Sneak Peak. I have been trying to do some overtime.
This is 6'8 x 29.5"x 117 ltr. A MutantFish for us bigger surfers who want to ride proper short boards as SUP. No long boards here.
Flex pod for tighter turns. pod 18.75" tip 21"
The rail is actually 6'6 because of the diamond nose
Looks great, BB. What thicknesses are you working with? There's a lot of foam there for a 6'8", as my minion in 7'8"x28 1/4" and 4 1/4" and 110L.
cheers
This is my first post so be gentle. My names Matt, i'm 45, 88 kgs, 176cm. Have been SUPing for about 3 1/2 years. I have now ridden the SunFish 3 times - all in very average conditions totaling about 5 hours. First is that it is extremely stable to paddle which also makes it very easy to pop over white water without getting thrown off. The waves I have surfed have all been 2 ft or smaller and always with howling southerlies. Choppy waves are not a problem.It paddles well onto waves and accelerates quickly as the wave picks you up. Does late take offs well, easiest board I have ridden in regard to predictability when taking off late with white water. Easiest way to describe how it surfs is to say it is a fish and should be ridden like a fish. Loves long fast walls, top to bottom surfing where it fly's. Top turns are a treat being able to go vertical or snap it round. Bottom turns are more technical in that you just can't drop straight down and crank it like a small tailed performance board. Power needs to be fed in from your front foot to get the best bottom turns, then it powers off the bottom as shown by Rod in the video after he moved the fins forward. The board can be easily over powered by the rider which results in the board going too vertical and stalling, stalling at the bottom of a wave or a 270 instead of a cutback. It has put a smile on my face every time even though the surf I was in, to be blunt, was crap. I still can't believe I have been so easily riding a board only 6'10" in such rough conditions and having so much fun.
Went for a paddle lunchtime 15 to 20 knots offshore and mostly waist high sets, managed to get a bigger set for my last wave.
About shoulder high, late, late takeoff, drove forward into the takeoff rather than holding back to see what would happen.
No problems at all making the drop, screamed off the bottom smashed the lip into a big snap cutty, wave over, hard paddle in against the wind.
I reckon I could down to 28.5"wide from 29.5 for the MUTANT, I'll find out this week with the easterly swell forecast.
My first post on this great site,So go gently on me please
Ive followed this with massive interest.Youve done a great job boardbumps.
Im not long into SUPing but as i gradually progress ill be aiming at this kind of board( the first one you made).It handles well on the water,doesnt sink and rides well and so easy to transport.
Im based in Chile,theres no shortage of swell here.
Ill be talking to my shaper soon to see if he can shape something similar.
And hallo to all the SUPers on the site
That's pretty amazing Rod , props to you for pushing the boundaries mate and you are so right about the traveling with a Sup. This one is a game changer , so sick of lugging big boards through airports. Look forward to the video
annie would never go back to longer sup,she has better fore and aft stability on the 6'6" than her 7'2" no nose and thinks sub 6' possible for her weight and balance,a 25" wide mutant at 5'10" would work for her.piros is dead right about travelling with bigger boards,just a pain.
I finally got someone to take more video yesterday arvo. It was a nice surf so hopefully there will be some good waves of the 6'8 MUTANT in action.
Have not had time to check it out yet.
So here is a pic of a side by side comparison of the SunFish and MUTANT
They look great BB.Im itching to see the vid of the mutant.Well done mate.
Did you get my PM reply BB?I put my e,mail in with it.
Cheers
I've ordered 6 8" mutant get in line guys herbyhancock my 7 6" went very well in indo going to take both to banyaks bawa arsu telos & mentawai next year
Finally after 5 attempts I have managed to load onto youtube a short video with No Sound the music owners muted it ( 50s music) and its a bit grainy low res but its video of us riding the MUTANT in small surf.