FISH OR LONGBOARD

[deano1]

HI PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION AND I NEED GOOD ADVICE, I LIVE ON THE EAST COAST OF ENGLAND AND SURF LOWIES, CROMER, RUNTS ETC, IM CURRENTLY USING A 6`10X 20 1/4 X 2 1/2 RETRO ROCKET, IM OK BUT FINDING PADDLING HARDISH AND GETTING WAVES A BIT HARD, SO IM DECIDING ON GETTING A NEW BOARD THE CHOICE IS A MAL 9" PLUS FOR CATCHING EVERYTHING BUT BEING INTO SHORTBOARDS IM THINKIN A 6 PLUS FISH, AS THEY HAVE VOLUME AND HEAR THEY CATCH EVERYTHING. SO WHAT WOULD U GUYS AND GALS RECOMMEND AND SIZES??? IM 6`2" AND ABOUT 11/12 STONE. PLEASE GIVE HONEST OPINIONS THANKS

[naniekso]

i started out on my fish, i'm 6'0 about 15stone. i think you will find it much more fun than a longboard. you will learn the essense of shortboarding (or at least get closer) than you would from a longboard.

[darcy]

I have a 6' 2" Rusty Piranha (a performance fish shape), and it's a great shape for UK waves.

Fishes of all descriptions are awesome boards, but twinnies take a little getting used too. Hybrids and modern fishes are a lot of fun and a bit more "pliable" than a mal. Get a good shape that suits you and you can use it for 2ft summer mush through to head high. Just beware of fish shapes that are overly loose for your ability (such as twinnies). I made that mistake once and ending up digging rails and disengaging fins on every wave throughout a pumping session in Kernow.

That said, if you went for a slightly shorter mal. At about 8' you get the wave catching characteristics on a board that's not massively hard to move on the face.

I would suggest a performance fish with loads of volume up in the nose that helps plane through the fat sections and paddle really well, maybe a little shorter than you would normally go by about 4" and a swallow tail. And stay away from anything epoxy.

Any questions, hit me up.

Darce

[themathteacher]

Go for the fish. If you are worried about performance get a quad, I have been getting all my fishes as a quad and they hold up great in steep waves, I actually switch the back fins depending on condiitons, small back fins for small days and mushy big days and bigger back fins for steep and big walled days, and dig them. I'm 14.25 stone , my smallest fish is a 6'1, then I have a 6'6 for lazy days and a 6'10 that I use instead of a longboard.

[deano1]

so would a 6`2 be ok for small days and the weght and my hight????

[darcy]

Well, maybe. It's about volume and shape rather than length.

Looking at the board you surf already, which has some volume to it, it might just be that your fitness isn't through the roof. That shouldn't really be a hard board to paddle or catch waves with, though it might just be a bad shape for you. The east coast has not had a good year of swell either, so that could also be your problem. Look at a 6' 4" - 6' 8" performance fish. They are great for small days. My board is 6' 2" but works well in 2ft.

When you buy, look for a board without too much front rocker with more volume towards the nose (this should make it easier to paddle, especially at the dimensions on your retro rocket). What Mathteacher said above is excellent advice, too. Take that in to account by all means. Even on a thruster set up, changing the fins will help the board hold and drive in bigger swell.

Work on your paddling technique and slightly smaller framed fish won't trouble you.

Darce

[themathteacher]

If you want a 6'2 make it at least 2 5/8" to 2 3/4 thick and at least 20 inches wide, or else it will feel like just another shortboard. Also, if you want a small wave board got with aretro design that is thick to the rails and very little rocker, modern fishes are something you get when you know more about boards and what you want...

[deano1]

hi just got me a resin 8 fish its 6`2" x 19 9/16 x 2.5 what u think to the size,

[darcy]

Yeah, should do it. It'll be a bit less floaty than what MathTeacher suggested but just keep taking it out and you'll get used to it. As long as it doesn't have much rocker and and the rails are soft it should be alright.

[deano1]

yeah soft rails and rocker is ok, hoping it does the job if not will sell it on

[darcy]

Let us know how it goes, bru.