Duplicated board dimensions

[dawhoo]

I dont have faith that many can dial it in perfectly...

Go to a machine shaper... Firewire and Merricks system will bust out the exact same board 1000x over with no mistakes...

Even the machine boards aren't the same, there's always something a little different. Rode a friend's Firewire and loved it so much, I got the 'same' board. Even the serials were close. But they didn't feel the same. I didn't like the one I bought as much as my friend's board. Surfing together and swapping out, they were not the same. The rail was sharper at the fins on his, if felt much stronger coming off a big bottom turn and even though the outlines looked identical to me, the subtle lines and edges made a big difference.

However my friend told me he couldn't tell the difference and swapped with me - nice friend

[mitchell]

I've had two failed copy attempts. Stewart Egg, Patagonia Rocket Sled. 10+ years ago so probably neither machined.

I loved the way both boards rode, but both started delaminating big time long before they should have, like 1-2 years in. Contacted the shaper. Both said they would copy the bad board for no charge. Patagonia paid to ship the messed up board back, Bill Stewart didnt want it. Neither "copy" rode the same and i ended up selling both "copies".

[MFitz73]

the only thing that would affect the duplication of a board is the speed at which the machine is working. Higher speeds = less accurate, lower speeds = more accurate.
as sad a situation it might be, machining board will only become more popular going foward for big name board producers. My Rusty, which is machined, is the best board I've ever ridden...

[havanasand]

the only thing that would affect the duplication of a board is the speed at which the machine is working. Higher speeds = less accurate, lower speeds = more accurate.
as sad a situation it might be, machining board will only become more popular going foward for big name board producers. My Rusty, which is machined, is the best board I've ever ridden...

elaborate on your Rusty. How long have you surfed and in what conditions is it designed for? How does it ride. Surfed for 15 years and never had a really nice board but have thought about an R.

[MFitz73]

Well... okay. Lets see, I've been surfing since I was 14 or so... I surf out on Long Island and I'm bigger then your average surfer. At 38, Im 6'2" and my wieght fluxes between 195lbs (summer) and 210lbs (post thanksgiving lol, winter). So... I currently use larger boards. My Rusty which I was talking about above is the Desert Island model. Its 8ft, 3.25 inches thick cause I need the paddle power. The desert Island is basically a short board design, thruster/squash tail, blown up for bigger guys. When I contacted them I told them about my surfing issues... which was my weight, were I surfed and the trouble I have paddling shorter boards. At the expense of duck diving into a broken wave, this desert island surfs like every short board Ive used and better.
The base board design is for waves anywhere from 2ft to 10ft. Out on Long Island.... we get more 2ft then 10ft but it is really my all conditions board. The squash tail provides great drive off the wave, and with my back foot positioned above the fins I can really dig into some great cuts and come out with good speed.... the board is custom, based off the desert island template. they usually produce them between 7ft and 10ft and everything inbetween.
I wish I had this board a few years ago...
Also, I would def. recommend contacting them about a new board. see what they have to say after you tell them your situation. the shipped it to me for 90 bucks I think... I just had to go to the airport and pick it up.

[havanasand]

Well... okay. Lets see, I've been surfing since I was 14 or so... I surf out on Long Island and I'm bigger then your average surfer. At 38, Im 6'2" and my wieght fluxes between 195lbs (summer) and 210lbs (post thanksgiving lol, winter). So... I currently use larger boards. My Rusty which I was talking about above is the Desert Island model. Its 8ft, 3.25 inches thick cause I need the paddle power. The desert Island is basically a short board design, thruster/squash tail, blown up for bigger guys. When I contacted them I told them about my surfing issues... which was my weight, were I surfed and the trouble I have paddling shorter boards. At the expense of duck diving into a broken wave, this desert island surfs like every short board Ive used and better.
The base board design is for waves anywhere from 2ft to 10ft. Out on Long Island.... we get more 2ft then 10ft but it is really my all conditions board. The squash tail provides great drive off the wave, and with my back foot positioned above the fins I can really dig into some great cuts and come out with good speed.... the board is custom, based off the desert island template. they usually produce them between 7ft and 10ft and everything inbetween.
I wish I had this board a few years ago...
Also, I would def. recommend contacting them about a new board. see what they have to say after you tell them your situation. the shipped it to me for 90 bucks I think... I just had to go to the airport and pick it up.

Sounds like you did some homework. Buying a board that's brand new and custom is almost worse than standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. I've surfed used boards for about 6yrs now. I came from Hawaii where a new board/stickers on your car would segregate you in the lineup unless you were a pro or a local. Where I surf now there's no worries. I might make a call and put my request in just in time for Santa to bring the goods down the chimney.