To mark my official retirement (I was pre-retired before: paid leave) and my 62nd birthday, I ordered a Gong custom: after going through 50 of them I now have some idea of my ideal board ;-)
- Something close to the Alley 8'1" 120L
- A tad smaller (I am short): 7'10"
- A tiny bit narrower: 28"3/4
- A little less volume: 112L. 105L is too tiring for my 97kg, 120L is not challenging.
- A fluid outline: round tail, no wings.
- As light as possible while still being strong and durable
- Details of the shape left at the whim of Patrice Guenole'
Patrice made the 7'10", but said he could not decide between two options, so I decided... to have both made: the 7'10" I wanted, and a 8'1" in the same width and volume that Patrice thought would be interesting to me for good days (more pulled-in rear sections).
So I had two super XMas presents :-)
Computer shape by Patrice, backshaping, glassing (a work of art) and sanding by Beryl Besseau
PVC sandwich only on the deck, with a tiny step rail at its edge.
The shape is close to the production model, the difference is mainly in the thinner rails, especially at the tail
7'10" x 28"3/4 x 4"?5/8 112 liters, ofo front 17"1/4 rear 18"1/4 rocker 10"1/4, 5.75kg naked
8'1" x 28"3/4 x 4"9/16 114 liters ofo front 17"7/8 rear 17"9/16 rocker 10"1/8, 6.48kg naked
First session on the 7'10" was a success: challenging (I fell often with water movements or standing up without my feet perfectly placed, I will have some taming to do), but not punishing (Unlike my 105L Alley, I could find a resting standing position, and paddling speed was decent). I got the (relative) comfort of a 28"3/4 width, but with the nimbleness and rail to rail agility and bite of a narrower board, thanks to the thin rear rails. The glide during the wave entry was a good surprise, i guess because of the fast front rocker.
I composed the pads with
- modern ultra thin (2.5mm) shortboard pads: they weight nothing! (FCS, Slater Design,...)
- wax mat for the soft, wax-like feel and grip and 1mm thinness on the edges and in front of the main pad (not a lot: it is quite heavy)
- hexatraction up front: less grip, but ultralight and totally invisible on the brushed carbon look: When applying them, I could not see where were the ones I already placed, I had to find them by hand.
And of course, Quobba fins. What else? :-)
Pics: 7'10":
The 8'1":
Side view: 8'1" on top of the 7'10":
Wow! Great looking boards - so is the wax mat the translucent material and we can't see the hex?
Interesting to see step rail go all the way around outline, if I'm seeing that right, I think on my Infinity it stops early on each end.
enjoy!
Yes the wax mat is the translucent material. And the hex is invisible. I could see the hex very clearly on solid colors, but on brushed carbon with small brushes it is invisible.
To be honest, it is not a "real" step rail, nothing like the one used on Infinity boards. About 5mm all along the rail. Patrice wants to keep rail volume in the middle section of this type of shape, to provide a kind of "fulcrum" for the board to pivot on, as opposed as digging the rail length as much as possible: less directional stability, but more liveliness. He does the opposite for the Karmen line for instance.
Sweet looking boards and good write up.
Curious to see what you think of stability on the 8'1, I narrowed and thinned the tail on my latest custom and was shocked how much less stable it was both side to side and had to be super careful about not getting back off the sweet spot even a tiny amount.
Also with all that rocker and outline curve I guess these are for decent waves with some push only. You'll have to make some new vid's if you get some good conditions.
Select to expand quoteslsurf said..
Curious to see what you think of stability on the 8'1, I narrowed and thinned the tail on my latest custom and was shocked how much less stable it was
Me too: I detailed how after being on more balanced boards, I could not stand on very pulled in tails anymore:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Small-SUP-boards--a-sobering-experience?page=1
I think it has to do with my stiffness: during my "pop up" to stand from a kneeling position, my feet tend not to land between the hands anymore, but aft, shifting my weight to the rear(*). And with a thin-tailed board of low volume, it will immediately sink and "deadleaf-flutter" from side to side ==> fall.
I had a bit of this phenomenon on the 7'10". I tried to place myself more forward before standing up, and immediately shift my front foot forwards on standing up. It seems to do the trick, we'll see. The length of the 8'1" may help. I will look also at vids of old surfers to see the kind of adaptation to their popup they have made.
On the rocker, it is still a somewhat fast rocker, especially in the nose. I was surprised by the easy wave entry, with a good glide on weak sessions if I kept the nose close to the water.
(*) A bit like the great Bob here, but has a board long enough to compensate:
Happy retirement Colas, hope for you the waves always come along.
And a very nice set of boards to ride away on, at a few kgs heavier than me you give me thought on the volume of my boards. Both my SMIK's are around the 130 lt, seems I can go a lot lower next time.
Cheers.
Steve.
