Midlength Room

Hi All,

Been surfing the 6'10 Torq Mod Fish, and whilst a good all rounder for the coin it just does not have the same spark as the Webber Diamond did.

Have seriously thought about the offer from Greg Webber for a new one at cost to replace my snapped one, and may still head that way. However I'm having a lotta fun experimenting with different shapers ideas and concepts.

To that end someone here recommended a Muzz Burton Pinger, good on ya because that has been etched onto my brain for a while now. So I rang Muzz and had a good chat with him, really decent guy. He explained the theory and logic of his cathedral hull nose and single concave running into a vee through the tail, and how because of the lift generated by what is essentially a foil on the rail it has allowed him to flatten the forward rocker for better displacement and paddle power.

Have to say the man knows his stuff, instead of needing more rocker which then shoves the belly of the board deeper and causes more drag he has used very clever design elements to overcome what would normally lead to nose dives on steeper walls.

And he has not stopped at the nose, but has also looked at the whole of the rail line and fluid release along it incorporating a hip just forward of the front fin position to help with release and pivot, and the vee through the tail then allows for easy transition from rail to rail.

So, in theory it all looks wonderful. But has anyone in this place ever ridden one? Can anyone offer any insight as to how they actually perform in the water?

Cheers

Hydro.

Though about starting a new thread and all but seeing as this is pertaining to Mids mostly figured I'd post in here.

FINS.......

I know, lots of discussions on these anchors before.

But with the abundance of multi box board designs, fin box configurations, fin profiles, foils and setup's, and materials of construction it's a veritable mine field for any new or returning surfer.

So as applicable to Mids, what are some of your favourite fin setup's? Materials? Designs and rides.

And, for the same board describe if you can the difference in performance different fin setups can have?

I'll kick off:

Board: SBWH 6'10 Carbon Jet. 4 + 1, so a single fin box with 4 x FCS1 boxes.

Ran it as a 2+1, 6.5" single with 3.5" side bites. Big drawn out turns and very stiff even with fin placed fully forward. Very predictable but a straight line gun. Biggest difficulty was drop in, always wanted to go straight from the paddle in, and given how little nose rocker and the steep beachies it pearled all the time.

Swithed to a cheap fin hybrid quad setup, so thruster sides at the front and 2 thruster 50/50 foils trailing. Much looser and allowed sideways take off so less pearling. Still wanted to be very directional and not very quick to transition from rail to rail, but that was likely more the bottom shape than the fins.

Next switch was MODII large FCS twins. Completely transformed the board, much looser on the take off and reasonable drive by not as fast as a quad. Loose in teh tail with too much pressure. Would slide on the rail grab backhand drop in and then bite again.

Board: Webber Double Diamond 6'10. 5 x Futures boxed diamond tail. Concave to double and vee through tail. This was an amazing board, it performed with whatever fin combination I put in it. But it really excelled with Sanctum large flex tip 169mm twins and a nubster in the middle. It was like you where mind melded with the board. Never got to try propper quads in it, had some ordered and coming but then the board snapped. Brilliant performance but absolute crap execution on the build strength and quality. Was done by SBA and since seeing mine snap I have seen another 4 boards by SBA that have folded, another Webber and a couple of Aloha's.

Board: Torq Mod Fish 6'10 with 5 x Futures boxes. Ran this with the big Sanctum twins to begin with, nice turning but would puff out with not enough drive, tried nubster trailer and this helped immensely. Now trimmed up with Futures controller quads that people either love or hate, personally I love them but am finding them rather stiff to turn with the keel rake in them. Board drives really hard and is lightening fast with this set but I would like a little more upright fin to give some better pivot. Having a crack at some Chubbies quads next, may have fallen for a marketing gimmick in them but the science seems sound. Very upright with an inner foil on front and rear fins, good surface area for drive and upright for pivot. Hopefully will suit the Torq and make it a little more lively in the pocket and off the bottom.

Board: Sea Side and Beyond.......... Just kidding don't have one, but if anyone wants to sell me there 7'0 hit me up.

So pen it up boys, that way people wanting to try different combo's can maybe get some insight on how they will perform before diving in.

Cheers

Hydro

Post up some pics of your hand shapes Andy before you disappear.

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AndyrooMac said..

Macaha said..
Not sure if you guys like this but came across it on Instagram.

Beautiful board Mac, would ride even better than it looks.. and after all thats whats most important... I'd love one of these but I'm Purely about shaping my own backyard rough shed boards, they look sh1t but I keep em simple and they ride damn good, just about to refine and bash out a few more...

Buuuuut!!!

OMG you guys have destroyed this thread... from discussing design, shaping and history and beautiful hand crafted boards to ****ty fckn pop outs and ego rants, from Andreini, Christenson, Hutcho and Lovelace to Torq... bloody hilarious and I did have a chuckle so thanks for that...

Thought i'd check in and certainly achieved confirmation as to why I left, see you again in 6 months when I need another laugh

Says the bloke with the biggest ego of all lol

Your post sums you up perfectly

Nicely done. Foraying into self shapes and the black arts of hydronamics in surfboard design is to be applauded. I won't ever try it because I have neither the patience or the dexterity with power tools and the like.

