I've been cycling through boards and have enjoyed my time on my mid lengths and single fins. Currently hold both covering when waves are good and small but want something of your typical shortboard type. Having not surfed one as such in a while, was curious to see whats under everyone's feet these days? Am looking for a daily driver; something I can take out even when it gets slightly bigger or starts pumping but can still enjoy it on your normal day/ keep it in your car for the post work surf.

Rounded square or rounded pin? Quad or thruster? More volume or less? Whats the latest in what you're riding?

Here's to all having a good weekend!

Mate that sounds like a 2 board job.
Normal short board, Rounded square or round tail. Thruster for the good days.
and
Shorter, wider, thicker, flatter, swallow tail. Quad fin for the average surf.
My 2 cents.

Only 2 I got are a 6'5 fat fish and a quad Mal, had a siiiick Mid length but smashed it to pieces. Def miss the midlength. Was 7'6 rounded pin, volume up front but with a bit of nose rocker for steep take offs. One of the smoothest boards at full speed I ever surfed. Was a thruster, would have loved is a single fin. The rounded pin just sat snug in the juice and you trusted just leaning back.

Loving my Nano. Seems to have a great wave range. Maybe not as fun as others at knee high but from waist to 1.5-2 times overhead it rocks. I ride it as a quad.

5'8 Katana Skud is all I am riding.

Gotta get another board as a back-up. Not sure what to get. Another Skud maybe????

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bene313 said..
5'8 Katana Skud is all I am riding.

Gotta get another board as a back-up. Not sure what to get. Another Skud maybe????

Bene, I've had a look at the katana's having looked up a few threads on this board.
Can they be run as thrusters? Would they go in PU? I'm not a fan of the repair side of epoxys.

Cheers guys, keep them coming! The new board itch is building!

Thruster hp shortboards in all conditions.

I'm loving this at the moment...everything from knee high peelers to 5 foot bumpy bells bowl seems to be no problem at all

5'10 x 19 x 3

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Glasssssy said..

bene313 said..
5'8 Katana Skud is all I am riding.

Gotta get another board as a back-up. Not sure what to get. Another Skud maybe????

Bene, I've had a look at the katana's having looked up a few threads on this board.
Can they be run as thrusters? Would they go in PU? I'm not a fan of the repair side of epoxys.

Cheers guys, keep them coming! The new board itch is building!

I can an do the Skuds in thrusters but I find once the tail is over 15 1/2" It suits a quad set up
we are just releasing a new epoxy construction for 2015 lighter and tougher with a different look
my personal favourite is the FUD 5"8 x 20 3/4 X 2 1/2 good for summer and all rounder up to head+
its the same bottom shape as the Skud with a flyer and slightly fuller plan shape

I've got a 6'2 x 19 3/4 x 2.5 which goes great in chest to double overhead. If you get a board that doesn't have too much rocker & maintains width from the front fins to past your chest, they are more versatile imo. I find fin choice very important when going from chest/head to overhead+. A guy I was talking to, a bit lighter/shorter than me with the 5'10 reckons he only likes surfing his up to a little overhead. But he'd only used medium fins with it. I use XL's most of the time coz if I'm surfing smaller waves, its usually a beachie & I'm chasing sections, so need the drive anyway.

FW Nano. When it's small ride it with Rasta keels and an SB1 trailer. Makes perfect sense since the mph boards have evolved from mini-simmons and fish. Makes knee to waist high fun.
When the waves are better run it with TP1 thruster or Scarfini quad set.
Or my Pacer egg/fish quad.
Shaped from an egg template with chine rails and single to double concave bottom and a fish tail cut into it.

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Cuttlefish said..
FW Nano. When it's small ride it with Rasta keels and an SB1 trailer. Makes perfect sense since the mph boards have evolved from mini-simmons and fish. Makes knee to waist high fun.
When the waves are better run it with TP1 thruster or Scarfini quad set.
Or my Pacer egg/fish quad.
Shaped from an egg template with chine rails and single to double concave bottom and a fish tail cut into it.

interesting, I found the nano too sticky as quad and those keels look like more of the same. I ride it thruster am2's.


but each to their own

Actually the quad set I use is a Kinetic X4. Haven't found it tracky at all. The TP1 thrusters are just a little better for a vertical attack but there's not a lot of difference in it.
When they did the ASL board test they commented that it was just as happy as a quad or thruster too.
The keels are strictly a small wave solution that gave it bottom end drive where I'm looking to get instant speed from takeoff and also to run through flat spots.
Found I liked the board so much I was riding it in waves that I should have been riding a grovel board in.
So tried the fronts from Futures controllers and then the Rasta keel templates and they were both a tonne more fun than the standard fin options.
If you look at the keels they have a lot of rake and the tips are partly into the rear quads positions. With no trailer and that wide tail it's actually too loose. The upright SB1 trailer is spot on with them.
I'm so used to riding eclectic boards maybe I can dial in strange fin choices more easily compared to those who only ride more "normal" boards but they work for me.

