review of Mccoy Astron Zot

A place for longboarders, eggers, fish riders... if alternative surfcraft is your game, here's the place to chat about it

Moderators: collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, Shari, the kalakau kid, Forum Moderators

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:21 pm

Geoff's retirement plan.
Apprentice be damned. :wink:
Only a rat can win the rat race.

old grom
Grommet
Posts: 75
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:54 am
Location: Sunshine Coast

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by old grom » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:47 pm

Great review...like another after a dozen surfs...makes me want a 6'4; Jam I no longer have my dot...but still have two nuggets....great to hear about everyone's experience on this classic shape...OG

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Thu Jun 13, 2013 11:08 am

You don't need a 6'4" Richard.
The 6'er at 22" x 3" would float you really well and catch waves easily.
You need to have a paddle on my scorpion though....that would really throw the cat amongst the pigeons.
Just had a surf at Kawana in glassy, 2-3' NthEast windswell that would hit an outside bank and throw...into a closeout. Sitting on the end of the sections netted a takeoff before closeout into deeper water.
Rode the zot.
Still feels good on the takeoffs on the backhand, even the steeper ones.
NE windswell in June....what's with that?
:roll:
Only a rat can win the rat race.

old grom
Grommet
Posts: 75
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:54 am
Location: Sunshine Coast

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by old grom » Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:04 pm

Pete...I have seen you rave about some boards...but your enthusiastic words about the scorpion make me think it must be something special. I have a copy of a lost couch potato being made at the moment when it arrives we must hook up again and have a swap. Pls keep us up to date about the zot...planning a surf trip to Byron shortly...I may not be responsible for my actions if I swing past geoffs shop..m.mmm

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:41 am

Absolutely.
We're both fans of the elusive "one board quiver" board.
The Scorpion (for me, at my age, waves I surf) is turning out, inadvertently, to be one.
Still riding the other boards in my quiver and enjoying them all.
Just that I know I can roll up to the beach with only the scorpion in the car and still have a good surf.
It does what the Dvs carbon weiner was supposed to do.
But when I bought it I only wanted it for surfing in the crowds on the points when I was tired paddling my heavier glassed poly boards.
I'd stopped trying to figure out the best "one board quiver" and was enjoying having a few different (or even several) boards dialled for where I surf.
The potatonator is still a great board for the smaller stuff with the speed that it can generate and the resultant carves that give an old guy like me the idea I have somehow still got it.
The Astron zot will fit in as a change of pace in the quiver.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

JaM71
charger
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:24 pm
Location: Gold Coast

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by JaM71 » Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:20 pm

Cuttlefish wrote:Absolutely.
We're both fans of the elusive "one board quiver" board.
The Scorpion (for me, at my age, waves I surf) is turning out, inadvertently, to be one.
Still riding the other boards in my quiver and enjoying them all.
Just that I know I can roll up to the beach with only the scorpion in the car and still have a good surf.
It does what the Dvs carbon weiner was supposed to do.
But when I bought it I only wanted it for surfing in the crowds on the points when I was tired paddling my heavier glassed poly boards.
I'd stopped trying to figure out the best "one board quiver" and was enjoying having a few different (or even several) boards dialled for where I surf.
The potatonator is still a great board for the smaller stuff with the speed that it can generate and the resultant carves that give an old guy like me the idea I have somehow still got it.
The Astron zot will fit in as a change of pace in the quiver.
One board quiver be damned! Wash your mouth out and never make such an utterance round here again :-D-:
Davros: "But it felt a bit long and stiff"

damo666
regular
Posts: 206
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:00 pm
Location: Canberra! for too long....

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by damo666 » Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:18 pm

Cuttlefish wrote:It floats me the same as my Takayama 6'8" but I did miss quite a few waves simply because I was so used to sitting further out on the Takayama which has a concave under the nose which helps it plane earlier.
So it's a great compliment to the quad as it puts you back squarely in the pocket.
Cuttlefish - is your Scorpion a surftech or PU one?

This is not a total thread hijack - I'm looking at something for smaller days to compliment my 6'6" Nugget, and a 6'8" or 7' Takayama Scorpion looks like a good thing, but am not sure if the surtech one is the go (as they are easier to find & much cheaper!).

