Fish - Jim Banks MKiii

[nawgy1979]

Hi guys,

I have recently purchased a Jim banks mkiii fish (6'3 * 20 1/2 * 2 7/8) and have yet to surf it but wondered what others experiences on this board were ? It was a decision between this and a 6'2 DVS quad fish and I am wondering now if I made the right decision
:?


Cheers,

N

[Choppy]

I've had a 6'0 Jim Banks twin keel for four years and only have praise for it. Performs in a wide range of conditions from 2ft to 6ft. It was my go to board until I got my JD but still love taking it out in the good stuff. Also I got mine glassed to last and after four years of constant use its still mint. So don't worry I sure you won't regret your purchase

[grimshine]

The twin keel sounds good but you'll find that the quad will surf completely different. I'd have gone the quad myself. Also why 6.0', heaps of width and thickness, could have gone heaps shorter depending on height and weight. If you haven't surfed it,take it back and get the quad. Just a thought, good luck mate.

[alakaboo]

How big are you, that's a lot of board?

I've only surfed the Mk1 twin keel, and only a few times.
Found it really liked to stay in the steeper part of the wall, it handled late takeoffs with ease, you could feel the keel flex as it grabbed then it just took off like a scalded rat.

[nawgy1979]

I'm 5'10 and 76kgs and intermediate ability.I'm coming dwon from a 6'6 McCoy Nugget which to be honest is a little too big for me.
I did wonder if the 6'3 fish still could be to big - oh well too late now !

[Cuttlefish]

Never mind you can always sell it...just give us on here first look in.
For what it's worth I'm 90-92 kgs and a 6' foot dvs poly twin keel fish for me was too much foam.
However I'm certain Jim doesn't pack as much foam in as a DVS.
Let us know how you get on with it.

[alakaboo]

I'm 6ft and 75kgs, and I rode a 6ft Banks Mk1, which was a touch too long but not excessive. I think it was a custom, thinned a bit.
I would ride about a 5'8" as my ideal length in that shape, not sure what changes there are between Mk1-Mk3.
6'6" interchange nugget was way too much board for me.

[nawgy1979]

Yeah, I think all my McCoys (6'6 Nugget, 6'8 Astron Zot and 5'1- Lazor Zap {Surftech}) are on the big side now and the Jim Banks could be a little too long but I am only an intermediate and didnt want to go too small too quick, especially as I have never tried a fish before.
By the way I love the McCoy Astorn Zot and plan to get a smaller one !

Plus, the Jim Banks was brand new but sold to me as second hand due to a small deck compression that was hardly noticeable when it was being shipped here to the UK so I did get a good deal on it.
I think that the MkIII is slightly more refined a closer to a HP Shortboard than the MKI.
Thanks for all the comments.

Nath

[black duck]

you could feel the keel flex as it grabbed then it just took off like a scalded rat.

You could feel the keel flex? Really? That's pretty sensitive Boo. I've got a MKIII and those fins are stiff as fcuk. Never ever felt them flex.

[alakaboo]

Artistic license?
Should've said catch. You could probably steer the qe2 with those things

[nawgy1979]

Just to clarify, I am in the UK. I surfed it for the first time today in 2/3 ft onshore junk and it went well considering the conditions - I was impatiant to try it out !

I didnt feel that I lost too much McCoy paddle power (if any) when paddling for waves but what was so enlightening was how easy it is to duck dive; so less tiring than wrestlin the foam of a McCoy ! I havent surfed any board other than a McCoy and I could really tell the difference between the convex bottom of the McCoys and the concave of the JB - just in terms of 'feeling' the water flow underneath the board.
One problem was that I was looking all of the time to weight myself on the rear of the board and found the lack of volume apparent compared to an McCoy but quickly adjusted; just like the McCoys it inspired confidence overall. I feel that I could have gone smaller but not by too much - I reckon 5'10 max. as the board is more slender than a traditional keel fish. It has also opened my eyes to the fact that I love my McCoy Astron Zot and that a smaller size that will easy duckdiving is very feasib;e

Cheers, Nath

[Davros]

Sounds like a fun board, so you have a fish and a stack of McCoys and thinking about getting another, if your middle of the road ability thought about trying a beefed up shorty (e.g.6'2) for you scrappy 2-3ft after you master the fish (think JS Nitro/Revolution etc..), who cares if you bugger a few waves the return in throwing the nose around will be worth it and you already have thickness to go back to if you get frustrated...just saying..no offence to other boards McCoy lovers.

[nawgy1979]

Had a few more surfs on it; one in overhead+ decent swell and also the left overs of the same swell at a lovely and fun 3ft (ish) and I am really starting to like the board. I definately feel that i could go shorter, but if I did i would go slightly wider and thicker aswell but I cant really fault the board.
Paddling for waves though I have found that I need to be more forward on the board than on my McCoys to get it to plane effectively. I really like the glide that you get which I also find I like from my single fin Astron Zot.

[bobbychariot]

Hey Nath - I recently made a jim Banks inspired fish with a Mccoy dome bottom & it feels real nice - heres some piccies http://wollumbin-woodsticks.blogspot.com.au/