Beacbreak- I would love to see some pics of that fish when you pick it up from Scott.
Zippy -nice looking board, what blank did you use? How many boards have you shaped?
To the OP that 5'6" quad sounds like a good pick up - go for it. Fish work great in east coast waves
JN
I'm not sure what blank that is, I guess I shaped it out of a 6'2" fish blank, I think it was one of the blank producers that went belly up. I have shaped 8 boards so far with the ninth coming this spring if I can find the time. this board is the most versatile of all my shapes. Every board I have made work to some degree but this one is the best all around board I have made. I have surfed it in knee high on up to fat over head waves and it excels in both wave sizes. The next best was a 5'5" Mini Simmons that I love, but that one started taking on water from day one and now is a yellow hulk sitting in my rafters.
I didnt realize at first that you shaped that board yourself, it looks super nice, you definitely have some skill. How did you get into shaping? I would like to try it out someday, I was thinking about picking up one of those Greenlight kits for my first try. It would be nice to really be able to tweak every little aspect of the boards and Im sure you learn a ton about different characteristics that change the boards performance.Originally Posted by Zippy
I'm not sure what blank that is, I guess I shaped it out of a 6'2" fish blank, I think it was one of the blank producers that went belly up. I have shaped 8 boards so far with the ninth coming this spring if I can find the time. this board is the most versatile of all my shapes. Every board I have made work to some degree but this one is the best all around board I have made. I have surfed it in knee high on up to fat over head waves and it excels in both wave sizes. The next best was a 5'5" Mini Simmons that I love, but that one started taking on water from day one and now is a yellow hulk sitting in my rafters
If you have some pictures of other boards youve shaped post em up!
i have taken out fish in hurricane surf and have ridden waves well over head with very good success. Its a modern thruster fish setup but recently I popped the middle one out and have been riding it. Super loose as a twin, but you have to watch turning like zach mentioned. Getting it on rail can be dicey. I like taking really hard bottom turns and it sometimes will slide the tail out from under me and eat sh!t. Approach your surfing smoother like gravy with a twin.
Just when I talked myself out of getting a fish this thread pops up...... now I'm awaiting dimensions from the shaper!!! Yes my local shaper, have seen a couple of good deals but there nothing like having a locally made board.
Heard quad fish handle a little better, anyone ride a quad fish?
I started riding a retro fish about 4-5 years ago and loved it. prior to that my daily driver was a flyer, which I liked alot actually, but the fish just suited me. It felt like riding an old school skateboard to me. Super fast, easy to pump and fly down the line. Turns are drawn out though.
I rode it almost exclusively for a few years so had it through some big swells. Once up and riding on a big wave I had no problems. However I ate $hit on takeoff a lot more due to the lack of rocker and wide tail, and I ocaisional layed into a bottom turn too hard and sjidded out, but I got used to the limits. Once riding, the board handled bigger surf fine. Very hard to stall and get in a barrel though, they just want to fly. And I could nevr get my cutbacks all the way around, the turn was too drawn and slow.
After a while I missed the turning ability of a shortboard, and I've since moved to a custom that's a blend of fish and shortboard, maybe 70% fish 30% shortboard.
I would say give it a try. I think you'll know after a few sessions if it's for you or not. I have friends that flat out don't like them. It's very subjective. I think they are a ton of fun. Although I rode mine in pretty much anything, they really make those gutless waist to stomach summer swells sooo much more fun. Since I got into the retro fish, I don't ever pull out a longboard.
Here are a few pictures of four of my shapes. Pretty sure I posted these hear at some point. As you can see I like fishy, funky boards.
The yellowed one was a great board, the swallow tailed round nosed board rode fine but I think my hand made bamboo fins weren't foiled right so it was sluggish. The modern fish was super fast but also hard to control (rails were too hard over all so it lacked hold and slipped side to side) my son likes to ride that one. The little mini sim I shaped for my son but he refuses to wax it and ride it, it's hanging on his wall
Last edited by Zippy; Apr 3, 2011 at 04:17 AM.
IMO although a quad fish is fun (all my shortboards are quads) I feel that to get the best feeling out of a fish in the conditions that they excel in keels are the only way to go. it all depends on whether you want to make the fish an all-rounder or only certain days
I will search for a thread I did about 6-7 months ago... I borrowed a friends Quad Fin Al Merrick Fish thing and rode it for about 10 straight days. different spots, different conditions, and each day I reported back with specific details of my findings...Just when I talked myself out of getting a fish this thread pops up...... now I'm awaiting dimensions from the shaper!!! Yes my local shaper, have seen a couple of good deals but there nothing like having a locally made board.
Heard quad fish handle a little better, anyone ride a quad fish?
The whole thread was based on a life-long thurster shortboard rider (Me) with a quiver of like 10 shortboards all with similar dimensions, designed for different sizes of surf, trying the quad fin fish setup for the first long period of time, and reporting the major pros and cons with regards to shortboarding vs. the quad fish.... I did not use any of my shortboard through this period of time. I forced myself to ride the board everyday. I had surf frmo 3ft to about 7ft that week to report back on. Beach breaks... Reefs... Everything I could think of...
I found many positives, as well as some negatives... But over all, the thread could be useful to you...
I spoke of the rails, the fins, the turning, the drives, off the lip, airs...everything I was able to try on it was documented....
Search for Al Merrick Quad..... that should bring up the thread.
P.S. 2 months after I evaluated that board, and made the thread, I went out and purchased a custom Quad Fish from my shaper.... I dont take it out in much more than chest to head high surf... But ive gotten to really enjoy the thing.. Especially on a head high reefs break... The thing will really dice up a big mush ball, but still stand its ground in mediocre beach break....
quad fish are great fun,better hold and drive and i ride one a lot, but the full on retro twin fin fish short thick wide swallow is the best.this'll be my fourth In The Eye fish,all different,and they all work great.Scott rides 'em himself,and I like a shaper who rips on the same kind of waves and the same kind of boards that i order from him,just makes sense.and as the original post,agreed,sometimes the only guy on the fish is going faster and getting more waves than others,but it does depend on the waves,the same can be said for other kinds of boards on other kinds of waves
Reply With Quote
