6 finner...

[pridmore]

front 2 sets are flat inside, back set are double foiled.... a few more surfs in smallish beachies with these fins to get a better understanding, then I am ready to have a play around....would love a week of 3 ft clean beachies....but also got a new stick coming so will be hard to not give it a crack, not ideal way to suss out a design really...keep swapping back and forth to different boards and new ones which probably makes adjusting and really knowing whats going on more difficult ....I am going to swap boards with someone soon and try not to let on what fin set up it has, very interested to see what an unknowing test pilot would think....

[ric_vidal]

Regarding weight. Why didn't you use fixed/glassed fins?

A little hard to change them don’t you think, Dino?

And what makes you think systems are particularly heavy? Bit a plastic and resin mate, we are talking grams.

[diggerdickson]

please keep posting about this board, Im interested for future reference, as you know Im getting a 6'6 clinker shaped for me, Im at the moment testing out a epoxy 6'6 which will be the approx shape to get a feel for width and volume. Once that board is made will be looking at a normal board for my next one , have a semi fish but would be keen to look at the 6 finner depending on how your testing goes, it definately seems like it could be okay with some refinments, keep posting mate as Im interested to see and hear about its devolopment.

[pridmore]

Digger, be aware of the diff between eps/epoxy and PU/PE but your shaper would have told you that no doubt...( just dont want you trialling a board for volume and stuff and then possibly ordering something with wrong volume...)...the 6'er is going ok but wont release it to the masses queing up ( ) til its workin a treat, thanks for your interest....

[ric_vidal]

But six of em.

And why change em?

There is definitely a difference with weight or drag between glass fins and systems. They may even hinder flex in the tail, I'm not sure but they feel different, not quite as responsive i think.

Simple Dino, I think it is fair to say on Mark’s behalf it’s basically an experiment. Anyone who tells you fins won’t make a big difference to board performance is dreaming.

Talking to a quad person just yesterday who transformed their latest acquisition (no, not a board I made) from something that he basically didn’t like into something he now really does. The set-up is totally different to what the shaper supplied. Bigger fins at the back (single foil) and smaller at the front. This may be pretty contrary to MOST set-ups but now has it dialled to his liking. Suggest you have a look at Bruce McKee’s site some time. Then again you probably won’t as I know you don’t like tooling around with fins.

I can’t see how you believe FCS plugs are going to make a tail any stiffer (comparatively), if anything it would be the other way around as you are sticking a much larger surface area to the board when you do glass on fins. Different story with Futures but they are supposedly the lightest, however they apparently change a boards rocker (1/16" or some such measure) due to their installation system which is normally pre-laminates so the board flexes with the weight of the boxes and resin.

Also consider how much glass/resin is used for glass-on. I think you might be surprised. Then you have that stinking mound for water to travel over.

[ric_vidal]

Then again your mates experiment with the quad blows that theory away.

Not really, depends on what ‘feel’ you are after and obviously placement. i.e. rail based back fins versus central. In his case it was turning the board from a near train wreck to a keeper. Would’ve been a different story if they were glass-ons. Doesn’t mean to say you or I would like the way it works and that is the point.

In effect Dino, it’s probably that kind of attitude that I believe holds people or the industry as a whole back. F*ck the theory, try it, it either works or it doesn’t. Doesn’t matter what other people think and that includes shapers. Too many sheep.

This to me is why we should encourage the MP’s of this world. No one is disputing the capabilities of a thruster but Simon copped his flack while developing it!

As I said, have a look at Bruce McKee’s site, he goes into a host of combos and potentially what they will deliver. Might be a bit of a minefield but it’s all fun.

[pridmore]

the board is an experiment, it was going to be just a standard type quad but I wanted to try a 6'er after I had a few waves on one a while ago. It goes pretty well as a quad but thats nothing new, much prefer to try the 6'er and have a fun time learning its capabilities and its flaws. I have barely begun to play with possibilities as far as fin templates and configurations go, kept it very simple so far but after the recent quad fin chnges to the board that RV is talking about ( dunno bout train wreck RV but know what you mean... )it has made me even more open to many different set-ups. The fins really can change the feel of a board, I have resisted becoming one of the 'fin wankers' ( from previous post somewhere ) but I seem to be gathering more and more obscure fins and loving trying them in different boards ... I will say that some people will too quickly write off a board because the fins are wrong but if you have tried to adjust to a board and after 10 or so sessions it still wont go, then why not swap around a few fins and see if she comes to life ??? because it does happen as that quaddy proves and even though it goes against what most believe is the optimum set up, this set-up has made it a very enjoyable board for the owner whereas before it seemed lifeless ( some might say train wreck ) for him...great stuff and goes to show that a bit of experimenting can definitely have its benefits....I am keen to hear Steve Shearers thoughts on the Butterfly fins in the Abat....

might even try the 6'er with fins in the front and in the back, nothing in the middle plugs or I can mix up my Butterflies, dimples and squin fins to make 1 pschyco lookin set up...