I don't care they have major shortboard labelling they look good. Anyone ridden?

www.cisurfboards.com/2020/ci-mid-britt-merrick-breaks-it-down/

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Ricooso said..
I'm looking at getting a triple stringer 6'10 Cosmic Twin in a week or so as they are doing a run of stock boards. Can anyone drop some feedback here if possible about this board?

joelfitzgeraldsurfboards.com/collections/in-stock/products/610-cosmic-twin

Not personally but a mate has a 6'10 and raves about it ,took it to Telos and said it handled everything and that its a one board quiver for travelling.Another friend just ordered a 7'6 .

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Ricooso said..
I'm looking at getting a triple stringer 6'10 Cosmic Twin in a week or so as they are doing a run of stock boards. Can anyone drop some feedback here if possible about this board?

joelfitzgeraldsurfboards.com/collections/in-stock/products/610-cosmic-twin

My lust after board but none here in WA. By the time I spec up and ship over $1600. Ouch.

Have just jumped on a 2nd hand Machado 7'0 Seaside and Beyond.

Only one surf in with absolute slop onshore 2' but could feel the potential in her. Certainly livelier than the Torq 6'10 Mod Fish carbon strip. But having said that I had an absolute screamer surf on it a week back in solid 4-5' walls. Carved like a hot knife through butter.

Looking to get a decent swell under the SSB next Tues hopefully.

Will post up how she goes.

BTW can't afford Machado fins so running Futures Controller quads. Raked back semi keel at front with more upright trailers. Great drive and hold whilst still releasing nice off the top, pivot is not as good as the Sanctum large twins but drive is stronger.

Only thing that I wondered about the Cosmic Twin was drive. Joel's surfing clip shows amazing flow and manouvering as well as good speed, but mostly driven by the right sort of wave. Not a lot of power turns though.

Still if I had the coin I would love to venture into a Cosmic Quad.

LOL

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Cuttlefish said..
You could try the Shapers quads. They have a longer base than the Machado quads while being a bit taller.
They sell for $149 new.

Alternatively you could also try running a small pair of quad rears with the Sanctum flex twins for more drive. Just a matter of balancing out the drive with the amount of release off the tail you prefer.
The SS&B goes well with the Sanctum flex keels when waves are overhead as you aren't needing to find much drive off the fins and their depth in the water let's them really come alive with hold but you can still enjoy the flex characteristics and pivot.
Ran some K2 keels in mine and didn't enjoy them. Need more surface area for drive than the K2s have. Apparently the Al Merrick keels go well in the shorter Seasides so could well work well in the SS&B too.

Cheers CF. Yeah got a couple of TMF2 coming to use as rears with the Sanctum flex tip twins. If that's not doing it for me then I'm gonna get some South Coast keel quads. Almost exactly like Machado quads but apparently different foil.

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Hydromann said..
Has anyone tried Powerdrives or Switchblade fins?
And on a long shot Chubbies?

Switchblades I've had a set kicking around in my fins box for years. Just sold them last week. Put them on Gumtree and they were gone in an instant. Promptly bought a set of C-drive quads (XL and L size) with change left over. Re: the Switchblades they are a set of fins that every time I have put them in a board I have found that the board goes better with another set of fins. The same with the DVS keel quads. Both good fins sets but just not optimal for me.
The Powerdrives I haven't tried but awfully close to them is the Tomo hatchets that go in the El Tomo fish. Only ridden with them a couple of times and found they pivot super fast (narrow base) and then drive with grip through turns (paddle tips). I am not in a hurry to put them in the SS&B because I reckon their characteristics are better mated to more high performance shorter boards.

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SP said..
Split keels from Soar are good.
Hand made in Australia too.
Best made fins you will ever buy.

Are those shapers the DVS ones CF.

They are the Hybrid quad keels.
Very much like the Machado quads but cheaper.
shapers.com.au/hybrid-quad-keel-1/

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Cuttlefish said..

Hydromann said..
Has anyone tried Powerdrives or Switchblade fins?
And on a long shot Chubbies?

Switchblades I've had a set kicking around in my fins box for years. Just sold them last week. Put them on Gumtree and they were gone in an instant. Promptly bought a set of C-drive quads (XL and L size) with change left over. Re: the Switchblades they are a set of fins that every time I have put them in a board I have found that the board goes better with another set of fins. The same with the DVS keel quads. Both good fins sets but just not optimal for me.
The Powerdrives I haven't tried but awfully close to them is the Tomo hatchets that go in the El Tomo fish. Only ridden with them a couple of times and found they pivot super fast (narrow base) and then drive with grip through turns (paddle tips). I am not in a hurry to put them in the SS&B because I reckon their characteristics are better mated to more high performance shorter boards.

What are CDrives like?

Looks more gimmick than anything.

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SP said..
Split keels from Soar are good.
Hand made in Australia too.
Best made fins you will ever buy.

Are those shapers the DVS ones CF.

Big fan of Soar. Glide are another awesome fin company. Wayne Lynch 2+1 set are my go to.
Latest 7'6" mid-length went great with a different set that were hanging around when I picked up the board and was in a rush. Glide Lynch set ups went even better when I finally pulled them out of another board and whacked them in.

Captain Fin do some funky sets too. The Neal Purchase Jr quad set is a favourite.