Never even thought of riding my Nano with that fin configuration. Jeepers. Seems I need to do some playing. I have been happy with it so far. Thanks for the ideas Cuttlefish.

close to buying a nano, thinking the 6'er as i am 105-110kgs.

I am chasing a all round travel board for waist to 1.5 head high and something i can use with the kites as well.

I have a set of rastas on a 5'11" mini sims so can give them a go on the nano.

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shunter said..
close to buying a nano, thinking the 6'er as i am 105-110kgs.

I am chasing a all round travel board for waist to 1.5 head high and something i can use with the kites as well.

I have a set of rastas on a 5'11" mini sims so can give them a go on the nano.

Don't forget I'm using the keels for grovel conditions only on the Nano.
I've used the keels up to shoulder height/head height and still had fun but...
It doesn't need them when it's waist high and over.

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Cuttlefish said...

shunter said..
close to buying a nano, thinking the 6'er as i am 105-110kgs.

I am chasing a all round travel board for waist to 1.5 head high and something i can use with the kites as well.

I have a set of rastas on a 5'11" mini sims so can give them a go on the nano.

Don't forget I'm using the keels for grovel conditions only on the Nano.
I've used the keels up to shoulder height/head height and still had fun but...
It doesn't need them when it's waist high and over.

Actually I have used shapers s9's with a trailer type fin on my platypus. Super fast and loose but just hanging on
D

A nano shape-type board from a local looks very very enticing!Forgive a random question from me but I thought with bigger waves, you'd want a narrower tail as opposed to the big thumb-like tail on the nano? Or does simply larger fins help with hold etc?

Cheers for the know how guys

This is on it's way to being my new twin. 5'6" x 23" x 2"

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Glasssssy said..
A nano shape-type board from a local looks very very enticing!Forgive a random question from me but I thought with bigger waves, you'd want a narrower tail as opposed to the big thumb-like tail on the nano? Or does simply larger fins help with hold etc?

Cheers for the know how guys

Yep your gonna have some problems on bigger waves, the Nano is a small wave board. Putting larger fins in isn't going to help holding in bigger waves unless you have size 15 feet or something lol...coz the G force when doing your bottom turn is gonna flip the board when your trying to get it on rail, you would feel like you really need to nurse your bottom turn. Personally I wouldn't go wider than 20 1/4 for an all rounder that your hoping to surf in bigger waves, like over head & a 1/2.

Then again, if you can surf like this guy, pretty much any shape will work

Here's a good breakdown of the nano characteristics.
Two things that make it stand out are its eye watering planing speed on any decent wave and it's ability to turn in the pocket.
Sure at its maximum useable size range when you're going mach speed and run out on the face to do a big cutback it will be interesting trying to set a rail.
But if you stay in the pocket it will still turn.
Have a look at the off the top gouge in the ASL board test footage. Nothing wrong with that.
As Hedgey said you've just gotta trust the board to do it.
Link to test:http://www.surfinglifeessentials.com.au/board-guide/2014/boards/firewire
Link below for nano characteristics breakdown:
surfshopsaustralia.com.au/surfboards/shortboards/small-wave-performance/firewire/nano-fst-tomo-design-firewire-surfboards

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Cuttlefish said..
.
Or my Pacer egg/fish quad.
Shaped from an egg template with chine rails and single to double concave bottom and a fish tail cut into it.

How does the egg/fish board go mate?

I tried to shape the Hippy Vadge to help Fisher show that you can pretty much ride anything. But I struggled to stay on it and I found my ride time was seriously short. Seemed to go better when it was hollow though.
i might try a bit later in the month and see if that makes a difference.

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Grevas said...
I tried to shape the Hippy Vadge to help Fisher show that you can pretty much ride anything. But I struggled to stay on it and I found my ride time was seriously short. Seemed to go better when it was hollow though.
i might try a bit later in the month and see if that makes a difference.

Boom boom

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surferstu said..

Cuttlefish said..
.
Or my Pacer egg/fish quad.
Shaped from an egg template with chine rails and single to double concave bottom and a fish tail cut into it.

How does the egg/fish board go mate?

it's a soft wave, high tide, mellow beachies and pointbreaks specialist.
At 6'2" with low rocker and wide planshape its got great glide for the above waves.
it's still got that new board smell with only a few surfs on it so far and Spring is doing its thing here but I've had one surf in amongst the longboarders at my local soft point and it worked great for that at knee to chest high.
Had another surf on it in suckier beachbreak waves and experienced the pitfall of low nose rocker.
Perfect nano waves but not for the egg/fish.