RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Has anyone had any experience with 5 fin bonzers?

I am quite surprised with mine. It feels quite different to what I expected. Singles, twins, thrusters and quads all have a unique feeling and so does my 5 fin Bonzer. It's a totally loose drivy feeling that I really like.

It accelerates fast and smoothly, and is easy to turn. In total it has more fin area than other designs. With a lot of fin area at the back, and also forward.

The rear side fins are set at about where the front thruster/quad are but have a significantly longer base, the font sides are then even further up, with a super hard edge rail also further forward.

These effect of these design features can be felt straight away.

No one else seems to be experimenting with these long low aspect fins set well forward of the standard thruster/quad front fins.

I do have a fair bit of single fin experience. I had just one board, a 6'1 single fin, that I rode for a year in Bali in the 80s. This Bonzer is nothing like a single.

I also had two single Terry Fitz driftas (6'2 & 6'8) with a low profile 'D' shaped sides that I rode in Bali and sizable Gragagan. But these where also nothing like this Bonzer.

You trying to bait Shearer out of his lurk?

Yes. There’s an enormous thread somewhere on this.

buddy wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:16 am

You trying to bait Shearer out of his lurk?

Lol

Ive got some big glass twin fin keels at home, I'm gonna cut them down so they are like the Bonzer sides and try them on my Beau Young FAW

At the moment I'm using it as a 2+1 with a 7" centre and 4" sides. It's got a huge deep concave right through it

I'll say it now for the record. Just buy some FCS bonzer fins ($160 Aud) and don't bother cutting down fins. You want the cant of the bonzer fins.
This is coming from a fin junkie!

You are correct of course. I'm just tight.

If you could be bothered you could make them out of old glass flex fcs fins like the M7 and M5s providing you can bend the cant into them at the tabs with heat. I've made funky mini keel sets and Stretch quad trailer fins out of them but never tried to put cant into the tabs.

Can't would be too difficult I reckon.

Cranked wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:04 am

Has anyone had any experience with 5 fin bonzers?

I’ve had two. They feel like a pepped up single fin with more bite mid face.

I've got an old Carver Fish I haven't ridden for a fair while that has a double set of tabs. Apparently it wasn't designed as a quad. Rather it was done so you could choose which position you prefered as a thruster. Seems like it would handle a bonzer set up if I could get it to work with a large fcs rear. I've been thinking of doing some experimenting once the wate r warms up and I'm not wearing a steamer anymore.

Have a 6’4” Mini Merk bonzer I bought from Loof. Love it, it’s a forever board. Plenty of younger guys would hate it I think as there is plenty that it can’t do but for my style of surfing it is great.

Rode one for a while in the 90’s. It was an ex pro board of Mitch Thorson and it was great. Stupidly sold it to follow the rockered out trend at the time.

43 pages of Bonzer stuff here Cranky.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18706

I currently have 4, including a biscuit bonzer, but mine is 5'2. My favourite design by a long shot.

Still got a 6.2 octafish and a 7.2 egg.
They’re not leave-in-the-car boards but they’re never-to-be-sold boards.

Had a 6'8" MC 5 fin egg that was ridden to bits, always wanted another one but he rarely comes over to the UK now. That board could well be a OBQ