I'm thinking of making myself a keel fish for my next board but don't know what size would be the best. I currently ride longboards and a 6' mini simmons and the mini simmons seems to be the correct size for me at 180lbs and surf on the texas coast. I was thiking somewhere in the 6'2" to 6'5" range.
Thanks,
Bandito
im 180 n began with a 5’10" - I could go shorter, I will on the next one as well as thinner and I’m thinning out the rails and tail more. Im thinkin crispy fish. It seems the 2" under your height is golden! Thanks to all knowlegdeable sways members for the advice. If your 6’ Id go with a 5’10". Ive seen lots of fish here in Japan lately and many are way too long. A 7’4" for a guy about 5’7"-8" n maybe 140-50 lbs?? He said he had been trying to surf for three years (on weekends). This was last Sun. Im sure if he had bought a shorter fish his skill level would be higher but its all about fun right? Yeah, me either or me too, so i took him over to the reform behind the pilings and gave him a clue to practice right and left bottom turns on the steady but tiny wave. He would just paddle like a whirlybird with no idea when/where the wave was and what it was doing - he caught his first wave there without paddling and was shocked! Since the left there is slower he did a couple left turns but couldn’t manage the much quicker right. Doesn’t matter though because he is a regular and when he gets the feel of a bottom turn that faster right will challenge him and should come naturally, got him off the peak also so it was a win win for all. Long winded reply but Im guessin most people go too long on that first fish.
If you're talking ''real'' fish here, I wouldn't go any longer than 6'2'', and that's really too big. 5'10'' is more like it but you haven't mentioned your age, skill, or fitness level and those are important factors.
I am 6’/173lbs and anything more than 5’10" doesnt feel right, assuming we are talking about traditional twin keel. I have ridden twin keels in 6’6’, 6’4", 6’1", 6", 5’11", 5’10, and 5’8". 5’10 and 5’8" work really good given the rocker/tail/nose dims. wouldnt get anything longer than 5’11" but it is all a matter of comfort level at the end of the day. just learn to take off a bit deeper…?
Im 5'9'' 80kg, and have a 6'2'' x 22 x 3 home made heavy glassed keel fish. Im sure i could go smaller, especially with a lighter glass job. I like a lot of volume, so i think a 5'10'' would be ok for me. A super short one ( 5'7-8" ) would probably be beyond my ability though.
However, having a "big" keel fish has its advantages, i've pulled off a few cheater fives, and i've caught waves that longboarders have struggled to get on.
Stick to the smaller end of the range you’re comfortable with. I’d say 6’2 for a guy that’s 180lbs in mushy surf is not unmanagable, but not ideal either. 6’0 would be more like it, but if want the extra length, go for it. Fish are supposed to be short, flat, wide and thick. If you keep the foil thick, and beak the nose, and keep the deck flat, and have angular, down rails, you conserve a lot of volume and can go shorter. If you foil it more like a typical shortboard, and go with more “modern” rails, go longer.