Single fin shortboards

[Davros]

Guys looking at mid length single (7'2-8ft)just for those days I cannot be f*cked riding my shortboards in smaller stuff or just taking out in the fuller stuff....anyone recommend a shaper/make was looking at Paul Hutcho from Vouch with his rolled V's...anyone ridden one, still want to turn the thing.

[kayu]

Guys looking at mid length single (7'2-8ft)just for those days I cannot be f*cked riding my shortboards in smaller stuff or just taking out in the fuller stuff....anyone recommend a shaper/make was looking at Paul Hutcho from Vouch with his rolled V's...anyone ridden one, still want to turn the thing.

......A good single will do what you want.....I had two fine singles many years ago from "Hutchinsons" , when Hutcho was still in business in Sydney ( late 70's?).......they were the goods......he knows how to make a single.......NP jnr is hard to go past , cause you can definately see the depth of knowledge and influence imparted by his father.........there are subtleties in singles that have to be there........and there's also many thruster-influenced things that work great on singles.........like single/double concaves , rolled or spiral vees etc............one thing they don't need is super hard tail edges or wafer-thin tails

[Cpt.Caveman]

I'm interested to hear from people who have surfed 2+1's, widowmakers and bonzers and how they feel better, worse, or just plain different... What waves and places on the wave do they prefer?

Are they an advancement on the single fin? A lot of the Bonzer and 2+1 officianados consider them an improvement on the straight single fin, however as kayu is alluding to, maybe other changes to the board itself could compensate and make the fin equation as simple as possible?

Channels? Grip from concaves? Softer rail edges for better hold rather than hard square edges for release?

My understanding is that the whole rear of the surfboard is a fine balance of hold, release and bouyancy between planshape, rail volume, rail edge and foil, fin placement, fin size, etc. From my finless surfing I am definitely sold on the fact that fins drag, they just plain slow you down compared to no fins. The fins lead to thrust and projection in turns, but they still create their own form (?) drag.

The question in my mind with surfboard design now, is that what are the dynamics and interplay between drag, hold and release when you pressure the tail into a turn? All boards go well and go fast off the front foot, but when its mostly the tail interacting with the wave thats the real difference from board to board for me, and the biggest area you can argue one board is better or worse than another in maintaining speed and hold.

[Davros]

Thanks Kayu appreciate, Caveman I have a 5 fin Bonzer and a 2+1 (Camb Bros and NPurchJr and both 6'6) I used to love my Bonzer and its still so fast in comparison to any board I have had but lately I'm enjoying some bite in my turns where as my Bonzer has these great clean smooth cuts for turns for clean powerful waves additionally I reckon the sweet spot for your back foot is quite small so it takes regular riding for some average joe like me to get the full benefit of that complex engine room. The 2+1 is an awesome board for the right waves, drive and hold and you can still direct it to the top of the wave easily even with a flater rocker (easier than my Bonzer but similar rocker) also I find 2+1 has the best roundhouse cutback of any board setup (thruster, twin etc..) in juicer waves IMHO. I'm actually really enjoying riding tri fins this Aut/Winter for a number of reasons maybe because I am returning to them after 3 years on the above. Sure Cuttlefish or Pridmore could give you a more detailed description than I on Bonzers and 2+1.

[Moore]

I've had a few 2+1/widow/drifta type boards over the last 8 years or so, as well as a number of singles, including a McCoy Nugget.

I currently have a 6'8" Campbell Bonzer 5 Egg and an 8ft 2+1 pintail gun and will have a little Astron Zot pretty soon.

The 2+1 is hard to beat for versatility, but a lot depends on all the other design elements. One of my favourites was a 6'6" diamondtail with a forward widepoint/foil and spiral vee out the back. That thing was a one-board quiver for me for a while. It also went really well as a single.

The gun is a beast that has a forward widepoint and plenty of foam up front. You can turn it from any place on the board, the sweet spot is that long. I find it handy as I haven't got the composure or skill to make sure my feet are just so when it's getting creepy - sized.

I also had a 6'2 wingpin with a pretty flat bottom and low rocker. Forward widepoint on that, too. The best setup was a Winged Keel with a couple little mal sidebites - unreal in lined up tubing waves, not so good in seaweed....

The Bonzer goes really well in clean, big facey surf and while it looks like a funboard, is surprisingly high performance - you can really come hard and square off the bottom in well overhead surf and smack the lip/lay into a carve. Super solid in the tube, too.

