Midlengths

[Beerfan]

More than likely it'll be a pulled in quad egg close to 7' from josh. I'd consider an Outerislands too, but I'm sold on Josh's boards so yeah, 99% chance it'll be made by JD.

[JET01]

More than likely it'll be a pulled in quad egg close to 7' from josh. I'd consider an Outerislands too, but I'm sold on Josh's boards so yeah, 99% chance it'll be made by JD.

Get a bonzer with removable side fins.

[Beerfan]

Nah, I'm loving the quad setup,in my current 7'er. I'm interested in bonzers but might wait a little bit for one.

[JET01]

Popped into a Haliewa surf shop yesterday to check out what alternative shapes were being ridden around here.

There wasn't much that tickled my fancy in the 7'+ range but stumbled across these two.

6'6 epoxy Takayama Glass Slipper for $670US. Nice orange colour.
6'8 epoxy Flo Egg nice green colour for $565US.

Glass slipper looked like something I could live with long term.

My wife is lucky I brought 2 boards over and have no room in my board bag... Well there is room but hawaiian air will only let you have two boards before they start charging extra.

[JET01]

Wife's luggage allowance was maxed out with all the babies stuff.

Bummer really.

[Davros]

Read a few negative things about those Flow Eggs and have seen them for 800 more, yes, 800 more than the price you quoted in Sydney.

Took a mates Wombat MII up the coast, I'm not good enough to do a board review but it was a different experience. I've never ridden a long board so it might feel familiar to others on this site.

Anyways a board this wide and long ( 21 1/2 x 6'10 x 2 7/8) you would think would be the easiest paddler on earth, nup, I have 6 ft boards that push through the water easier, there's volume taken out of the rails and a decent rocker for this shaped board so it doesn't sit on top of the water as such when paddling.Paddling into fat waves even 3ft up was like paddling a short board.

Once your into a wave the experience improves a stack, speed into waves is nice, not to fast like a flat slab in pitchy waves not to slow and it gets away nicely, impossible to FU a take off with that wide and board. The rounded low rail allows some performance, but I liked the fact it turns on a dime and is quite loose ( rode this as a 2+1 with 7 1/2 pushed up and GLs) and it plains across the water nicely. Great for cutties this board.

I reckon it would be good with a little shape/tiny bit of power up to 2-4 ft, but not a groveller/ super weak wave board. Fun just don't expect to be catching every wave. Just my opinion.

Side note I saw some great mid length riding, a guy on a DVS was smooth as silk and was nice to watch, must have been 60 years old. Great to see some board length being pushed through turns with style.

[Beerfan]

I like the looks of this outline. Looking for something similar in my next one. I've always felt comfortable on mid lengths, especially in bigger waves ( not that I surf them much ). I'm inline for a newy with josh and been looking at heaps of boards. I was thinking quad, but I might just go thruster. Was also planning 7', but I may push it out to 7'3" x 21" x 2 1/2". Pretty much a beach break all rounder and for bigger days. Hoping to get to the Maldives or similar in the next few years so it should work well there

[steve shearer]

Go a two plus one.

Thats the best set-up for mid lengths imo.

No point running them as thrusters because you can't pump them for speed so the side fins at normal toe and cant are just extra drag.

[Beerfan]

I've had a few thruster mid lengths and a few 2+1 mid lengths. I found the thruster ones much more versatile and loose ( as loose as a mid length can get ). One was a 2+1 that I surfed as a thruster. It was much better all round, and made the board surf like a much smaller board.

I do have a sweet greenough fin huie made me though, 7 1/2", which was unreal in my 9'1", no side bites needed. I wonder if josh could set the single fin box in such a position so I could use a pinned thruster centre fin in the fin box, and put the side fins in at normal thruster position. I could surf it as either a thruster, or single. With a single fin i like no side bites, it feels better. Harder to surf but when you get it right it's a great feeling.

