Bonzer bottomed Thrusters.....

[Big H]

So I got a board about a month ago....it was a good secondhand deal and was my size (fairly unusual) so I picked it up to try.....reason I did was because I was intrigued....it is a Campbell Brothers Thuster with a bonzer bottom - single into fairly deep double concaves.....I read up on it before buying it and found out about it.....also discovered that board is not unique as the pro Taylor Knox apparently is very fond of bonzers and his signature Channel Islands board is also a bonzer bottom with deep channels all the way out the back.

I've said before I don't know about board shaping, but reading up on it and the venturi principle which is supposed to make a speedy board I wanted to try.....unfortunately, it's been pretty small around here for the last month....I tried it for half a sesh about a week and a half ago.....was impressed by the squirt off the bottom turn, but not much else to ride after that first turn back up so that was about it....I got more out of the wave than I'd been getting with the wider, fishier board I'd been on....looking forward to the swell this weekend; will give it a proper go then.

Anyone familiar with bonzer bottomed thrusters?

I'll attach a picture later tonight of the channels....really pronounced.

6'7" x 19.75 x 2.75"

[Surf Hound]

I have my 1st Bozer being made right now, which it is getting glassed this week so yippee! Anyway, my shaper said the Bozer rides like a single fin but coming out of turns you will have a burst of speed. Which when you said you squirted off of the bottom turn, I am pretty sure my shaper said same thing - squirted off bottom turn. Other than the speed coming out turns he said the Bonzer would hold a line better than a single. From what I understand though, a Bonzer has two small side bites with a larger single fin. All of the Bonzers I have scene have the two side bites glassed in as they are a particular shape. I noticed your board has no side bites- could it be a Campbell Bros board without being a Bonzer? I have heard for years every quiver should have a Bonzer thus I am finally getting one. Can't wait as I hear they are fun with speed to die for coming out of turns. Send pics of the fin set up.

[Big H]

I want to try a bonzer, 3 or 5 fin....read up on those and they sound the business. This is a thruster; read online that Campbell Bros. experimented with making these, thrusters with the bonzer bottom contours....I have a feeling a true bonzer would be more distinctive in difference....never ridden one so nothing to compare to, and barely ridden this one though drops were easy with that wide point back and the big rocker up front and that bottom turn felt good with some projection.........interested to hear about your experiences with your new board once you take it out.

[Big H]

Here's a pic of the bottom....did in B/W to cut distractions and emphasise the contours.....need to get the tail fixed properly; did a quickie patch on a little spiderweb. Solid stringer and glassing on this board too; stoked for the weekend swell.

[jaffa1949]

I am very much a fan of bonzers ,single to double concaves in many boards are a nod to bonzers .
The contours are more specific than that with a flair in them outwards at the tail and a side slope that echoes into the fin cant or the fins have been set to the cant.
I hate say it but your board has been over finned into a mock off of a bonzer , the large side thruster fins with no real matching cant limit the bonzer effects.
You would be getting some squirt but not the full effect check out the last few posts in my fin guide , FCS bonzer fins there for you to see.
If the Campbell Brothers sticker is genuine, get the FCS Bonzer Fins ( expensive) and put the small fins in.
If it is a genuine Bonzer hang onto it don't on sell.

The over volume of the side fins would hinder turning. I post this on my iPad but I'll get to my picture files an show you true bonzers, I'm having a full bonzer kneeboard shaped shortly!

[Big H]

I'll dig up the references I saw online....Malcom Campbell talks about the thrusters with bonzer bottoms that he shaped in an interview, so from what I gather it's a thing....a 3 or 5 fin bonzer would have a center fin box; this is definitely a thruster set up. I don't believe it is a fake because logically who would shape a board with a bonzer bottom then put fcs plugs in and sell it as a thruster....that's a lot of extra work to make a fake that isn't even an apparent bonzer....hard to sell a fake that isn't a known concept....goes against the grain of the whole idea of a knock off. The board is real enough....a solid piece and even in it's less than new condition, has really nice lines and felt good the bit that I had it out.

