Thanks to MagicSeaweed and Swaylocks I bought my first FISH back in January. I’ve been really stoked with it these past months most of the time I’ve taken her out. However, on the odd occasion when I’ve been in 6-8foot + waves I’ve had a few problems with catching a sufficient number of waves. This could well be to do with me and my advancing years but I tend to think that a board with a little more length behind it might help me out.
When there’s a lot of water moving around and the chance of missing the wave I’m paddling for and taking the whole set on the head comes to my mind I think something needs to be done.
I really love the way the FISH surfs and don’t want to go back to a thruster - semi gun scenario. I’m thinking of possibly a 6.10 - 20 - 2 5/8 which could be used as a single fin or if necessary a regular three fin set up. I’m not sure what type of tail would be best and how much rocker I should ask the shaper to put in for me.
The FISH I ride is 6.0-21-2 3/4 and I’m 1.80 and 80kgs and I think my surfing could be best described as intermediate. Any hints from the wise would be appreciated.
If your shaper is good and you’ve had luck with his work in the past, tell him how you want the board to perform and let him worry about tails and rocker…That said, you might just stretch out (and narrow) the fish into what used to be called a rocket fish. Go with a quad set up maybe.
For waves in that range, I’ve been digging my rounded pintail quad (http://www.swaylocks.com/resources/detail_page.cgi?ID=1484). It’s essentially the front half of a fish blended into a rounded pin. The quad allows for a bit wider of a tail, provides solid hold on steeper waves, and makes an easy transition from the fish. The resource pics are good, as it’s next to a fish with the same forward planshape.
I’ve always thought that a fish nose combined with a rounded pintail or roundtail board would look like a single fin. Thanks for showing that pic, it does confirm what I thought. That’s a sweet looking board BTW. The reason I was wondering was because I’ve always wanted a single fin and I have a fish template and a round tail template from a thruster.
I’m not so thruster orrientated either so i hope this helps.
in waves around 6’ solid i ride my Super twin, twin fin with trailor. it feels great and very manuverable. the other board i ride is a 6’2" 19 3/4" board setup up as a widowmaker with a 6 1/2" back fin and two 2 1/2" side fins.
this is what i ride in BIG waves
6’9" 18" 2 3/4" single fin with wide based fin and narrow tail. it gives me the speed and glide of a single fin with a lot morer rail line through turns than a fish. the narrow pintail gives excellent control. i love it!
Check out the MSFG2 on the Channel Island website… a more pinnish tail, and a bit narrower, than the rounded, full-template MSFG, but with the same flattened rocker. An excellent choice for an alternative to the typical rounded pin thruster. This board works great in bigger waves, and paddles a lot easier because you can go longer.
A friend of mine just built one with the same thing in mind… and he put two deep channels out the back, kept the volume, full down rails the whole way… Matched up with the right fin, it’s a board that has great flow to it, catches lots of waves, and just plain FEELS GOOD! Try a flex fin for smaller waves, and a stiffer, raked, medium base, medium tipped fin for bigger surf. You’ll love it…
I have a single fin rounded pin board that’s a whole lot of fun, but you might want to consider wave quality. I find it tough to ride in less-than-optimal conditions. It’s hard to get around sections and keep speed through flatter areas.
That said, I’m fairly novice… I think a better surfer would have less problems… but if you like the looseness of your fish, a rounded pin single fin might be quite a shock
On a really clean shoulder nothing beats the feeling of drawing s’s on a single fin though!
Check out the MSFG2 on the Channel Island website… a more pinnish tail, and a bit narrower, than the rounded, full-template MSFG, but with the same flattened rocker. An excellent choice for an alternative to the typical rounded pin thruster. This board works great in bigger waves, and paddles a lot easier because you can go longer.
A friend of mine just built one with the same thing in mind… and he put two deep channels out the back, kept the volume, full down rails the whole way… Matched up with the right fin, it’s a board that has great flow to it, catches lots of waves, and just plain FEELS GOOD! Try a flex fin for smaller waves, and a stiffer, raked, medium base, medium tipped fin for bigger surf. You’ll love it…
I had a look on the site but could only find the original version. Have you got a link to the G2 or a photo of the board your friend shaped?
I really love the way the FISH surfs and don’t want to go back to a thruster - semi gun scenario. I’m thinking of possibly a 6.10 - 20 - 2 5/8 which could be used as a single fin or if necessary a regular three fin set up.
What is it about the fish that you like? Answering this may help you get better responses - although there are already some very good ones.
The thing about three fins tho - a lot of people are stuck inside boxes…like its one way or the other way with nothing in between.
With a three fin system installed, you can play around and get the right feel from a board. If you like the ride of a fish you may not like the ride of a single, but you may like the ride of a 2+1…meaning using a larger center with small rail fins - like bonzers. You could install a bahne box center and fcs/other fin system rails. So many possibilities with the three fin system install…from dud to majic.
I surf a fish almost exactly the size of yours which is also the size my shaper rides and asked to get what he rides as a step up board for exactly the same reasons as you. He shaped me a CI Single inspired 5 fin (bonzer) that is amazing! there is still the width and thickness of a fish with a pulled in tail and a few inches more length. I think the final dims are 6’4" x 14.5" nose x 20.5 x 14 tail 2.75 thick with all the thickness in the center and pretty thin rails. I surfed it this past fall is pretty good sized hurricane surf 6’+ and it handled it fine. I normally would have ridden a 6’8"- 6’10" modern thruster in those conditions.
for those bigger days.
