I had a thread a few weeks ago asking about isle, and decided againt it, instead I found a used board and purchased it a few days ago (6’0’ Walden “Magic Fish”). I decided to let my friends learn on a 10’6" I shaped, but in need of repairs, and I would use the fish. The board itself is in pretty rough shape… it floats and theres no leaks, but the previous owner definately was sloppy with the repairs. So I basically have 2 sets of unrelated issues to deal with.
1: do i sand back all previous repair attempts and redo them all
2: I was having a lot of trouble getting up on it.
The first issue, is because of a pretty large pressure ding on the bottom, the second was because of the repairs around the tail
The second issue I was having was getting up on it. It wasnt the best day to surf, but it was 4-5 ft waves, just a bit too choppy. When I paddled in, the first couple of times the nose just shoveled into the water and flipped me, I then shifted further back on the board, but trying to pop up, my back foot was barely catching the end of the board and I just fell off. I know its partly due to me being a fatass trying to ride a shortboard, and partly because this is the first shortboard I’ve ever touched. Info on me: 6’0" 185 lbs.
so… what you guys think? (pics below)
The waves this morning in my attempt to learn to ride a fish
I had a thread a few weeks ago asking about isle, and decided againt it, instead I found a used board and purchased it a few days ago (6'0' Walden "Magic Fish"). I decided to let my friends learn on a 10'6" I shaped, but in need of repairs, and I would use the fish. The board itself is in pretty rough shape... it floats and theres no leaks, but the previous owner definately was sloppy with the repairs. So I basically have 2 sets of unrelated issues to deal with.
1: do i sand back all previous repair attempts and redo them all
2: I was having a lot of trouble getting up on it.
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Yes, I would re-do the repairs, they look pretty dubious.
As far as riding a fish - I rode a fish a lot when I was younger, I'm 5'7" was about 145 lbs. back then, and I rode a 5'11" fish. Now that I'm gettng back into surfing I've got a 6'8" retro fish that I love riding (I'm more like 175 lbs. now), but I'm finding it harder to catch waves in crowded conditions, so I'm heading toward larger boards with more volume.
I will say that the first few times I rode a fish it just shot out from under me. Took a bit to get used to riding, but I loved it after I got it wired. Sounds like maybe your board is not the right size/shape/volume for your size, weight and ability. My suggestion is what I'm doing - keep it awhile, give it your best shot, then move on if its not working for you.
If the photo you posted shows the actual conditions you tried to surf in, I’d say that was more than “a bit choppy”. Looks like a total mess. You should try that board in a variety of conditions, including decent waves, before you can make a valid assessment of its suitability.
You gotta clean that s#it up! Looks like a nice shape… I’d love to try it. You should be able to ride a 6’0 fish… ultimately. I’m 10 lbs heavier and have a lot of fun on a 6’0. Just takes some getting used to. Don’t give up… just keep taking it out. Not the ideal size to go to from a longboard, but with some practice, you should be able to get used to it pretty quickly.
Huck pretty much nailed it w/ the description… It felt like it was wanting to move alot faster than me and kinda shooting out from under me, causing my back foot to slide off as I was standing up. I tried to lean forward more but that was causing the nose to shovel in. I guess since its in such rough shape ill practice pop ups on it in the backyard till I get the feel of where my backfoot needs to be. the reason I bought the fish is I want to progress to shorter boards, so I was looking for a relatively short board with alot of volume.
I don’t think your problem is volume. I think you just need to adjust your technique. If you’re relatively new to the shorter lengths a basic fish design is going to make that transition even tougher. The combination of the shorter length, the wider template relative to that length and the reduced rocker contribute to a less forgiving board, particularly when surfed in dumping beachbreak waves.
Compared to boards with more conventional layout, you’ll have to take an extra stroke or two to actually paddle that wider shape into the wave. The reduced length and rocker make positioning on the board even more critical; too far forward or back puts you out of trim. In terms of paddle and glide, getting out of trim is like putting on the brakes. The shorter length leads to a reduced margin of error for the transition between paddling and surfing. You have to position yourself better and time the oncoming wave better than if you have more length to work with. A longboarder can paddle themselves into position and match speed with the wave better; a shortboarder can’t do that as well and has to make up for that by positioning themselves closer to where the wave is actually breaking.
Even after you figure out the board you’ll still find that the board has definite limitations under the feet of most surfers. The tail is wide and straight, which makes it harder to control when you’re on a wave with a lot of energy. That’s especially so going backside. I like fishes a lot, but once it gets to head high I try to limit their use to waves that are slower and more open faced. Long drawn out carves rather than snappier turns.
If you keep the board you will need to put the time in to refine your skills to ride it. Even then, that “fish” style of surfing will be different than what you use on most other types of boards.
