Just general surfing stuff

[petulance]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

So no point getting one for 2ft Sydney Eastern Beaches closeout beachies?

[foamy]

Pet, in 2ft Sydney Eastern Beaches closeouts, you can be entirely free with your board choice because it makes so little difference.

[steve shearer]

I've ridden Bonzers in a wide variety of surf - from triple overhead G land and Lennox point to 2 ft runners.
The design is coherent but it's very different to a thruster.
I'll write it up properly when I get home.

[Hatchnam]

The bonzer I had used to go great in walled up down the line type beachies like overhead Wanda and greenhills. It went great at Sandon point. Like foamy alluded to, they're a hinderance in short sectioning waves and fat burgers. If you lived up north with the pointbreaks, or somewhere like Ulladulla with a shit tonne of quality reefbreaks itd make sense. No point whatsoever getting a bonzer to surf average beachbreak conditions. The feel of it was like a single fin, flowing with great down the line drive, but had more bite and squirt going rail to rail.

[Davros]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

Yep. Also it seems people ride them like thrusters e.g. Taylor Knox, Donovan etc...

There's pretty much one bonzer design, quads on the surface seem boring but are probably more intriguing

[tootr]

Mine gathered dust over summer.
Autumn/winter however, they get a good outing.
All else equal, will feel a little stiffer than a thruster, but more drivey.
If you feel your surfing needs a little more flow you could do worse than try one.

[Cranked]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

Yep. Also it seems people ride them like thrusters e.g. Taylor Knox, Donovan etc...

There's pretty much one bonzer design, quads on the surface seem boring but are probably more intriguing

I really like quads, a bit looser than a thruster but with even more drive, acceleration and hold, what's not to like about that?

[Davros]

Same

[crabmeat thompson]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

interesting ... I've probably surfed about 10-12 hours in the last week, and all of it was fast, hollow racetrack beachies in the shoulder to head high range on the sets.

[crabmeat thompson]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

Yep. Also it seems people ride them like thrusters e.g. Taylor Knox, Donovan etc...

There's pretty much one bonzer design, quads on the surface seem boring but are probably more intriguing

I really like quads, a bit looser than a thruster but with even more drive, acceleration and hold, what's not to like about that?

the fact they are nowhere near as loose as a thruster?

[buddy]

Yes, the thruster is the standard to which other boards are compared.

I was just thinking of how to summarise what to expect out of bonzer.
And no point getting one unless you have occasional access to walling, quick, semi-hollow to hollow waves in the waist to head high range. A bit silly choosing a bonzer for short-walled peaks or fat waves.

Yep. Also it seems people ride them like thrusters e.g. Taylor Knox, Donovan etc...

There's pretty much one bonzer design, quads on the surface seem boring but are probably more intriguing

I really like quads, a bit looser than a thruster but with even more drive, acceleration and hold, what's not to like about that?

the fact they are nowhere near as loose as a thruster?

Depends on the size of the rears and the placement. But yeh I find modern quads to be pretty stiff.

[Davros]

Lots of different quad designs. That's the thing I find thrusters don't have enough drive and I find them more rudder like and hit the target like an archers arrow and hence not as loose. I'm sure I'll be corrected in a nano second but that's how it feels to me. Rainy day conversations, I'm about to break out the play station and bake a cake.

[buddy]

The type of waves where people like the modern quad for speed and hold in the barrel, I prefer a channel bottom thruster. The Ab's I've had have never felt rudder like at all. Always had small fins in them.
My current shorty tho is a quad but I've put twinzer fins in standard quad placement. I like it. Big twin fins up front with tiny rears.

[Davros]

Might not be performance enough for you Buddy but have a look at NPJ Quartet fin config when you are sitting on the dunny. Big MR twins with smaller rear trailers with a bit of cant. Kinda interesting.

[Beanpole]

I really hate watching that tight little arc thruster surfing or if they are a bit gorillaish style wise.
Quads improve your surfing IMHO.

[crabmeat thompson]

i find twins so much more fun than quads. I have my everydayer as a modern twin. then that 5'11" pintail when it's hollow and fast and sucking harder than desiree washington.

I'm thinking a good paddling bonzer for when it's big and off its tits.

[Cranked]

The quad I've ridden most is a Stretch 6'10 F4 (dedicated quad) with Stretch's own quad set. Fin size is approx M5 front and M3 back, but with the fin height a little lower and base a little broader than the m5/m3 fins. Front fins have a deep concave. Trailing edge of rear fins is set at 11.5" from the tail, and the rears at 6.25"

The board is a 6'10 but the narrow pointed nose and lots of nose lift means it would probably equate to around a modern 6'5".

Other quads I've owned are:

Two LSD dedicated quads, a 6'3 and 6'8. These weren't quite as loose but I was running M7/M5. Both sold.

A 6'9 Slipstream (5 fin) that I liked best as a quad. Again not as loose but lots of drive. Still got this one, its a great all rounder in 2'-4'. Fins are at 10.5" and 5.25"

A 7' fish (5 fin), again probably over finned and sold long ago.

I've also got a (5 fin) 6'4 pin tail that has not been to Bali yet so I don't really know what it can do.

Bottom line is the F4 is my favorite board but, for me, it lacks a little paddle power (hoping to correct that this season) and as I said its a bit looser than my thrusters but with even more drive, acceleration and hold which could be due in part to the fins and their placement

[buddy]

I really hate watching that tight little arc thruster surfing or if they are a bit gorillaish style wise.
Quads improve your surfing IMHO.

If the wave has enough push, you can easily hold your line on a thruster and avoid tight arcs. I don't mind taking a bit longer board out either for a bit of extra rail. Forehand I like playing around with all kinds of setups, but backhand I love a thruster.

Might not be performance enough for you Buddy but have a look at NPJ Quartet fin config when you are sitting on the dunny. Big MR twins with smaller rear trailers with a bit of cant. Kinda interesting.

Would be keen on a quartet, but not prepared to let go of that much coin. Pretty similar fin sizes to what I've got except mine are in modern quad position.
I've got a set of these.