I would like to open the floor for thoughts as to “must try” boards (and board designs) and fin configurations before I pull down the curtain on my “preferred” template and fin configuration for typical SoCal surf.
Having started surfing at a relatively old age (28 yrs old), I was not wed to a particular “feel” underfoot. I skated a bit as a kid during the pool/pipe/“Dogtown” era and probably that, as much as anything, has influenced my surfing style because I surf very hard off my front foot. I generally like to go as fast as possible and prefer a lip bash to an aerial (as if I could pull one off!). I like walled/lined up point breaks best because I really like to pump hard off of a walled up wave that challenges you to beat the section.
I started surfing on a longboard and then transitioned to a funboard. From there, the predictable thruster and progressive transition toward less=less (“but it works for Kelly”). After admitting that I suffered from what a shaper/friend described as “emaciated shortboard syndrome” I began to move back up in board size while experimenting with fin (and corresponding template and foil) configurations.
Thus far, excluding longboards (another thread for another day) I have experimented with:
-
Obligatory Channel Islands Thruster - a “Big Guy Tri” model - an abortion in surboard decisions. This board was entirely too big (think Shaq Attack decides to surf), entirely too rockered out (think elf shoe), and entirely too expensive. Fool me once…
-
A JC Equalizer (6’10") that worked fairly well. Thin rails but good template.
-
Several 7’0’ish Twinzers - the best turned out to be a 7’0" twinzer shaped by Gus Bergstrom (Hermosa Beach - son of Bob Bergstrom for those whose roots reach back deep). Fins marked by Mark Brog of Soul Performance. A magic board frontside but I couldn’t make it work in meatier Nicaraguan (backside) lefts.
Several 7’0’ish Quads - the best have been 6’10 quads from Cole Simler in San Clemente. Unreal and the best boards I have ridden to date.
-
A 3-fin 7’6" Bonzer - shaped by Matt Calvani based on an old Eaton gunny template from the '70’s. Matt is a really very good shaper and easy to work with but I could never get the Bonzer to work. The added fin volume made it feel like I was constantly dragging a 3-ft long piece of kelp off my leash.
-
5’11 Lis Style Fish - shaped by me. I basically ripped the template from a Channel Islands 6’1" fish and combined it with the template I pulled from my 5’6" original Dyno fish. Fitting the templates together, I developed my own 5’11 fish that has been magic. Not the best all around board but great for clean point breaks.
-
7’0" Beatty Rocket Fish - the big surprise of the bunch. After a horrendous setback from a herinated disc, I picked up a very used EPS Beatty Rocket Fish as a “rehab board”. I was blown away by how well such a large board (7’0" X 21" X 3" thick) surfed. I liked it so much that I picked up a new board when the used board started to take on water (8 lbs to 16+ lbs in the ding of a glass job). It has been a blast in smaller waves but when the waves get over chest high (or the SoCal crowds drop below 1 wave for every 100 surfers) it is too much volume.
To date, I would definitely call the Cole quads the best all around boards I have surfed.
That said, I wonder whether I am missing out on a “must try this” experience. For example, I have never given a displacement hull a fair shake (although I tried an Anderson Bojorquez for a few snappy beachbreak sets and didn’t like it). Similarly, aside from an old '70’s Joe Bark single fin I have never ridden a single fin below 9’0". Same for a 5-fin bonzer, the Widomaker setup and some of the funkier McCoy types of designs.
I am open to new ideas but I am getting older and I therefore would appreciate any advice on “must try” board/fin designs. If I am missing out on something, I would like to give it a whirl now before I start to settle down in my board journey.
Thanks in advance.