Wow stunning boardsColas! I carnt relate to the sizes ,but absolutely love the look,and construction,I hope they are all you are hoping for,stoked you have joined the retirement club,ENJOY 
Colas
Those two boards look about perfect shape to my eye. There are boards that are just appealing shape for what ever reason and I think you have nailed it. Looking forward to your reviews. All the best in the new year!
Cheers
Bob
Awesome Colas, enjoy.
We can do a house, surf spot, swap when you get travelling :)
Happy Supping
Select to expand quotedrivethebus said..
at a few kgs heavier than me you give me thought on the volume of my boards.
Thanks, (and thanks for all the praise by all of you) but I "cheat": I am short, and I avoid chop, it makes things quite easier.
I will keep a production 120L board in my quiver in case I am so hungry as to get out in chop after a flat spell...
Really nice looking boards- also intrigued on the reviews of the 8'01. Crazy how much volume is in there. I looked at the new 8'2 Smik spitfire yesterday which is very thin in the back half, decent volume in the front and that was only 107 or 109l.
what bottom contours do you have going on with each?
Select to expand quoteslsurf said..
Curious to see what you think of stability on the 8'1,
Tested today. Actually, it is a tad more stable than the 7'10".
I guess, since the volume is moved quite forward to have the rear sections so thin, I get up and stand quite forward, and the tail, although low volume, is far enough to offer a leverage to balance on.
Waves were meh, but with the occasional head set, where I could see how the thin rails gave stability in turns and no latency on the rail to rail. Quite fun!
Select to expand quotethegreatsup said..
Really nice looking boards- also intrigued on the reviews of the 8'01. Crazy how much volume is in there. I looked at the new 8'2 Smik spitfire yesterday which is very thin in the back half, decent volume in the front and that was only 107 or 109l.
what bottom contours do you have going on with each?
Basically, like the production Alleys, but with deeper double concaves, especially in front of the fins. I copy the description of the Allery:
A very light concave at the nose (slightly convex) that starts early and focuses the flow for stability and grip.
A simple deep concave at the center to steady the board when paddling and channeling the flow towards the fins to maximize lift and drive with a very good front foot grip.
A double concave at the fins which will stick to water and tunnel the flow to the outer fins, aiming for maximum speed!
A slight V with a double concave at the tail to release the flow of water while giving the board a loose rail to rail.
Thanks Colas. Wish I could try one! How close do you reckon it is to the 8'2 new spitfire below? reckon yours still grovelled ok, or really needed juice?
www.smiksup.com/spitfire-performance
Select to expand quotethegreatsup said..
Thanks Colas. Wish I could try one! How close do you reckon it is to the 8'2 new spitfire below? reckon yours still grovelled ok, or really needed juice?
It is hard to tell from pics, and only the outline, but yes, they seem in the same "ecological niche" as the SMiK Spitfire. Btw, in the SMiK line, a quiver of Spitfire+Bonza seems quite interesting for lovers of fluid outlines.
My 8'1" definitively like some juice. It can catch weak waves and pass flat sections because the front rocker is not extreme, and you can get some glide by moving forward, but the thin rails means that you can lose speed easily if you try aggressive turns in slow waves.
My 7'10" is a bit more at ease in slow waves, but I will keep a dedicated small wave board in my quiver (Gong Fatal or Mob). A younger and better SUPer than me should be able to make the 7'10" shine in weak waves by pumping hard in turns and generating speed, but I need a more specialized board to help me generate speed in weaker waves, let's say 5s period or less.
Thanks Colas. So you're going to
keep your 8'1 and ditch the 7'10? Both look great, the 8'1 I like especially
Well done colas, and well deserved!
interesting to read your thoughts on how the thickness of the the tail and rails affect your stability. you are very tuned in to the engineering aspect of the boards, whereas I just know when I like a board, but I can't break it down to exactly why it works. Enjoy the ride my friend and stay healthy!
Select to expand quotethegreatsup said..
Thanks Colas. So you're going to
keep your 8'1 and ditch the 7'10? Both look great, the 8'1 I like especially
Oh no!
I will keep both and never sell them. The 7'10" being my "daily driver", the pillar of my quiver, and the 8'1" my "step up".
Note that I currently have ... five Alleys in my quiver :-)
2019 7'8" 105L, ultralight at 5,2kg with pad
custom 7'10" 112L
custom 8'1" 114L
2022 8'1" 120L
2019 8'1" 120L (actually 123L) ultralight at 5.8kg with pad
I will sell the production 2022 8'1". But I cannot sell the 2019 ultralights, boards this weight are so rare... regrets will eat me if I sell them. I will keep the 120L for chop and crappy conditions (it has also al flatter, faster rocker), and the 105L just in case I lose weight (famous last words...)
The rest of my quiver:
- Fatal 7.3" 105L ultralight for small waves
- Mob 7'6" 120L for small crappy crowded conditions
- Zero 9'0" 115L ultralight for longboarding vibes (6,4kg with pad...)