[diggerdickson]

Digger, be aware of the diff between eps/epoxy and PU/PE but your shaper would have told you that no doubt...( just dont want you trialling a board for volume and stuff and then possibly ordering something with wrong volume...)...the 6'er is going ok but wont release it to the masses queing up ( ) til its workin a treat, thanks for your interest....

am aware, and cheers for your concern pridmore, will be ordering the same blank, glass ect.... that I am testing right know

[pridmore]

is it a Sunny Coast shaper ? Can I ask who, I prob know them....whats the shape and design you are testing out of curiosity ???

[ric_vidal]

( dunno bout train wreck RV but know what you mean... )

Just a descriptive term take it with a grain of salt, would you have preferred that other unthinkable? Under the circumstances for the person involved with his run of boards of late it would have been... well you can insert your own term.

What would you call a board that wasn’t working for him doing what he wanted the way it was configured,it’s does NOT have to be a reflection on the board. No one doubts your ability.

MP, I have been one of your biggest supporters ya nong, and I also happen to shape the odd board (literally). Can you envisage that perhaps this might be counter productive to my aspirations?

Plus, consider this, I didn’t mention who it was for, who made it or anything about the board other than it was a quad, for a very bloody good reason.

[pridmore]

RV, i know all that and think you must have taken me a bit too seriously, sounded harsh but never was taking your comments as derogatory really, I appreciate ya support ya nong, , misunderstanding that is it......

[Beerfan]

Any MORE pics mark?? Sounds interesting mate.

[pridmore]

just been tinkering with the fins a little...now have GX's in front ( side foil ), hand foiled glass dimple fins in centre ( similar size to M3's, bit smaller and touch more rake and flex , side foil ) and G1000's in the rear ( double foiled ).. very subtle change but after riding the other 6'er with much smaller fins, thought I might just reduce my total fin area a little and see how it feels, wouldnt go to the extreme that the other board had but just playing to see how it goes, will keep tinkering and see where it takes me.... ..havent surfed in a few days because been too busy and waves have been big but mushy and water looks like mud.....see how it looks today and get into a few on the 6'er hopefully...got a newy in a few days and sure I'll be wanting to ride that alot, so better get in and surf the 6'er before the newy turns up.....

[2nd Reef]

Hey Mark!

Jordy Smith is copying you, he rode a 6 finner at Winkipop this arvo. Wasn't too shabby on it either. There'll probably be some video footage go up on Swellnet tomorrow morning.

[pridmore]

how bout that...keen to see the footage...

[pridmore]

http://www.swellnet.com.au/flicks.php?movie_id=119


here's the link to check out the footage of Jordy riding a 6 finner...seems Mr.X is pushing the design alot, good for him coz it definitely has some potential....

[marcus_h]

Mark just came in here to post that link.

[pridmore]

had a few more surfs on it recently and with the slightly smaller fins and it seems a bit better, little bit more flowing and am really liking it off the top. waves were fairly small at the Point, probably about head high on the sets so the weight of the board was a bit of an issue but I seem to have adjusted to it and am using the weight to gain speed when I drop from high down a steep section, then once I have gained the speed the board feels much better, plus the heavier board seems to make me surf with more flow but if I was to shape another 1 today, I would do it alot lighter, a touch more nose lift and probably a rounded pin tail. I just think that the way the board flowsthat a rounded pin would suit it especially in decent waves and for the Point although I really like a diamond tail especially when surfed snappy .....I have leant out almost all my boards so I only have the 6'er ATM so it will be surfed no matter what the waves are like for the next week so there will be some more feedback soon.,but happy with the feel of it with the current fin set up, a mate said he reckoned I was surfing faster on this board theusual so maybe soething in that , dunno coz with a heavier board it doesnt feel faster, maybe due to i being less responsive due to the additional weight ??? having fun and learning anyway...all good...