The best thing I like about singles and 2+1s is that they are happy to relax in between turns. Thrusters seem to fidget and climb up the face all of the time.

Weirdly, I find hopping from quads to singles no hassle at all. Or maybe it's not weird as the fins are pointing the same way when you have the rail engaged, possibly.

[Moore]

Would def agree with Davros re: carves, too.

[Davros]

Moore "The best thing I like about singles and 2+1s is that they are happy to relax in between turns."



Nailed it.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I've had a few 2+1/widow/drifta type boards over the last 8 years or so, as well as a number of singles, including a McCoy Nugget.

I currently have a 6'8" Campbell Bonzer 5 Egg and an 8ft 2+1 pintail gun and will have a little Astron Zot pretty soon.

The 2+1 is hard to beat for versatility, but a lot depends on all the other design elements. One of my favourites was a 6'6" diamondtail with a forward widepoint/foil and spiral vee out the back. That thing was a one-board quiver for me for a while. It also went really well as a single.

The gun is a beast that has a forward widepoint and plenty of foam up front. You can turn it from any place on the board, the sweet spot is that long. I find it handy as I haven't got the composure or skill to make sure my feet are just so when it's getting creepy - sized.

I also had a 6'2 wingpin with a pretty flat bottom and low rocker. Forward widepoint on that, too. The best setup was a Winged Keel with a couple little mal sidebites - unreal in lined up tubing waves, not so good in seaweed....

The Bonzer goes really well in clean, big facey surf and while it looks like a funboard, is surprisingly high performance - you can really come hard and square off the bottom in well overhead surf and smack the lip/lay into a carve. Super solid in the tube, too.

The best thing I like about singles and 2+1s is that they are happy to relax in between turns. Thrusters seem to fidget and climb up the face all of the time.

Weirdly, I find hopping from quads to singles no hassle at all. Or maybe it's not weird as the fins are pointing the same way when you have the rail engaged, possibly.

So whats your verdict of 2+1 versus Bonzer for good and juicy waves (i.e. step-up)?

Not grovel but waves you want control, good paddle, but not gun-worthy.

[batoes]

I had a mick mackie bonzer for a while and it only lit up in solid, barreling waves - so four times a year.... Have always been keen to try a 2+1 - they seem like they might have a bit more range - could be wrong on that one. Keen to try a purcho - he does some nice ones.

[Moore]

So whats your verdict of 2+1 versus Bonzer for good and juicy waves (i.e. step-up)?

Not grovel but waves you want control, good paddle, but not gun-worthy.

Depending on the design, I prefer both the 2+1 and the bonzer setups over a standard thruster. I think it's probably personal preference more than anything else...

Saying that, as soon as my local beach was overhead or bigger and barrelling, then I always went for the 6'6" Widow as it covered so much ground so quickly, but you could also slow-up and change your line pretty easy.

Bonzer seems more rail-to-rail carves while keeping your speed and harder to snap, but I've never ridden a bonzer shorter than 6'6", so things may change once you get smaller and/or with a different planshape and rocker....

[tootr]

Here one of a new bonzer I recently took home......

[batoes]

nice board! How's that go in some juice? Where did you get that?

[tootr]

Thanks, yes it's a shape of beauty, by Malcolm Campbell on his recent trip.

6'8" by 20 1/2" by 2 3/4". basically a step up for the older, larger than average gent.....i.e me at age 47, 182 cm, 86kg.

Plenty of foam in the mid section for good paddle power, fuller than average template, but still quite foiled and medium vol rails........

Quite a spectacular shape to look at, and yes, it has paid dividends in some of the recent waves.....

[Wingnut]

Looking forward to picking this up this week...

[Beerfan]

Bloody nice there wingy.

[Wingnut]

Yeah, can't wait Beerfan!

I think Josh will be glad when it's finally picked up too!

[scot]

Wingnut I hope you get it before this weekend. looks like there will be great waves for it. are there any banks at the point down your way?
the banks up here are pretty good from little marley thru to greeny

[Wingnut]

Picked it up today Scot!

I think the swell's coming up tmrw arvo so just have to check wind and tides to see if it's going to be any good...

Taking this board with me for my East coast tour in a few weeks...Merimbula, Crescent, Broken Head etc...