Orderd Finless Surfboard

[IB_Surfer]

So I have been craving a small/mush wave board that outpaddles my current king fish. I have a longboard but want an alternative that catches waves as easily and the monster 6'10" fish is the closest I have gotten.

Well, decided to try a finless board, will have the body style of a big fish but, no fins, just channels. If you haven't seen one my bud bought one last year, but it is too small for me, so gonna get one bigger. Will post up when it comes in.

Here are pics of the finless my buddy owns:

http://www.surfingsandiego.com/forum/fo ... D=4336&KW=

Will check in next month when it arrives for pics and after a few rides. Let you know...

[zangpakto]

I don't know for smaller surf I like the idea AL and Machado came out with.

MUCH smaller than what I usually surf with, but handles great and handles a great amount of conditions. Love it.

Also... that looks awesome

[IB_Surfer]

I own a small quad disc/fish already, take out the back fins if really small. What I want is something that catches ANYTHING and outpaddles longboards. Getting this beefy and long, so not really aiming for performance as much as, well, just plain fun.

[zangpakto]

True.. I heard they were

I also would be interested to see how you handle the board and how the board handles!

Would be nice as been thinking they look awesome and just for fun would be awesome to get one to try

[IB_Surfer]

Now my shapers wants to give it a slight peanut outline in the middle, hum...

[IB_Surfer]

Cool, my shaper snapped some pics of the board already shaped! Now for some glassing and...






Not trying to plug another forum, but more pictures as he shaped it are available at

http://sdsurfers.net/showthread.php?123 ... 77#post677

[naniekso]

nice! it looks like one of our locals' Alaia(laya? laiya?) those things cruise soo fast down the line, especcially in the hollow waves, AND you can use it in blackballed areas during summa!

[nivra22]

I love collecting miniature surfboards. How much do you think It would cost me with this design for a miniature surfboard? Something like these:

[IB_Surfer]

Here she is:

[IB_Surfer]

So on a whim I took out the finless in conditions not meant for it, PB was about shoulder high+ and fast, not great for what I bought it for, but I wanted to try it badly.

So, I kooked a bunch of waves, but ended up picking up a bunch more. Rode 2 a long long way, very fast, and a few others just dropped and weirded out, but had a blast on it. Can't wait for a small day to have fun with it.

[esonscar]

This board is - in my humble opinion - designed to be a dfferent ride to have a laugh on; enjoy and become its master !

[IB_Surfer]

Had a chance to use it in small surf finally and had a blast. Big learning curve, for most waves I have to stay in a crouch, like tucking into a barrel, then stand up once I am stable. Weird, it seems to grab onto the channels, move up the wave, then release, so you are constantly moving up and down the wave without doing much turning. Sorta like a fast controlled slide. Fun stuff. Definitely won't replace any of my surfboards, but for days that I would normally turn around and go home I have something to play with now.

Here are a couple of videos of my finless and my bud's:

[IB_Surfer]

Ok, now that I had a chance to try it in small and big surf. I surfed it today in small waves and finally got a chance to iron out all the kinks:

The peanut shape and having the back of the board with more volume and with than the front do help with the stability and ease to correct unwanted drift. So, that part of the experiment does work. The super hard rails are a huge benefit, I actually was able to track into some bigger waves without sliding out completetely.

On the down side, the peanut and uneven shape also keep it from being an all out paddler, paddles about the same as my shortboard, it's not until you are on the face of the wave that it actually picks up like a longboard and gets into the wave. So, in retrospect, it's not as a longboard replacement, no way will I be able to paddle war with longboarders (nothing against longboarders, just had that in mind for this board). If I had to do it again, for better paddle and glide, I would eliminate the back rocker completely, shape it like a retro fish instead of peanut, make it a bit wider and make it fatter to the rails, keep the cut in rails but round them a bit, use the same channels cause they work great. So, wider, flatter, fatter for more paddle.

However, for a more table version of a finless, then this board is spot on. The peanut shape with the hard rails is perfect, with just the 3rd time surfing it I was doing so standing up, crouching only on steeper waves to get into the curl.

Not sure if I will keep her or not since I am looling for the perfect short sized longboard replacement, gonna have to try it in small waves a couple of more times before making my mind up. Still, having fun on her, been a while since I had to work at surfing at all LOL.

[IB_Surfer]

Final update: Selling her.

It's fun, and in small or mushy waves there is no better wave catcher other than a longboard, but I think it's not for me.

The problem with me is that I like shortboarding too much, so when I'm out on the finless and a really good wave comes, like an outside bigger set, I keep wishing I had my shortboard instead of the finless.

So, going on Craigslist. Fun board!

[esonscar]

Hey, lol - good to read your experiences. Thanks for the posts and all the best with the shortboarding.

[IB_Surfer]

Sold it to a guy that was super stoked to get it, he liked that I had plugs put in so he can use it as a finless or twin fin. Goodby nice board.

[esonscar]

We all live and learn . . . what you ridin' now ?

[esonscar]

I own a small quad disc/fish already, take out the back fins if really small. What I want is something that catches ANYTHING and outpaddles longboards. Getting this beefy and long, so not really aiming for performance as much as, well, just plain fun.

Dude, the engine to out paddle longboards is YOU . . . swim, weight train and swim again . . . . and weight train - explosive reps like you are paddling to beat the loggers. That’s it. I have always out paddled longboards in the wallowing as I choose, but I tell you now, you have to seriously shovel handfuls of ocean to do it. Hard deep faster and productive is the goal. You know you are there when you can paddle on flat water and then stand up and surf flatness.

[IB_Surfer]

Thanks man, I agree, better conditioning would pay off, and yes you are totally correct, good form and fitness would take care of my problems. But short of quitting my job and divorcing my wife I have little choice but to enjoy my current ability to surf and have fun trying different boards for different purposes, including a longboard slayer LOL (nothing against longboards by the way)

[esonscar]

Thanks man,. . . . . . fitness would take care of my problems. But short of quitting my job and divorcing my wife I have little choice . . . . .

Become a steam train coal shoveler and 'play' with the other half more might do it ?