Fibreflex HELP

[swift]

Just picked up a new Fibreflex and need some advice!!!

It's turning out to be very different from any board I've ever ridden and I'm not sure if I like it?

Is it a dog?

Is it a case of getting used to it?

I've only had two session's on it, so how many more do I need to make my mind up?

I've been surfing over 20 years so am not a total kook!

HELP!!!!

[pridmore]

Never ridden one but if you still dont like it after 10 - 15 surfs, I would be thinking that you might never enjoy the board. The boards that are special are usually ones you ike almost straight away or it may just ake a few sessions to adjust if its very different to your previous one...is it much different shapewise to your previous ? what dont you like about it ? has it got better from the first time you rode it ????

[speedneedle]

Swift,

There are performance aspects to the "New Tech" super-duper boards that take getting used to. If yours is really light, you may initially find it very sensitive and even over-responsive.

These points can become positive with some practice...the responsiveness may mean you have to stay on your toes and anticipate the quicker response time. Chances are it will seem too easy to throw around at first.

That's not to say that lightweight is the utter be-all...your board could be the wrong shape for you, or just a dog, but give it a chance in a range of conditions.

Josh

[Jack Jack]

I had my Fibreflex for a few months now - being a quad, I had to get used to both the new tech and the quad at the same time.
I had one session recently on what used to be my favourite pu thruster - ughhhhhhh - felt so dead compared to the fibreflex.
Ive never ridden a fibreflex thruster - but with the quad - the secret is to use a slightly lighter touch and let the board whip you in and out of turns - no tail stomping.
You will end up going places on the wave you never would have dreamed about before!

[pridmore]

I had my Fibreflex for a few months now - being a quad, I had to get used to both the new tech and the quad at the same time.
I had one session recently on what used to be my favourite pu thruster - ughhhhhhh - felt so dead compared to the fibreflex.
Ive never ridden a fibreflex thruster - but with the quad - the secret is to use a slightly lighter touch and let the board whip you in and out of turns - no tail stomping.
You will end up going places on the wave you never would have dreamed about before!

interesting stuff, how would a surfer who really likes to bury rail and surf quite powerfully go on one of these boards do you think ??? I like my quads too, but still like my thruster as well, they both feel good to me, just different, keen to hear more and be very interested in riding one ...

[OT]

Has anyone tried Gunther Rohn's version of this tech?

Josh if the rumors are true, are you going to be doing boards for yourself again?

[grazza]

Just got my first fibreflex off Gunther. Same dimensions as my old PU board, but significantly different feel. The lightness and rigidity of the board make it feel very twitchy, but the pick up and acceleration is remarkable. Floatation is stunning, feel like I could have shaved 1/8 to 1/4 off the thickness and still have plenty of bouyancy. Sits a little high in the water. I think I'm going to like it but it's taking some getting used to.

[swift]

Grazza,
I've found the same thing.
The board's dimensions are 603 x 18.25x2.25, but it feels a lot thicker!!
I actually had a really good sesh on it yesterday so I really think it's a case of getting used to the different flex patterns.
The acceleration off my bottom turn was surprising and the ensuing foam climb felt too easy.
I'm starting to get excited!!!
I guess I was sort of under the impression that I'd just be able to jump on the thing and get going.
If anything it's probably a really good thing to have to think about what I'm doing a bit more than if I was still riding a PU.

[Nick Carroll]

I had my Fibreflex for a few months now - being a quad, I had to get used to both the new tech and the quad at the same time.
I had one session recently on what used to be my favourite pu thruster - ughhhhhhh - felt so dead compared to the fibreflex.
Ive never ridden a fibreflex thruster - but with the quad - the secret is to use a slightly lighter touch and let the board whip you in and out of turns - no tail stomping.
You will end up going places on the wave you never would have dreamed about before!

interesting stuff, how would a surfer who really likes to bury rail and surf quite powerfully go on one of these boards do you think ??? I like my quads too, but still like my thruster as well, they both feel good to me, just different, keen to hear more and be very interested in riding one ...

I'm a fairly power-oriented surfer and ride FFs a lot and I very much like the performance aspect Jack Jack describes so well above. The timing's a little different but once you get it dialled, it's a really magic feeling.

[grazza]

Uh oh. Severe crease across middle of new FF in last Friday's madness. Now I accept some responsibility for this as I was bailing (the shame, the shame...) an incoming set, but $700 for 4 surfs is painful. The bastard felt so stiff it was a real shock to see it wilt like that. Coulda sworn that it would be almost indestructible.