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:16 pm

Damo,
It's a Surftech.
I bought it since it was a lot cheaper than a Byron made one and I wanted it for surfing in crowds where there's ding potential aplenty and I can just put tape over a ding and keep surfing it.
Also wanted the lightness as opposed to a resin tinted poly.
Wasn't able to order anything except the resin tint, with all bells and whistles in the poly so would've ended up with a heavier board which I didn't want.
At the time I was surfing a 6'6" Mctavish scooter, bat tail quad with resin tint and its weight was ok until well into a long surf but the scorpion handles size better with its pintail.
The Surftechs are apparently hard to come by since the production has stopped while royalty payments recipients are established, or so I heard.
The poly scorpions are around used but have to be quick.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:18 pm

Keeping on topic...looks like a good week for the zot.
Light offshores and 2-3' every day.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:08 pm

Talking amongst myself here's a shot of the zot.
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:09 pm

Deck...
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:10 pm

Bottom...
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Only a rat can win the rat race.

JaM71
charger
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:24 pm
Location: Gold Coast

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by JaM71 » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:56 pm

Cuttlefish wrote:Bottom...
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Thanks for showing us your bottom Pete :-D-:

How are the waves looking for Friday? Will your local point be on in the S/SE winds?

Back on topic, are you going to try different fins like the greenough 4a this week?
Davros: "But it felt a bit long and stiff"

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:39 pm

Looks like it's going to be small.
Bugger!
I'll try the gullwing moved forward first.
Haven't got a 4a but do have a 4c (less rake than 4a).
Waves have not been co-operating here for more surfs on it.
Let's see what the end of the week brings.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

old grom
Grommet
Posts: 75
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:54 am
Location: Sunshine Coast

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by old grom » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:40 pm

Pete...that is a bloody work of art...I don't think anyone else makes boards that cool ...classic

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:01 pm

Surfed the zot again this morning in 2'ers at Maroochydore and had a fun surf with plenty of lefts and rights with some good ones holding up enough to get plenty of turns on it.
Last few days have been less than ideal with the straight Southerly swell and lots of closeouts.
Swell had dropped enough for the sets to break on the inner bank over the high tide and so hold up with some workable faces.
This is where the zot does best as opposed to semi-closeouts where a quad can get the job done better (for me).
The zot feels so nice and loose (don't forget it is a single fin) and is really easy to surf backhand.
Really like the way it turns off the lip.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by Cuttlefish » Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:01 pm

More rides...
The zot is continuing to impress me with its capability.
Last two days have had some really good waves.
Super glassy 2'ers yestterday and light offshore 2-3'ers with nice left and right peaks on a rising tide with some closeouts but plenty that hit the banks sweetly for some great chances to do whatever felt right.
Had some really good long waves on my backhand today in the larger waves and the zot is really easy to surf well on the backhand.
I'm finding this board suits me so much better than a zap with its narrow nose and heavy back foot bias.
Both the zap and the stumpy provided moments of "yeeeew" (so hipster I know) turns but plenty of "wtf" events too.
The stumpy stumped me. The first surf on the zap at Noosa was a pretty mundane affair whereas the first wave on the zot it felt good straight away and I'm still feeling very comfortable on it.
Keep completely forgetting that the board is a single fin.
Got out of the water after 3 and a 1/2 hrs only because I was too buggered to surf anymore.
Finally get the McCoy claim of providing a neutral feeling board.
Lets face it when you jump on most new boards there's usually flashes of brilliance (hopefully) and then as you keep surfing it in a wide variety of conditions maybe a glaring shortcoming will eventually having you move it on.
Knowing what conditions to surf the zot in should keep it in my quiver for quite a while.
I've sold off plenty of boards that I shouldn't have simply because I've chased a one board quiver ethos in the past.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
MrMik
regular
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:24 pm

Re: review of Mccoy Astron Zot

Post by MrMik » Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:49 pm

Thanks for your detailed reviews, Cuttlefish!

Where do you place the fin, and have you experimented with moving it around a bit?

Mik

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests