Purists please stay calm: Q: Is a twin keel fish really a higher performance set up over a thruster fish ( I know I can’t call a thruster a fish because an authentic fish is keels this and retro that an so on) but I ride a (gasp) thruster fish and it rocks and I never liked spin fin twinners. I see though that the keels are back further and broader, so ya more drive, but can you put em through the same kind of torque a thruster can handle? Thanks folks.
how about: “Just different”?
there is no better or worse in this game
Hey Tempest,
Just what moai said: “different”.
I have a classic full on retro fish, a very modern fish and a lost RNF type fish with a thruster set up. All boards perform differently and seem to be suited for different waves/styles/moods. All three boards are a blast to ride but each has their own personalities…it’s very wierd since all of these boards come from a 6’2c…
“but can you put em through the same kind of torque a thruster can handle?”
hmm…on my full on retro fish, “I” can’t. But i’ve seen videos where people have. They really are: just different.
I did the same thing… a retro twin keel fish, flat to vee bottom… a twinnie with a small trailer, subtle single to double concave bottom… and a full on thruster, modern single to double “modern fish”… all out of the same blank.
All of them blow me away, but in different waves/conditions. The retro is much faster, works great in gutless surf (knee high to overhead) but forget about the snappy turns…the “modern” thruster set up is more modern shortboard than fish, as you probably know and love… the twinnie is somewhere in between, so it’s tempting to try to ride it like a thruster, but when you do you end up spinning out, even with the trailer.
If, by “performance” you mean tight turns and airs, stick with the modern three fin design - a great board if you want to ride little waves the same way as you do your regular short board when it’s good.
If you want to draw out your turns, feel some amazing speed, and make really fast, long barrels you might get eaten on riding the modern fish, go with the retro. These boards were designed for long, fast point surf, and that’s the way they perform.
Thanks to you folks for your time and insightful responses.
I’m sure this was discussed before but I didn’t see the same questoin in the archives.
RH - Tempest Surf