I was fighting with it a lot in its final session. 4-5 ft lined up but slightly lumpy lefts, and I really found it hard to set the edge off the bottom - the rail just wanted to bounce around rather than bury and slice. Is this a FF feature? Do you need to make the rails significantly finer? These were a slightly bulkier rail that the previous PU, but there was very little in it.

Gunts is being generous about a new one, but I don't think I'm replacing it with another epoxy.

[-surfer-]

I have recently purchased an ff off Hayden and am going through the same as all of the above.

I worked with Hayden on the dimensions and asked about the responsiveness, how it will handle etc. The board will seem a lot lighter, will turn tighter (due to different flex) and feel very touchy. As Nick has discussed above, once you dial this all in you will be on fire. I am still a little away however every surf I get closer.

I also recommend speaking with your shapers about your board. They know the technology and how it will handle.

You can communicate with shapers through a new online facebook page 'shaper search'. This page is growing as only a new concept, however there is some info there on the fibreflex technology and access to speak with Hayden if required, along with a few others. Also you can get contact details off a new shapers site

www.shapersearch.com.au

Hope this helps.

[pinhead]

Uh oh. Severe crease ... hard to set the edge off the bottom - the rail just wanted to bounce around rather than bury and slice.

Thinner rails would make a difference.

The crease and performance issues would be a combination of shape and construction. Slightly fatter rails would make the board stiffer - the carbon on the rails is like a C-section beam, the taller it is the stiffer it is. Being too stiff would make it more prone to snaps or creases. More rail volume in a lighter board also makes the rail harder to sink. If the rails were thinner the board would flex a bit more and soak up the bumps better.

You could make boards out of EPS and Epoxy using about 10 different construction methods and they would all surf differently - you can't write off all of them because one didn't work. I'd say Gunter might need to tune his shapes a bit to the construction - thinner rails, a bit les rocker, mayber a fraction wider at the wide point.

Was the board glassed in Hayden's factory?

[grazza]

I assume it was glassed at Gunther's factory. I can see there's something in this, just noit sure if I want to go through 3 or 4 boards to get the formula dialled. They definitely have some spark about them, but.

[RichQ]

I think less is more....regular polyurethane blank (a GOOD one...theres plenty out there that crap !) with NO striger or carbon fibre ...just foam & fibreglass...Great flex & no more prone to snapping than any regular stringered board...same price too.

[Natho]

Jack Jack I think alot of your description relates to the board being a quad rather than just the FFlex construction.

if you ride a PU Hayden quad and then jump onto a PU thruster, the thruster will still feel a dull and sluggish. The FFlex construction probably just adds to that a bit.

I disagree about needing to be lighter on your back foot with the quad.

Its more about where you apply that back foot pressure on the quad. You can surf hard off your back foot on the quad, but you need to surf the quad more off the back rail. If you try and surf the board off the fins (more flat) you will get what you deserve. Get that baby on its rail at full tilt and you can drive as hard as you need through that back foot.

If you are the type of surfer who tends to pivot and turn off your fins (flat), rather than a surfer who does full rail turns, then you may struggle at first with the quad.

[Natho]

^^^^

Sorry Jack Jack, I now realise you were talking about lighter touch in relation to the Fiber Flex construction not the quad set up. My mistake.

Ive only got one FFlex now. While I still like em, the novilty kinda started to wear off a bit for me. In certain conditions I found em too light to be honest. For this reason I got my last one glassed slightly heavier than normal and Im happy with it.

They do piss all over those Firewire things

[swift]

What fins are you running in your FF's??

I've tried the M5's it came with along with some PC3's. Im about to have a crack at using my Soar's that I had in my last board. I'm thinking i might get a slightly more familiar feel to my PU but with more flex?

Any ideas?

[Natho]

I don't get too caught up in the whole fin thing. I just stick M5s in my boards and Im done with it. Gives me a good idea of how each board was shaped to surf.

In my quad I just ride PU3s in the front and Gxs in the back and Im done with it. If the fins work I leave em in and that's that.

If it wasn't for the benefit of FCS when travelling I would just get glass ons in my boards and be done with it.

The whole fin thing is a real mind frk mixed in with a good dose of marketing wank. Just read some of the posts in some of the forums as an example of that .