[huie]

beer''

with the setting of boxs in mid lengths
most of the fins of this type were glassed on at 6'' to trailing edge
with the modernish mids heres what i do
install the box up to 7'' to the back of box main reason is you can get better foil through the tail
and the box can be instaled with out having to remove to much off it to fit a thinner tail
this is by far the best for 2x1 set up as cuttle suggests with the g/g it will fly

so heirs what i do you will see in the pick the cutaway will let the fin go all the way back to a 6'' from tail if desired http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_sSQ-chfp-M/V ... C02698.JPG
that fin is an 8''
this one is 7 1/4'' should be close to yours i think mybe a bit more sweep
this family of templates have been with me since the sixty's
and i continue to work to improve it.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_OOqPBVric/V ... 697(1).JPG

those fins are hand laid epoxy volane

i am happy to work with you to get your new board tuned inn
when your ready i will swap you a cutaway version to suit

cheers huie

[ctd]

Go a two plus one.

Thats the best set-up for mid lengths imo.

No point running them as thrusters because you can't pump them for speed so the side fins at normal toe and cant are just extra drag.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but anyway I'll risk it.

Is there any benefit, or what is the downside, to running a set up where the centre fin is only slightly bigger than the side fins eg an M7 centre and M3 sides. Is this completely pointless or indeed detrimental, over a thruster or a longer centre fin (more traditional 2+!1) set up?

I know one answer is 'if it works for you it works for you' and another is 'buy some more fins and find out'. But as a 'theoretical' question, is there a reason why fins are usually either the same size all round (thruster), or quite different in size (2+1)?

[Beerfan]

Shapers australia sell a few different centre fins that fit in a longboard box. They're slightly larger than most thruster fins and the same shape. I had a 6.5" one which to me was too small as a 2+1 centre fin and too big for a thruster.

I personally don't think I'd notice too much difference between m5's in the side and m7 in the back.

[Beerfan]

beer''

with the setting of boxs in mid lengths
most of the fins of this type were glassed on at 6'' to trailing edge
with the modernish mids heres what i do
install the box up to 7'' to the back of box main reason is you can get better foil through the tail
and the box can be instaled with out having to remove to much off it to fit a thinner tail
this is by far the best for 2x1 set up as cuttle suggests with the g/g it will fly

so heirs what i do you will see in the pick the cutaway will let the fin go all the way back to a 6'' from tail if desired http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_sSQ-chfp-M/V ... C02698.JPG
that fin is an 8''
this one is 7 1/4'' should be close to yours i think mybe a bit more sweep
this family of templates have been with me since the sixty's
and i continue to work to improve it.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_OOqPBVric/V ... 697(1).JPG

those fins are hand laid epoxy volane

i am happy to work with you to get your new board tuned inn
when your ready i will swap you a cutaway version to suit

cheers huie

Cheers mate, if I go a fin box I'll let you know mate

[Davros]

CTD, have a read of this. I have 2 x 2+1's and reckon they are great, better with a wave with juice but what fin set up isnt.

http://nealpurchasedesigns.blogspot.com ... un_05.html

Beerfan I like those shapes from M Rae and they get in early and they can be thrown around.

I rode a quad and tri fin all summer and then pulled out a 6'6' 2+1 for the first time in ages when the swell just got to 3 ft, i was like this is so much better for me and am going to try and stay on them for as long as possible this year, i always regret not sticking with them.

[Drailed]

second that, NPJ's 2&1's are beautiful..... I have a 6'10 that I love.

[ctd]

Thanks Davros and Beerfan

My board is a thruster set up, so no centre fin box. I stumbled upon the '2+1' accidently, when I broke the existing fin set and bought another that proved to be too large (lots of drive, no turn at all - M7 size; I'm a bit over 80kg). Having some 4inch longboard side fins, I stuck them on and the board became much much better, except lacked just a little drive in smaller waves (which is when I usually use this board).

So I have been wondering whether to go larger centre (maybe 6inch) or larger side fins (maybe M3 / 4.25 inch); or just go M5 thruster set up. Too many choices for someone like me...

Anyway, because I would need an adapter to get a larger centre, I've bought some cheap M3s and will try them out this weekend. I'm not quite sure whether running a 4.67inch centre and 4inch/4.25inch sides counts as a 2+1, but whatevs. I just wasn't sure whether having limited size differential created the worst of both worlds.

I also bought an M5 set, but broke one during the second surf so that idea can wait a bit longer.

Naturally, I'm blaming all the issues on not having the proper fins, rather than not having the proper skills.

[Davros]

How's the green machine going Jet? I just ordered a new NPJ Quartet off the back of a trade, you beauty.

[Beerfan]

Make sure you post pics. I'm slowly making my way up the list for my jd 7'er