Anyhow, there are some places I've read about people talking about them (bonzer bottomed thrusters, not just single into double but really deep pronounced channels leading out the back like in the pic....chat was on CI and Campbell Bros specifically).....was just curious if anyone here has heard about them.

[jaffa1949]

The early bonzers predatd the the thruster but had the small triangular outer fins set at the cant. Can't argue with the concept and yes the channels are much more pronounced in a true bonzer..
IMO the channel quality is the major factor. I think too by the age of the board it is more likely to be a Campbell bonzer bottom thruster
I would still see If I could get the FCS fins for it and really get the effect, the quad and five option break the Venturi channels up,further.
If there was ever a bottom suited for Indo , bonzers are it!

[Big H]

Got a set of the FCS bonzers that I got for my longboard.....will try them out....the more I read about bonzers the more it sounds like a perfect fit for here...

[jaffa1949]

This is my Indo board with the small set fitted.
The Channels split before the fins into a three channel system the squirt is amazing

If you look closely you can see the extra channel leading out to the rail outside the side bites.

This shot shows the cant of the fin and it leans much more to the rail and takes the concave factor deeper and strengthens the effect of a 2D venturii on the water flow.

Pretty much shows the normal toe in of the fins.

Since you have the Bonzer set try them, I love mine

[Big H]

Put the larger bonzer pair on this morning paired with a PG 7 centre fin that the guy who sold me the bonzer set added as he used that as his centre fin....you can see the channels better from the side angle; they are really deep...........itchy now, can't wait for the swell....will find somewhere to try this out today.

[Big H]

I'm looking at it again...probably too big.....honestly, from what I've read and what the previous owners said, this is a thruster design despite the channels....looking at your and other bonzer 5 and 3 fin placements on the net and the fin boxes don't look right with these fins; with this kind of fin all the placements were not so much on the rail (see pic).....I'm going to try it every kind of way and then I'll know, but I think today I'll go back to the thruster fins.

Still itchy!



Scroll down; middle of the page for the first link is a bonzer thruster with pics, top of page on link two:
http://www.surfysurfy.net/category/90s/
http://www.surfysurfy.net/2012/03/68-bonzerthruster/

This is the CI board that I read has a similar contouring but thruster set up:
http://www.cisurfboards.com/surfboards/ ... fort-knox/

[Big H]

Finally got some waves suitable for this board.....I was in Singapore on the 24th-26th when the season's first big swell hit so I enjoyed the last couple of days. Today was a 2.3m swell @16sec...surfed kuta beach and it was barrelling left at McD's at just overhead and at halfway it was throwing up a big peak at the volleyball court that people were splitting right and left at about 1.5 OH. Initial impressions is that it isn't a fast paddler, it's easier to get down into a steep wave with less foam up front, that rocker helps on the steep waves as well and next sesh I am going to have to get more critical as I couldn't convince myself and continually set up too far outside and continually had to paddle hard back inside until I caught the wave; took one at the end that I was sure I was done and too far inside but it worked out correctly without having to strain to get into the wave....have to shift perspectives. Anyhow, it has pretty thick glassing on it; board is just solid feeling out there in the afternoon chop. I was able to get really tight to the wave on the drop; the rocker helped keep the nose up and the narrower than I am used to nose didn't hang up dropping down into the first bottom turn. Riding the board felt good but not really any different; wasn't really paying attention to tell the truth; the wave kept my full attention. Felt more stable than the other boards I've ridden of a similar size.....this is the first squash tail I've ridden; maybe a function of that vs. rounded pins? Last thing that was probably the most notable was that this board has a really big sweet spot for a board this size and it is really clear when you're on it. That was confidence inspiring; when either paddling or riding and hitting the sweet spot I felt really in tune with the board and that helped with commitment......anyway, it's a good one; keeping this one and maybe again tomorrow though I'm looking at tomorrow and it's going to be 2.7m @ 19sec which might keep me out of the water....it's going to be a big day.

[Big H]

Set up today was thruster with FCS K-3's. Going to leave those in; can't fault them. Eventually I'll try with FCS K 2.1's, maybe on a smaller swell. Happy with it generally speaking; not going to mess with it.