damn how are they only selling those things for $300?
anyway man I think that wouldn't be a bad starter board at all. Normally I'd say no but I'm sure you have some boardriding experience skimming and what not. If you've really never surfed I'd say go bigger... 6'2" or 6'4". It will really help your stability and paddling speed, and the loss of manueverability won't matter to you at this skill level
Now that's what a fish surfboard should look like. That is something I could ride and I'm 6' , 180lbs. $85.00 shipping is going to bring it up to almost $400, but even at $400 it's still a good deal. If you're a good skimmer, you should be OK on this size board. With a smaller board you'll have to catch the wave a little later than a bigger board, but once you're on the wave it will work great, and it will turn on a dime too.
Doug, this board is wider and has a lot more float than your fish, so it should work good for him. BTW.....good to see this thread back because I think the fish surfboard is the best board for skimmers to ride.
Last edited by Jim Gordon; 11-13-2010 at 08:47 AM.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Sweet! I just wasnt sure if it would suck cause its only like $300...and I do have a little experience riding a 6'8" board, so I don't think I should have any trouble popping up on this thing with all the float. So I know this things gonna rip in small to medium sized waves, but hows it gonna handle in bigger surf(like 15-18 footers)?
You dun goofed!
uhhhh 15-18 feet you need a rhino chaser my friend. like a 6'8" pintail. that's a little too much.
I've seen a video of Slater ripping 10' J Bay on a retro fish... but that was Kelly.
That said, these boards do have suprisingly good hold in bigger waves. And if you just started you are years away from riding waves over 10 feet so I wouldn't worry about that just yet
you spending winter on the north shore or something? lol
If you rode a 6'8" reg shape board, this will float better and turn quicker too. Now the fish works great on small to med. size waves, but for me on large waves the trick was not to make large slow turns, but make lots of small quick turns. It also helps keep your speed down which will give you more control on a short board. I never rode my fish on 15-18 foot waves, but I think it would be like driving a go-cart at 100mph.Originally Posted by CaliSkimmer!
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Haha, I know wouldnt be able to ride them for a few years, but every once in a while it does get pretty big by me...just wanted to know if it could handle it in the future...heres the only video I could find of a local beach firing:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9vmEmVVPeA wishful thinking
You dun goofed!
holy crap that is heavy
Traded in my rocket fish for a more traditional fish a couple weeks ago. here it is...
its 5'8"
You said it, man. Nobody fracks with the jesus
that looks fun.
also, on side note. My younger brother is very very fixated on the CI fishcuit. I keep telling him that he should look for a true retro fish rather than a pop out, but he won't listen. Thoughts/opinions?
That's about the limit for a Retro Fish shape.Haha, I know wouldnt be able to ride them for a few years, but every once in a while it does get pretty big by me...just wanted to know if it could handle it in the future...heres the only video I could find of a local beach firing:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9vmEmVVPeA wishful thinking
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
i wanna get a surfboard sometime in the near future and a fish sounds good. i surfed on a big ass longboard before so it shouldnt be too hard to use right? i would probably mostly be in ormond beach, or maybe go down to cocoa or something.
from what ive read it would be a good choice correct?
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YES!
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Tell him that the fishcuit nose is too narrow and it will not paddle or catch waves as good as a retro fish. Also tell him to read this whole thread before he gets a new board.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
first three pics are of my board, bottom two are same shape and shaper, dif board, just off of his website to give you a better look. I feel like it has more rocker than normal, the last pic (and the angle on the left in that pic) kinda shows it. It rides really well, sits pretty low in the water but does have good paddling power. 6'2, 20 (or 21 not sure gotta check the dims), and i can't remember the others.
Those little fins in front don't look like they would do much. Have you tried the board without them......or do they not come off?
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Haven't tried it without them, and yeah they're not glassed on so I can take them off. I'll have to try it without them sometime. I find that the board has a carvey feeling and holds the line really well, and if you want to slide the tail you can, which I find interesting to play around with. When I first took it out I was just really surprised on how low the board sat in the water, does it look like it has a ton of rocker from that one pic? I actually haven't compared its rocker to my other board so I'll have to check that out. It's very fast I haven't gotten too many rides on it yet though so I'll let you know more when I do (might not be for a while).
The rocker looks OK, here's the thing about rocker.....if your board doesn't have enough it would be harder to turn, to much and the board will spin-out on turns and will be slow. So it sounds like your board is OK. The reason I asked if the small front fins came out is because I think it would make your board even faster....... less drag.
