Bonzers

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

Post Reply
User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15064
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Bonzers

Post by Cranked » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:04 am

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.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

buddy
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 8899
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:34 pm

Re: Bonzers

Post by buddy » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:16 am

You trying to bait Shearer out of his lurk?

User avatar
tootr
Duke Status
Posts: 14542
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:50 am
Location: orstrayleeyah

Re: Bonzers

Post by tootr » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:22 am

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

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15064
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Bonzers

Post by Cranked » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:39 am

buddy wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:16 am
You trying to bait Shearer out of his lurk?
Lol
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15064
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Bonzers

Post by Cranked » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:48 am

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 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: Bonzers

Post by Cuttlefish » Tue Nov 05, 2019 11:15 am

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!
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15064
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Bonzers

Post by Cranked » Tue Nov 05, 2019 6:44 pm

You are correct of course. I'm just tight.
“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: Bonzers

Post by Cuttlefish » Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:27 pm

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.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

User avatar
Cranked
Duke Status
Posts: 15064
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:52 am
Location: Willetton

Re: Bonzers

Post by Cranked » Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:41 pm

Can't would be too difficult I reckon.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan

User avatar
Hatchnam
Duke Status
Posts: 18789
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:44 pm

Re: Bonzers

Post by Hatchnam » Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:50 pm

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.
Sniff wrote:
Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:39 am
Not enough for a full handbeak
steve shearer wrote:full dionysian hand jive body torque

Beanpole
That's Not Believable
Posts: 68225
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:21 am
Location: Button Factory

Re: Bonzers

Post by Beanpole » Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:51 pm

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.
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?

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

Re: Bonzers

Post by channels » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:07 pm

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.

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

Re: Bonzers

Post by channels » Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:11 pm

43 pages of Bonzer stuff here Cranky.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18706

batoes
charger
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:40 pm

Re: Bonzers

Post by batoes » Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:38 am

I currently have 4, including a biscuit bonzer, but mine is 5'2. My favourite design by a long shot.
Hatchnam wrote:
Filthy little hipster.

User avatar
tootr
Duke Status
Posts: 14542
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:50 am
Location: orstrayleeyah

Re: Bonzers

Post by tootr » Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:12 am

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.

User avatar
Moore
regular
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:06 am
Location: The Shire

Re: Bonzers

Post by Moore » Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:06 am

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

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests