Midlengths

A place for longboarders, eggers, fish riders... if alternative surfcraft is your game, here's the place to chat about it

Moderators: collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, Shari, the kalakau kid, Forum Moderators

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:34 pm

From Joel's site on the Sea Gypsy: "Perfect for the beginner, intermediate and stylish surfer drawing classic lines in 1-6 foot waves." They look to be great boards Drailed.

I've been trying to figure out what makes the Bonzer 5s go so well (for me anyway).

The primary features of the bonzer that are different to other boards are, firstly, the huge fin area.

The Bonzer 5 has a wopping 64 square inches (17.5" on each side and 28" at the centre).

In comparison a thruster with large fins has 15" square inches on each side and the centre, to give a total of just 45 square inches.

So the Bonzer 5 has 50% more fin area and that huge fin area is probably where the down the line drive is coming from. But it doesn't seem to drag though! Maybe it's the side fin shape and placement that reduces the drag.

The other notable features of the bonzer design are the low height but much greater length of the side fins, and their placement well forward on the rail.

I think this low profile may reduce the drag and the added length increases hold on the wave face during turns. And that forward placement seems to not get in the way as much while turning.

So I've got two 2+1 boards, a 6'10 and a 7'6, and I've cut down a pair of traditional keel side fins to be 6.75" long x 2.75" high, and foiled them appropriately. This makes them similar to the single long side fin used in the Bonzer 3s.

So I'm gonna see if they ride like Bonzers. I'm pretty sure they will: one of my boards has a huge full length concave, and the other is a single concave into double then a fair amount of V in the tail.

I'm surprised that no-one in the industry (that I know of anyway) has not started supplying a pair of bonzer fins to convert 2+1s to Bonzers.

I'll post a pic later.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Thud
Duke Status
Posts: 12540
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:21 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by Thud » Mon Dec 23, 2019 6:31 pm

2+1s turn better than Bonzers
Beanpole wrote:
Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:34 pm
I grew up with Sikhs, Thudster.
Quoted from the book “A serendipitous life. Bean there, done that”

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:03 pm

Thud wrote:
Mon Dec 23, 2019 6:31 pm
2+1s turn better than Bonzers
OK, show me your vid.

https://vimeo.com/223835868
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:07 pm

I wasn't much interested in Bonzers until I saw that vid
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

buddy
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 8903
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:34 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by buddy » Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:33 pm

The only 2+1 I’ve surfed was a mal and I’ve never surfed a bonzer so I can’t side with either of you, but any board that’s about 5’5 in length like in that vid you posted, cranked, is going to turn easily.

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:56 pm

I'd still like to see a vid of the 5'5 2+1 doing the same thing.

Here's a few vids of a 6'3 and 6'6 2+1s looking a bit awkward:

https://nealpurchasedesigns.com/two-plus-one/

IMHO my 6'4 Bonzer Biscuit turns way better that those boards.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 8:06 pm

And I know the response may be that its a design/purpose/style issue, but I'm just responding to Thud's comment above.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

buddy
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 8903
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:34 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by buddy » Mon Dec 23, 2019 8:09 pm

Rasta vid looked good to me.
From memory NPJ is on a smaller one in glass love and looks good.

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Mon Dec 23, 2019 8:30 pm

buddy wrote:
Mon Dec 23, 2019 8:09 pm
Rasta vid looked good to me.
Yeah its OK, you can see from where his back foot is though that nothing explosive is gonna happen. As I said its a design/purpose/style issue.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Cuttlefish
barnacle
Posts: 1166
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:06 am
Location: Out the back of Maroochydore

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cuttlefish » Mon Dec 23, 2019 9:49 pm

I've been using bonzer side runner fins in my 2+1's for years. Never took them out of any board I tried them in because more conventional sidebites felt better. The DVS sidebites are my next favourites. They have a template like a sharks tooth.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Thud
Duke Status
Posts: 12540
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:21 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by Thud » Mon Dec 23, 2019 11:31 pm

Cranked wrote:
Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:56 pm
I'd still like to see a vid of the 5'5 2+1 doing the same thing.

Here's a few vids of a 6'3 and 6'6 2+1s looking a bit awkward:

https://nealpurchasedesigns.com/two-plus-one/

IMHO my 6'4 Bonzer Biscuit turns way better that those boards.
I’ve ridden both, long term. I want speed, drive and toque I ride a Bonzer. I want to top turn and cut back with a more acute angle, but still with drive it’s a 2+1.

Just my take. But Bonzers are a little more direct. Of late people have tried to put bonzers set up on a few boards and kind of failed. For example the CI Shelter looks like a dog. A 6’4 Biscuit looks quite slabby, I can see how a big engine could work in good lined up waves. But I think the guys are really have to force the turns in the vids. I don’t like it.

To me a good bonzer is a single on steroids and should be ridden as such, a 2+1 a tri fin with more drive but less manoeuvrable. Just my take.
Beanpole wrote:
Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:34 pm
I grew up with Sikhs, Thudster.
Quoted from the book “A serendipitous life. Bean there, done that”

channels
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 9918
Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 4:36 pm
Location: Northen Beaches

Re: Midlengths

Post by channels » Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:25 am

Cranked wrote:
Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:07 pm
I wasn't much interested in Bonzers until I saw that vid
My 6'4" mini Merk bonzer is an epic board. So good.

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Tue Dec 24, 2019 8:56 am

All that I really want my latest 7'6 2+1 to do though is to go fast and let me stay in control.

There's three waves I mainly ride on the Bukit and if you can generate enough speed the reward is an exhilarating 600m ride. Two of them hold any size and the other up to around head and a half.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Thud
Duke Status
Posts: 12540
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:21 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by Thud » Tue Dec 24, 2019 9:26 am

Is that the Wombat? If so, sell it and get a Bonzer Egg, possibly with a pulled in nose and or those flyers they can do. Great board for those conditions.

2+1 Jye Byne with a tad more rocker would be amazing. 7’2 by 21 2 3/4 IMHO. The H stands for hopeless.

Im sensing a new love affair with your McCoys on the horizon. 😎
Last edited by Thud on Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Beanpole wrote:
Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:34 pm
I grew up with Sikhs, Thudster.
Quoted from the book “A serendipitous life. Bean there, done that”

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:00 am

No way, it's forte is small waves really. I rode it in double overhead but it was only OK in those conditions. If I'd known how consistent the surf was going to be in Bali last month I would have taken something better, like any one of my 5 Nuggets 6'8 and over.

It works great around Perth though. Nearly everyone else is riding mals where I surf, but it generates a lot of speed and it can be thrown around in the gutless local waves.

The 7'6 2+1 is another Surf Warehouse special, $450. It doesn't have a stringer so I don't have to worry about them butt joining it :-D-:
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Thud
Duke Status
Posts: 12540
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:21 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by Thud » Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:01 am

Ah gotcha
Beanpole wrote:
Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:34 pm
I grew up with Sikhs, Thudster.
Quoted from the book “A serendipitous life. Bean there, done that”

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15067
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Midlengths

Post by Cranked » Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:03 am

I do note that an old favourite mid-length of mine, the MacTavish Carver, now retails for $1,695
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Thud
Duke Status
Posts: 12540
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:21 pm

Re: Midlengths

Post by Thud » Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:13 am

Yeh, in with the trends now. I had a 8ft Carver as a fun board. I loved that board. Could do anything in anything for the average Joe surfer. Luckily people have fallen into the trap short fat slabs otherwise people would be really enjoying their surfing. Under rated board of the century for those who would ride more than shorties. Secret in the tail rocker, I think.
Beanpole wrote:
Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:34 pm
I grew up with Sikhs, Thudster.
Quoted from the book “A serendipitous life. Bean there, done that”

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 33 guests