Should I get a fish?

[offshore1]

I reckon on small waves they work a treat. Looks very fishy....

[wanto]

that's nice mate, but why are you such a racist?

[Nappy]

cmon the fish is fine.

fish are great for guys who can't catch waves or turn?

Isnt that mals? life really is to short to ride a longboard.

I see the primitive nature in everyone coming out. I remember hearing a comedian stating "why do they call it fishing, its really just tricking and killing"

Im not goint to fall into this trap you have all set.

Viva la fish

signed one lazy, wave hogging, waveless, turnless mullet.

LOL!!! this has FONG written all over it!!

Must of been real bored that day hey mustkillmulloway?

[Hozameen]

If I can quote yet the same comedian LQTM (laugh quietly to myself)

Now which of the locals here, is going to bring me into the light of the one, or the thing, they call FONG ?

Im willing to trade a joke, a haiku or the meaning of life.

Then again wondering what its all about is really killing my boredom.

"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming."

[pridmore]

you could always get something more along the lines of a
>Simon Anderson Molusc
>or one of those quad channel bottom roundtail moluscy looking pieces that Mark Rabbidge is putting out
>or one of the more eggy fuller-outlined flat-entry-rocker hybrid-type shorties that Rod Dahlberg is putting out
there's no need to chose between either a mini mal or a fish...
fishes are more designed for long walling type waves where you've got room to surf them properly, not your short run everyday sydney beachies that you're likely to be surfing in summer...

Iggy is right, some hybrid designs allow you to have better floatation and also plane well and are quick in summerish waves but are designed tobe much more manouverable than the traditional twin keel ,deep swallow style fish which is not very user freindly, can be great in the right conditions but there are much better designs out there suited to the majority of surfers out there.... that is where my design focus has been mostly over the past 2 years and would gladly discuss if interested, please PM....

[pridmore]

^^ the Fat Bat goes well for what you'd be wanting to use it for Chrisp...
better all rounder than a mini mal or a fish...
(no i'm not getting commission either)
i've used it and it goes well for what it's designed for...
(for any real bowly grinders you could always throw in the little stabblizer fin...)

that bloody comission...

[Chrisp]

I've been chatting to Mark about the fatbat & having a think, I'm definately leaning toward something of that nature over a fish. I really just want a small wave board or a "one board" for road trips where I can't take two.

So take 2 on this thread is what size are we recommending for a guy who's 170cms & 70kgs?

[sandfly]

Dear Mr Chips
I borrowed a mates Jim Banks MKIII a few weeks ago. I rode it in 3' offshore conditions at Nth Mona with a really nice inside bowly section. I was that impressed that I ordered one right away!

The MKIII changed my ideas about what fish can do, I have ridden several other fish type boards and was never that impressed.

The MKIII seems like the perfect summer surf board to me.

P.S. I am just about the same dimensions as you.

[pridmore]

Mr.Sandfly, glad you like that board, I am keen for your thoughts on my Fat-Bat thats being passed around Northern Beaches at the moment if you are interested ??? check it out at www.moresurfboards.com and also on the post called ' Fat-Bat coming to a beach near you ' in General Surf Discussion... very interested in feedback from guys like yourself who have ridden a variety of fishy-hybrid designs....

[rightbrainpositive]

I've been chatting to Mark about the fatbat & having a think, I'm definately leaning toward something of that nature over a fish. I really just want a small wave board or a "one board" for road trips where I can't take two.

So take 2 on this thread is what size are we recommending for a guy who's 170cms & 70kgs?

Hey Chrisp, I dunno if you saw a thread I created earlier this year about my first fatbat experiences but all I'll say is this: for what you've described as your needs (ie. the "one board"), I can't speak highly enough of Mark and his fatbat designs.

A lot of Quads are generally designed to (and i use "generally designed" very 'loosely') fall into 2 categories:
1. fins wide apart to give you a feel that's reminiscent of a twinzer/twin-keel fish/twinny
2. a 'hi-performance' feel that allows you to 'pivot' and go more vertical like a thruster

If you want Mark to design your board to strictly fit those 2 criteria, he could do it no dramas. But what Mark does so well is he listens to your feedback, asks you about how you want to be surfing and designs a fatbat according to what you need.

I was really honest about what I wanted (paddler/all-rounder/good for points and thick beachies) and since it was my first ever custom, I gave him plenty of details. The board that he shaped me was a perfect fit for what I need and as a result, I can humbly say that my surfing has improved. I wouldn't change anything about the board he shaped me.

I can surf it when it's knee-high and have a great time. I haven't taken it out in anything SOLID but it has handled plenty of overhead days with no problems (and that's without a 5th fin). If we get a solid cyclone in Noosa and it's SOLID 6ft, it's the board I'd take out for sure.

Conclusion: Mark can design a fat-bat to be a great all rounder, just trust him with the final magic numbers. There's a few of us riding his shapes on the forum and all the ones I've talked to are very happy with their board, the service and the price.

So Mark, about that commission...

[bohdidontsurf]

I've been chatting to Mark about the fatbat & having a think, I'm definately leaning toward something of that nature over a fish. I really just want a small wave board or a "one board" for road trips where I can't take two.

So take 2 on this thread is what size are we recommending for a guy who's 170cms & 70kgs?