Of these 3, if I had to chose, I would keep the Fatal. This would make my ideal 3-boards quiver with my two custom Alleys.
My customs are not as extreme as David "Vilayta" Rodal Santiago, but his video explaining the advantages of the design choice of thinner rails on his customs compared to production is interesting (but he leaves out the drawback: less paddling comfort, there is no free lunch)
Just squeezed in there on the 62 Colas 
. My daughters mum in law (Nantes) also. Enjoy retirement and your new boards, I'm full jelly, congrats.
Blows me away how finely nuanced and subtle the variations are and how much your surfing feels it. I'm hoping I get to that level one day-maybe when I retire, except they make us work to 67 in Oz :-(
Congrats on your retirement and new boards. I think you should consider them retirement presents to yourself, which then leaves Christmas for new toys! Seriously though Colas, well done and hope you have a happy, healthy and fun filled retirement. My wife and I retire (early for us, UK it's 67 and 68) in one weeks time. Anyway, I was out last week talking to an older prone guy between sets, told him I was retiring and he replied with 'Well done, you've made it, feels good doesn't it?'. I replied with, 'What getting through it, to the end?'. He just smiled and turned to paddle away, looked over his shoulder and said, 'Nah, you've made it to the start line!'
Thanks backbeach and Napnap!
On retirement, I was afraid that progressively losing my physical abilities would be distressing, but no. It may not be the same for everybody, but for me I just enjoy more and more every small simple pleasure such as the view of a glassy wave, the lovemaking of offshore winds to clean waves, even if I don't "perform" as well on it as some years before...
Also the War in Ukraine close by has quite a sobering effect. Just thinking of people like me minding their own business having their lives destroyed because some insane senile criminal decided to anihilate a country for no reason, backed by millions of utterly despicable I-dont-care-if-my-governement-destroy-lives-as-long-as-I-can-pretend-that-I-am-not-involved people... has a way to put things in perspective.
And I was so happy with these custom Alleys, that I decided to have another custom, based on the Gong Karmen shape with the same changes wrt the production line: basically the length of the production 7'11" with the width and volume of the size above, the the 8'4".
This to match my own "dimensions": short and wide :-)
I also kept the mini step rail, but added a central US Box to be able to move the rear fin about on the water (Quobba + FCS adapter + finjak), and asked for a sanded finish (not glossy). Rails are as thin as possible in the tail.
Dims: 7'11" x 30" x 4"9/16
119 litres, rocker 27.6cm, 6.83kg with pads
I played again with pads, as thin and light as possible
- firewire/slater in the center for paddling around, 2.5mm for some confort and extra grip
- FCS "T-3" hyper thin and light pads (2mm) for the tail and between center and tail
- wax mat (1mm) around them to have minimal drag close to the rails. The whitish zone on the pic.
- hexatraction on the nose, invisible and featherlight.
Comparison of the rocker on these 3 customs, from to to bottom:
- Karmen 7'11" x 30" x 119L My "easy" board for messy conditions
- Alley 7'10" x 28"? x 112L My daily driver
- Alley 8'1" x 28"? x 114L My "step up" trading looseness for control at speed
Wow that's a lot of rocker on the Karmen in the mid section, should be good for steep waves and turning. Let us know how it paddles and goes on the wave. It's nice to adjust that rear fin, one of my boards has the rear center too far back which was frustrating. I ended up using it as quad only which luckily worked out.
Select to expand quoteslsurf said..
Wow that's a lot of rocker on the Karmen in the mid section, should be good for steep waves and turning.
It may be more to compensate for the more powerful tail.
Boards with pulled-in tails need less rocker because it is easy to lift the nose by using the tail, and the board is less tilted downwards by a hollow wave.
So the Gong shaper tends to shape its "contest" boards such as the Alley with a moderate rocker to maximize speed, relying on the pilot to avoid pearling
The Karmen is a more user-friendly shape, I guess the higher nose rocker is a way to trade a bit of performance for error tolerance...
On the rear fin, I am like you I do not like the rear fin too far back.
The Alley 7'10" (in the middle, yellow fin) has its center fin quite far back, so I removed the trailing part of the fin head to loosen it, and it works quite well. The Alley 8'1" (bottom) has the center fin 4cm closer to the side fines, I guess because its tail has lower volume. So I did not have to reduce the fin head by much.
Select to expand quoteslsurf said..
Wow that's a lot of rocker on the Karmen in the mid section, should be good for steep waves and turning. Let us know how it paddles and goes on the wave.
Well... it has become my favorite board, I did not ride any other since I got it !!!
It has hit the bullseye for the perfect do-it-all board for my body shape, level, and spot!
The wider tail makes it a bit stiffer, but by moving the rear fin forward I was able to get back some of the smoothness of my round pin tails
It paddles a tad slower than the other boards, but nothing dramatic. I enjoy it even in tiny waves such as this one:
