How short can a board be before it no longer performs for the average surfer that weighs in around 90kg.Currently I ride a 5'10" Waverocket and love it. I have just had the oppurtunity of riding a 5'6"x22" Rake Mini Simmons and was surprised by its performance,very easy too surf and paddle.Would like too get another board and was wandering how small it could be.

Wow thats one shiney looking board. Looks to good to wax. It reminds me of a disc. Im not sure how small is to small guess you have to keep going smaller to find out.

Im 6ft and have trouble surfing anything under 6ft, I find it hard to paddle into waves on anything too small

Under 6 foot for me.....anything under that I find to hard to paddle at 110kgs and to wide to keep the required volume

Two words - Board Porn , looks like it has an S deck to it as well what's the width

At 6'10" and 108kg the shortest board I ride is a 6'6" Fish.

In the end of the day it's about what works for you really

Really liking the looks of these boards.Found a few more and a way of making them shorter is by having a shovel nose.Makes me wonder why modern surf boards have to have that eye peircing sharp nose?

More pics EB they are sic looking boards, those shovel nose boards look the shizzle

Select to expand quote

cRAZY Canuk said...



Two words - Board Porn , looks like it has an S deck to it as well what's the width

At 6'10" and 108kg the shortest board I ride is a 6'6" Fish.

In the end of the day it's about what works for you really

S deck, please explain?

Great looking retro-ish boards,thanks now I know what to do with my broken mals

Select to expand quote

62mac said...

Great looking retro-ish boards,thanks now I know what to do with my broken mals

Funny mac

just saw this board on the website and its mine. adrian at rake organized this custom for me , shaped by jordan, i'm about 90kgs and the board floats and paddles really well, i have a few simmons boards and this one is one of my favorites, a bit more weight than the EPS/epoxy versions but the weight is actually a benefit when the offshores exceed 15knts. jordan has the bottom shape nailed and it flies.....

s-decks were originally done on the true simmons boards from bob simmons, he did this to reduce the swing weight of those bigger heavier boards to make them easier to turn and to steady it quicker aftera turn as these boards were quite heavy , the mini simmons boards are so short that an s-deck is basically doing nothing other than a having visual appeal and ifollowing bob simmons's design but in a shorter version.

That board looks sick.

How short is too short? I haven't found it yet and I surf a 5'4"!

I think it all comes down to paddle power. Length helps you paddle in, which is why fat old dudes ride mals. For someone who's decently fit and not a kook, then I reckon around 5 and a half feet is about the limit.

Although, I've yet to try a 4' board, so who knows...

yeah my black rake is 5'6" . i was once told that if you go too short , you lose the whole planing feel . i've got 3 simmons boards , 2 5'6"' boards and a 5'8" .
went for a surf today on the black rake and a chick came up to me in the carpark and said" whats that ? is that a kneeboard? i said no " i cut the bottom of my bath out and painted it black.
he he
younger crew havent got a clue yet ....i spose its only a matter of time...will prob see some 4'10" boards kickin around then...

Select to expand quote

DL said...

That board looks sick.

I surf a 5'4"!

I think it all comes down to paddle power. Length helps you paddle in, which is why fat old dudes ride mals. For someone who's decently fit and not a kook, then I reckon around 5 and a half feet is about the limit.

Although, I've yet to try a 4' board, so who knows...

DL what is the 5'4" that you are currently riding?


WIBZ
-is that your black board in the picture? I rode a black one a mate lent to me, not as nice looking & covered in wax.The guy I lent it off you may know of him would have been pushing 100 kgs as he lent me a wetty that was pretty loose and wrinkly so it works well for the fat older men out there, kind of guy you would normally see on a mal. The board was absolute sickness.Sounds like you have too many boards lets see some piccies. Have you got any s/h.By the way would love to try something around the 5ft mark before I was to get one.

Yes more pics please

he he he, i recall lending an xxxxlarge wetty to someone and it fit them like a glove....pics coming

Select to expand quote

wibz said...

he he he, i recall lending an xxxxlarge wetty to someone and it fit them like a glove....pics coming

tight around the arms loose in the middle.

Select to expand quote

EB said...
DL what is the 5'4" that you are currently riding?

Canard quad made by Dave from Treehouse. Although looking at it last night I think it might actually be 5'5... 2&3/8 thick, 20" wide.

There are some pics of it hanging around on seabreeze. I'll try and dig them up.

Select to expand quote

DL said...

EB said...
DL what is the 5'4" that you are currently riding?

Canard quad made by Dave from Treehouse. Although looking at it last night I think it might actually be 5'5... 2&3/8 thick, 20" wide.

There are some pics of it hanging around on seabreeze. I'll try and dig them up.

Yes let see the pics.sounds nice small board for quad fin? How much do you weigh I wander if your as heavy as the Wibz 20" would make it look quite small.

I'm a featherweight @ 65kg. But mates weighing 80-90kg have surfed it with no problems.

For me, 20" is about the widest I reckon a shortboard should be. How do you turn a board that's wider than 20"? You'd have to step across the board to turn it... unless you have feet the size of Shaq...

Select to expand quote

DL said...

I'm a featherweight @ 65kg. But mates weighing 80-90kg have surfed it with no problems.

For me, 20" is about the widest I reckon a shortboard should be. How do you turn a board that's wider than 20"? You'd have to step across the board to turn it... unless you have feet the size of Shaq...

Gain another 25kgs and you can turn anything it all adds to a curvier out line.It allows you too paddle in earlier that is why I pose the question of what is too short.?

i'd agree with about the width theory but because the boards are so short they're still pretty easy to turn up to 22.5 -23 in width, but personally 22 seems to be the magic number......because they plane so insanely fast all you need to do is fart and the board whips around....thats why EB looks like he going through gates on a slalom course when he's on the simmons.

BTW you cant use shortboard theories with the simmons....totally different way of surfing....totally different board both in concept and approach

Select to expand quote

wibz said...

he he he, i recall lending an xxxxlarge wetty to someone and it fit them like a glove....pics coming

Wibz where are those pics you promised I had too search the net too find a pic of the black turd before you covered it in wax. Would like too see the other Mini simmons in your collection. Some good swell coming your way real soon.

here's the mackie simmons, pulled from micks site.....cheers

been around for years, used to call them boogie knee boards

so dane reynolds is riding a knee board is he?

Select to expand quote

wibz said...

so dane reynolds is riding a knee board is he?

Wibz, care to explain the thinking and history behind the mini-simmons?

As far as I can tell, Bob Simmons made longboards. His "short" board for small, punchy waves was 8' long.

Select to expand quote

wibz said...

so dane reynolds is riding a knee board is he?

Last time I watched him he was on a standard shortboard. What are you getting at wibz?