Swinger review

[steve shearer]

I went down to Yxxxa t'other day to see MP and talk boards, drink a beer at the pub and maybe grab a feed of schoolies from the co-op.
I'll talk fcuking boards till the cows come home.

Me and MP talked about QF Mk2 and DD mk2.

Mark's been keen for me to ride his Swinger for ages but I just couldn't get my head around it.
It was with reluctance that I accepted his offer to ride it, which is brainless but the truth.
He said don't even try and think about what is happening, don't try. Just ride it and see what happens.
But it sat in my garage all week with me trying to wrap my head around it and getting more and more reluctant to ride it.

Nothing that looks that weird can work. (i thought).
That mid board sharp wing (flyer) has to make for a super weird and dysfunctional feeling ( I thunketh).

Finally yesterday there was some surf and a window to go surfing. I almost didn't even pack it but I have to try it. for the sake of impartiality and first hand experience, if nothing else.

Surf was at a local point. Head high on the sets. Bit weird, the odd really fun bowly peeler. Light/mod crowd that consisted of Owen Wright amongst others.

My head space was negative, and I felt like I was wearing a mankini walking to the rock-off.
This thing can't work....what the fcuk am I doing on this? etc etc......no disrespect to MP, that is just an honest reflection of the self-talk.

I caught two shitty close-outs and was ready to pull the pin.
But the board felt alright on the paddle and entry so I figured one or two more.

I nailed a wide set on the bowl and came off the bottom, the board went hard off the bottom and straight into the bowl with speed and control. I was able to carve a hard backside hook straight back into the bowl with that wonderful feeling of coming out of the turn with more speed than I went into it with.
Schizer! There's something here........is what I thought.

I proceeded to catch a half dozen more set waves and the board felt ,,,fcuking unreal.
I can't explain it.
I can see why guys recoil from it.
I did .
But it surfs so good.
I'm gunna give it a few more goes and maybe change the DD to a Swinger.

Moral of the Story: On surfboard design...... I know fcuking nothing close to what I think I know.
But I know what I like.

[Cpt.Caveman]

hahaha so true Steve, so similar to my reaction to the board...

First look at the photos on the internet... Looks weird and in the novelty board category. I'll leave Mark to his fun...

First look in the flesh at Yamba... Still looks weird and I can't get my head around how it all works together but I was willing to give it a shot, Mark said "just forget that its a half-and-hand board and surf it like normal..." (Mark was watching me fondle the board, quietly confident).

First surf the waves were a weak 1-2ft and I wasn't getting anything with enough juice, clearly undervolumed and struggling for speed. All of a sudden I lucked into the set of the day, a nice fast wall on a 3 footer. Just rocketed down the line and was very sensitive and responsive, probably the fastest semi-fish performance board I had ridden, ever, but still with the sudden response of a performance board. I had so much speed for a few pumps that I traveled the furthest I ever had on a floater. I was so blown away by that one wave that down the track I bought one.

While I was waiting for it to cure I fondled it many times to try to get my head around how it all worked together. It confused me pretty well for a while until I could surf it a few times and put the fondling and the feel of riding it together .

It is the most perfect board for Sydney waves for what I like, I surf it 80% of the time now. It absolutely sings at wally points. The only surf it doesn't excel in is tiny weak slop (not enough foam, too much curve and rocker in the tail), and really powerful long period swells when you would be reaching for a step-up shortboard.

['llo-and Behold]

Any pics of this thing?

[botters]

My three cents worth:

I've had a quad 7' Swinger from Mark for three months or so now. Got it for those small wave days when an old fella like me can't be bothered trying to out-paddle kids on toothpicks with my regular shortboard ... and I will NEVER ride a mal.

It sure looks weird and I've had a few odd stares when waxing it but nobody has come out and bagged it (well to my face anyway)!

So in the water it paddles like a dream but is light enough to punch through and duck dive broken waves. The extra length gives it an edge over shorter boards when paddling for waves and I reckon I can get to my feet a little earlier, but nothing like a mal of course.

I've had it out in knee-high onshore slop and shoulder-high offshore almost-perfection ... all Sydney beachies. It's quick on a bottom turn with heaps of drive, very stable underfoot with lots of feeling (the rails are super-soft) and I ride it like I would any of my other shortboards, perhaps a little bit more off the tail, too far forward and it'll catch a rail quickly and you're stuffed. It is super-responsive in anything with a steep face and I've even managed to snap it under the lip on backhand and forehand waves, which I wasn't expecting. Drawn out cutties are easy as, but you've gotta set your rail and let it find its own way round, none of those three-point turns back into the pocket. So, despite the length of mine, I can throw it around a fair bit. But it cruises in the small stuff too and and is basically a lot of fun, which is the whole point of it.

This is a board with a lot going on (concaves, pulled in nose, rocker, variations in thickness, the step in the middle, the fin placement and angles) and you've gotta know what you're doing to get the best out of it. But it all comes together and it just works. Each session I find out a little more about it's performance. It's my default board in anything up to waist high and can't say a bad thing about it. A keeper and a welcome addition to my quiver.

Good on Mark for being a bit different and not following the design herd.

Sorry no pix but I think there are some on the More website.

[pridmore]

[Davros]

Sounds unreal.

Had a similar experience my first go on a Campbell Bros Bonzer about 3 months go. Took a couple waves to get used to the back foot dominance, speed out of turns etc...(doesnt sound to dissimilar to this Swinger) and I have quitely been jizzing all over the place since.

