginning of surfing for me. Then one day I got a 6’2" Dave Wallace T&C Thruster…and that too was the beginning of surfing for me. So what am I getting at, why a single fin when your thinking about semi critical waves? Might I suggest something like this? 7’10"-12-20.5-12.5-2.85. Clark 7’11" R keep the rocker natural except push the nose all the way, and push the tail half way to 3/4. Brewer type down rails at 70/30. Hard tail out the last 16" Single concave to vee in front and out the fins. Big fins like G-7000 or Rawsons. Nice dependable board, no suprises when going fast. If you want a single fin, just put a box in it and do the same shape, but a different bottom, just do a vee bottom.
I’ve had about 15 semi guns in the 7’ to 8’ range, most around 19" wide (was 140 lbs), 12.5 nose, 12" tails, WPoints about 4" ahead of center. Worked fine here.
Also had at least 7 guns, in the 9’ to 10’4" range, stretched out, of course, with narrower noses, wider WPoints, and narrower, pinier tails…
Works fine as long as you respect the rocker and outline, and apply some juice.
Wider is easier, narrower penetrates strong offshore winds easier…if you choose narrow, go with flat deck and blocky turned down rails. If you choose wider, go with crowned decks and thinned rails.