Last edited by Jim Gordon; 11-15-2010 at 08:19 AM.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
alright thanks!
the catchsurf beater looks interesting.
anyone have info on it?
edit:thanks for that rep jim
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Where did you pick up an LSD? The board looks like it will go fast and straight. The wide tail and fins that far up and on the rails will slow down/ draw out your turns. With low rock make sure you paddle in with a heavy angle on steep waves so you don't pearl as much. Low rocker fast fish's are fun when it gets big and you slide down the face on the drop. Looks like a fun board for Narragansett.
Nick Aleandro
Victoria Skimboards- Sales Manager - Team Manager
I just looked it up and I don't really like it. It looks like a big Boogie board with a hard shell. Also I think they said it was around $400, which you could get a good fiberglass board for. It might ride good, but from what I seen, I don't think so. If you really want one, go ride one first and see if you like it.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
its like 140 jim. pretty cheap
I guess I heard wrong......$140 sounds a lot better for that board.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Well I had been looking for a board for a while, checked 7ply, Warm Winds, and even Ride A Wave, but couldn't find what I wanted. Stumbled into the Blockhead Surf Shop one day while bored at the beach and found this board in the back. It was cheaper than I expected and was the shape and setup I was looking for. It was shaped for 7ply and somehow wound up in this shop unused. Are you from RI?
i thought the beater was like 150? i like how cheap it is and i think they say its easy to ride. idk it does look like a big boogie board. i was just wondering. ima stick with a fishy.
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well after some further research, it turns out theres a local shaper that'll make me a custom retro fish for under $350 (and theres no shipping costs)
You dun goofed!
Here's what I rode back when I made fish surfboards. I weighed 180 lbs and was 6' and my board was 6' x 21". And when I made fish surfboards for people I would make them the same length as they were tall. So you might want to go 6'2" x 21", but it's really up to you. I don't think I would go any shorter than 6' though and if you did.....you might want to go to 22" wide. Maybe see if you can rent one first to see what size you like. Call around to shops near you and tell them you want to ride one first before you buy and they might let you try one for free.well after some further research, it turns out theres a local shaper that'll make me a custom retro fish for under $350 (and theres no shipping costs)
Also I think a real retro fish should be twin fin, because that's what they were back then./
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
well the guy works for http://www.mexunosurf.com/ and all they make are custom boards, so I dont think would have any surfboards i could try out :/ but the 6' x 21" sounds like a good size, what was the thickness you rode?
You dun goofed!
That was a long time ago, but I think it was 3'' thick. And if it's a real retro fish the fins need to be keel shape. He may have a use fish you could try.......it wouldn't hurt to ask. I need to go to bed, I get up at 6.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
k sounds good, thanks for your help!
You dun goofed!
Also this is what a real retro fish looks like. Don't let them sell you a narrow nose or narrow swallow tail board. Good night!Traded in my rocket fish for a more traditional fish a couple weeks ago. here it is...
its 5'8"
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
One more thing, thickness is doesn't really help with the way it rides, if anything a thinner board rides better (I think because the rails are thinner). But thin boards don't catch waves as good and they are slow to paddle back out. As a rule the heavier you are the thicker the board. Remember.....a board doesn't float across the wave, it planes.
Last edited by Jim Gordon; 11-16-2010 at 07:22 AM.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Talk with your shaper. It isn't just about thickness it is overall volume and where it is placed. I am sure he has a great formula for his boards. One bad thing you can do is go to a shaper and tell him how you think it should be shaped. You should tell him your skill lever, waves you ride, style you like and he can come up with final dimmensions and a template from that. If you are going with a true retro shape get twin keel fins if it is going to be a little more modern go with quads since they will be more reliable when it gets steep.
Nick Aleandro
Victoria Skimboards- Sales Manager - Team Manager
Lived in RI for a while.
Nick Aleandro
Victoria Skimboards- Sales Manager - Team Manager
When I was a salesman in surfshops, guys would come in and say they wanted this guy to shape their board like this other shaper. I told them it really doesn't work that way, just pick a board out that you like the shape of and have that shaper shape it. Most of the time we had about 2 or 3 shapers for our shop. BTW shapers have their own idea of what works and what doesn't work.
Last edited by Jim Gordon; 11-16-2010 at 11:27 AM.
J Gordon Skimboards - Owner
[Remember: your front foot is your gas and back foot is your brake.]
(speed = float)
Thats exactly the point. People should find a shaper that has a style you like and go with it. Hopefully he is local and can fine tune a board for your local conditions. Reason why you see so many Pro's at the Trestles contest riding on Lost and t. Patterson because those shapers know Trestles best. Then when everyone goes to HI they get on boards shapped by HI shapers. Unless you are having someone copy a board you already know works great I would still not recomened telling your shaper all the specific dims of volume, rocker, rails and outline. You should have picked the shaper because you like the style of board they make so let them do what they do best.
Nick Aleandro
Victoria Skimboards- Sales Manager - Team Manager
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