Hey Chrisp, I dunno if you saw a thread I created earlier this year about my first fatbat experiences but all I'll say is this: for what you've described as your needs (ie. the "one board"), I can't speak highly enough of Mark and his fatbat designs.

A lot of Quads are generally designed to (and i use "generally designed" very 'loosely') fall into 2 categories:
1. fins wide apart to give you a feel that's reminiscent of a twinzer/twin-keel fish/twinny
2. a 'hi-performance' feel that allows you to 'pivot' and go more vertical like a thruster

If you want Mark to design your board to strictly fit those 2 criteria, he could do it no dramas. But what Mark does so well is he listens to your feedback, asks you about how you want to be surfing and designs a fatbat according to what you need.

I was really honest about what I wanted (paddler/all-rounder/good for points and thick beachies) and since it was my first ever custom, I gave him plenty of details. The board that he shaped me was a perfect fit for what I need and as a result, I can humbly say that my surfing has improved. I wouldn't change anything about the board he shaped me.

I can surf it when it's knee-high and have a great time. I haven't taken it out in anything SOLID but it has handled plenty of overhead days with no problems (and that's without a 5th fin). If we get a solid cyclone in Noosa and it's SOLID 6ft, it's the board I'd take out for sure.

Conclusion: Mark can design a fat-bat to be a great all rounder, just trust him with the final magic numbers. There's a few of us riding his shapes on the forum and all the ones I've talked to are very happy with their board, the service and the price.

So Mark, about that commission...

Mark , ever thought of doing EPS/Epoxy? All my boards now are that I wont go back to PU. Just a personal preference. Have you ever or will you ever be doing EPS/Epoxy??

[pridmore]

I definitely wanna and have planned to but it just hasnt happened yet. The couple times I have had customers keen for eps/epoxy boards, the extra price has been an issue, going to do myself one soon...thanks for the tip.....cheers

[cdes1]

The fish was created in and for waves like those found at Sunset Cliffs. Big rolly, peelers that can be somewhat mushy. They're really fun for going fast at the expense of your maneuverability. They also glide over the mushy spots nicely.
Unfortunately some people use a fish as an unfair advantage to catch waves, as they do have more volume and a flatter rocker than most shortboards (causing much of the frustration on this forum). They also get used to surf small days because of these qualities.
So should you get a fish? Yes and no.

The answer is yes if you want to experiment with different types of boards and round out your surfing experience.

The answer is no if you want something to surf on the small days at the local beachie - you're better off getting a wider, thicker thruster (it'll be easier to get around windswell sections) , or a longboard.

[wanto]

... ask dino

[bohdidontsurf]

I've been chatting to Mark about the fatbat & having a think, I'm definately leaning toward something of that nature over a fish. I really just want a small wave board or a "one board" for road trips where I can't take two.

So take 2 on this thread is what size are we recommending for a guy who's 170cms & 70kgs?

Hey Chrisp, I dunno if you saw a thread I created earlier this year about my first fatbat experiences but all I'll say is this: for what you've described as your needs (ie. the "one board"), I can't speak highly enough of Mark and his fatbat designs.

A lot of Quads are generally designed to (and i use "generally designed" very 'loosely') fall into 2 categories:
1. fins wide apart to give you a feel that's reminiscent of a twinzer/twin-keel fish/twinny
2. a 'hi-performance' feel that allows you to 'pivot' and go more vertical like a thruster

If you want Mark to design your board to strictly fit those 2 criteria, he could do it no dramas. But what Mark does so well is he listens to your feedback, asks you about how you want to be surfing and designs a fatbat according to what you need.

I was really honest about what I wanted (paddler/all-rounder/good for points and thick beachies) and since it was my first ever custom, I gave him plenty of details. The board that he shaped me was a perfect fit for what I need and as a result, I can humbly say that my surfing has improved. I wouldn't change anything about the board he shaped me.

I can surf it when it's knee-high and have a great time. I haven't taken it out in anything SOLID but it has handled plenty of overhead days with no problems (and that's without a 5th fin). If we get a solid cyclone in Noosa and it's SOLID 6ft, it's the board I'd take out for sure.

Conclusion: Mark can design a fat-bat to be a great all rounder, just trust him with the final magic numbers. There's a few of us riding his shapes on the forum and all the ones I've talked to are very happy with their board, the service and the price.

So Mark, about that commission...

I rode a nice Firewire quad fish today, 5'8 x 20.5 x 2 3/8. Nice thin rails , not a lot of volumn at all compared to a traditional fish and I loved it. I have ridden something that small since I was 10. I am 84kgs and 37 and it paddled like a dream. First fish I have ever surfed and I will seriously consider getting one. Needs to be 2-3ft to get it going but a lot of fun when you do. Changed my mind about fishes today.

[pridmore]

good stuff bo, there are sooo many different variations of the 'fish' out there now and some of them go great and are also quite high performance...some people think all fish type designs are dogs and thats only because they haven t ridden the right one for them I think...but I will agree that the traditional twin keel fishes are hard to surf well, have to adjust your surfing thats for sure, some shortboard guys jump on and coz they cant bang whack and snap em the same as their 6'1 thruster, they right em off as dogs...horses for courses... but gotta try lots out and give em a chance I say.....

[pridmore]

so whats the verdict ? should you get a fish ? just keen to hear what you decided after the suggestions and comments ???