Reaction from the younger set in Sydney is quizzical rather than dismissive and get asked what are you riding its fast and looks fun, when I turn the board over most scratch there head and say that looks like a good board for summer waves. Wrong.

Different is good when it works.

[diggerdickson]

I cant wait for mark to have another test ride day so I can have a go on it, last test ride day there was just no swell and was dissapionting for that reason.

[steve shearer]

Tweaked me back so was unable to maintain the testing program for a week but finally got a second go-out late last week.
Twas in onshore, overhead Pointbreak. Unruly with heaps of chunky sections. hard to surf.

First wave I felt the similar sensations of the first surf. Very, very sure-footed off the bottom turn with a ton of hold and really easy to put it right where you want it.
Carving hooks feel like filleting a fresh tailor with a razor-sharp 12 inch blade, which is to say , super easy and buttery.

Showed my brother and mate and tried to get them interested but they just shrugged and raised an eyebrow. I can understand.
Unless you ride it, your not going to understand it.

Had a surf in total onshore slop on the weekend with the very odd slopey left. Had a ball going forehand. Tons of easy speed that can be hacked and belted at anything moving.
This board is fucking doing my head in. I'm seriously questioning everything I thought I knew about surfboard design.

I'll try and get some footy cause words can mean jackshitt unless you can see whats happening.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Swingin' like the naughties...

Would love to see some footage SS

[slowy]

Great to hear peoples feedback on this board as I recently got one.
I farked my last MORE board and Mark suggested a Swinger for me that had been around his shop for some time that he was riding, as he knows my dims ect. I was reluctant but the price and Marks enthusiasm got me onto it. I have not been getting any negativity about the design..but heaps of curiosity from the 30+ crew around Newcastle.
My board is the thruster setup (I think most are quads?). The thing just flies, I use it on 95% of my surfs and haven't found it too slow in small waves (board is 6'2") or too small in larger waves.
But agree with those flowing cutbacks..if you don't set a line over your shoulder early to hit the foam, it is hard to adjust mid way through. But I take this as a positive as lines should be set early and on purpose, so it makes me do it. I still find myself surfing too far forward on it when I get speed, as more volume than I am used to up there, which limits the monouverabilty of the board (off the top of the wave).
But all in all really happy with the board.
PS this is the first board that I found fin choice to make a huge difference. M5's to M3's turned it from a boat to a highly resposive sled.

[Cpt.Caveman]

How has the swinger been treatin ya Steve?

[pridmore]

Great to hear peoples feedback on this board as I recently got one.
I farked my last MORE board and Mark suggested a Swinger for me that had been around his shop for some time that he was riding, as he knows my dims ect. I was reluctant but the price and Marks enthusiasm got me onto it. I have not been getting any negativity about the design..but heaps of curiosity from the 30+ crew around Newcastle.
My board is the thruster setup (I think most are quads?). The thing just flies, I use it on 95% of my surfs and haven't found it too slow in small waves (board is 6'2") or too small in larger waves.
But agree with those flowing cutbacks..if you don't set a line over your shoulder early to hit the foam, it is hard to adjust mid way through. But I take this as a positive as lines should be set early and on purpose, so it makes me do it. I still find myself surfing too far forward on it when I get speed, as more volume than I am used to up there, which limits the monouverabilty of the board (off the top of the wave).
But all in all really happy with the board.
PS this is the first board that I found fin choice to make a huge difference. M5's to M3's turned it from a boat to a highly resposive sled.

try a G1000 in the tail in the small stuff..... I tried KS2.1's in it but found it too twitchy....glad you a enjoying it mate...I havent got one atm but gettin mine back soon ..hey Steve nah, I wanted you to ride it for a while....got another loaner for ya too mate ( dim-SIM )

[diggerdickson]

looking forward to some footage steve

[Quangers]

^^^^ Same here.

[Slowman]

Why is this thing called a swinger and not a stinger like the original Aipa design? The wings are further up in the plan shape than they used to be (used to be about 3/4 length) looks like between 5/8 to 9/16's of the length from the nose.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I have to say, I've barely been surfing anything else but the Swinger when the surf has had some wall to play with, which luckily has been most of the time this summer. The simmons has been coming out on the tiny and weak days.

What was interesting was having a go of a friends more typical foiled 6'1" HPS thruster in decent 3-4ft running walls at a beachy. I swapped my 5'11" Swinger with her board for a few waves and I noticed a few differences. The Swinger paddled onto waves better but had around the same amount of speed down the line on wally sections, the Swinger held a lot more speed around turns and only had a touch less pivot (maybe 5% less, plus that millisecond delay in a turn people talk about with quads compared to thrusters), and the Swinger had better carry-through over slow sections. The only advantage of the HPS was the on-the-point pivot that will send you into a sharp turn on a whim. It was like the pivot was happening mostly off the rear fin with very little pressure, where on the Swinger it happens once the rail in the tail was engaged (millisecond later).

I really wish more people would open their minds to the Swinger, just because your head doesn't get around it at first glance doesn't mean it should be written off... Its such a great way to get the glide, paddle power and carry-through of a semi-fish, but the turning and response very close to a HPS. It seems as though a blended planshape compromises one or the other...

[pridmore]

the guys from Smorgasbarder have a Swinger and will be reviewing it in the next issue...
and another one on loan to an ex Bells winning female surfer, should be good to get feedback from both ....