What is surfing a fish and twin fin feel like?

[BaNZ]

Almost every time when I see a good surfer on the line up and I ask them what they are surfing. It's usually a fish with twin fin. Luckily the ones I met are super nice and polite. So friendly even when I'm on a longboard surfing badly and hogging their waves.

I'll most likely never be able to surf a fish. But what is it with fish and twin fins? I always see those surfers are amazing and splashes water around. Are they much harder to surf? They always say they have other surfboards but it's good for these soft shoulders breaks. What makes them so fun compared to a shortboard or funboard?

[waikikikichan]

Technically this is a modern fish with MR.TX twin fins and a small center stabilizer ( Twin-Stabi )
But watch at :57 and 1:47 as the rider leaves the longboards in the dust like they're standing still.

And that's the point, the longboarders ARE standing still...... mainly only on their inside rail. Fishes and Twins need to be ridden "On Rail". The surfer needs to generate speed by constantly rolling from inside rail to bottom to outside rail and back ...... over and over.
If you don't know how to roll from rail to rail and pump for speed, a fish will be hard to ride.
( however, a lot of people listen to that brocolli guy who recommends them to beginners )

[waikikikichan]

The current trend for TWINs, can probably be attributed to Mike February stylish riding in Indo. Where before twins were for small mushy waves, he proved they can be ridden in size.

Here are various riders riding Twin finned boards. ( notice one of them has a hard time transitioning from his normal thruster )
Hear what one has to say about riding twins at 8:40.

[BaNZ]

The surfer needs to generate speed by constantly rolling from inside rail to bottom to outside rail and back ...... over and over.

Now this makes sense, no wonder I'm seeing them flying through the waves pulling all kind of tricks. But isn't this the same as shortboard? They need to be constantly generating speed by going rail to rail? Is it the same concept as a funboard compared to a longboard? Where a fish just have more volume than a shortboard and easier to ride? Actually saying that, it's probably not true. Because the guy who had the fish/twin fin board was 5'9 which sounds like a shortboard to me. But it does look like the board is slightly wider and thicker than shortboards? Also the ones I see does not have a pointy nose like a SB.

I usually just sit in the shoulder and watch these amazing surfers have fun shredding it. I wouldn't even attempt to paddle for the wave as it's just like watching a piece of art being made to me.

[Geezer]

The current trend for TWINs, can probably be attributed to Mike February stylish riding in Indo. Where before twins were for small mushy waves, he proved they can be ridden in size.

I noticed that post Covid…..see alot of twin fins now, in the water and in the used market. A lot more than before that’s for sure. Local shapers are knocking off current popular models from CI and Christenson as well as MR 2+1 and retro fish shapes. I wondered what was driving the trend….those videos make sense. A year ago Devon Howard was trending and CI mids were all over lineups.

[Geezer]

After reading this I looked up some videos. Hahaha, sign me up, I’ll take one in each color!

https://youtu.be/dY0wbG17bvI

[ConcreteVitamin]

Check out Fish: Surfboard Documentary

I've never ridden a fish, neither at proper length or a "long fish". Last year I briefly owned a 7'8" twinzer. It felt fast and exactly what WKKK described: even at that 7'8" with lots of volume, I found that I needed to constantly tried to put it on rail to make it go. It's very different from a single fin where you harness the wave's speed. I found the speed refreshing but resorted back to single fins.

[waikikikichan]

Also the ones I see does not have a pointy nose like a SB.

Then how about blunted noses and boxes for twins on both ends ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkd4F1e7srs

[waikikikichan]

Man, this person really knows how to surf a Twin fin fish........ and she's not a man.

[Geezer]

Beautiful surfing.

Like how she dealt with the drop in too.

[oldmansurfer]

7 time world champion Stephanie Gilmore

[PipeDreams]

Yeah Mikey's surfing makes anyone wanna go surf a twinny, but Torren Martyn on longer boards make me REALLY wanna ride a twin fin. Highly recommend watching one of his films, not only for the really good films but also his style of surfing is just hypnotic on the longer boards with twin fins, makes me sad I ride a hp thruster seeing how much fun it looks.

This is him in Indo with a 6'10 I believe, but I highly recommend watching his lost track Atlantic series, although there is not that much surfing in it, it really shows it working in big waves, and the series is just incredible