Proper sizing for a retro fish

[steveylang]

Hi all! I have been checking out retro fish boards on my local CL (twin fins, deep swallow tail, etc.), and wanted some tips/feedback on sizing (I am 5'9", 160 lb./72 kg.)

The backstory is I recently bought a stubby 5'7" quad that was created from a ~6'8" board with a buckled nose. It's just over 22" wide and pretty thick, the overall profile is not dissimilar to a retro fish (but not a swallowtail.) It is obviously a less-than-ideal hack job (too front-heavy, ugly as sin, etc.) but cost me almost nothing- I bought it on a lark since my current boards are bigger. I ended up adjusting pretty quick and having a lot of fun with it in smaller beach break (up to waist high), pointing it down steeper faces and taking later drops- the shorter length makes it really fun! I also have a long board and a mid-length board, I think a smaller fish would fit in nicely for small to mid-sized beach break (until I have confidence/experience to try bigger waves on it.) I surf different breaks in Malibu, so there is utility for all 3 board types depending on where I go and conditions.

So I've been checking out similar length (5'6"-5'8") retro fishes on CL, which I think is near the upper end of the right length for my size. I'm probably not going smaller, but I'm wondering if there are any cons to going bigger? (6' to 6'2" max.) I don't think I need a bigger size for more stability, but I just ask because you find all types on CL, but if over 6' is not really right for my size then I'll pass up any deals I find for bigger ones.

[tomthetreeman]

I’m still relatively new, but I have been paying attention... What I’ve been told is to keep it around your height, within a couple inches, because they typically have so much volume. I think you definitely want to stay under 6’ at your height and weight. I recently stepped down to a 6’ board with a lot of volume... I’m 6’1” 190lbs.

I’m sure you’ll get excellent advice, and if mine is off base, I’m sure I’ll find out.

Tom

[waikikikichan]

I’m sure you’ll get excellent advice, and if mine is off base, I’m sure I’ll find out.

Spot on, is what I'd say.

What is not clear is:
1) What a (true) Fish board really is.
2) For what level rider.
3) Where it should be ridden.

1) Some people think if a board has a swallow tail its a Fish. A 7'2" with a swallow tail isn't a Fish, it's a Whale.
And if it has thruster fins, it ain't a Fish either. A true Fish would have Twin Keel fins.
2) There's a very popular "how to surf like a pro in 20 minutes" Youtube video which says Fishes are good for beginners to learn on. ??? Yes, maybe better than a shortboard to learn on.
3) A lot want Fishes to help them surf mushy crumbly beach break. Have a read of this article.

https://stabmag.com/style/is-the-fish-s ... od-design/

That said the OP's question is for RETRO Fish designs. Where they take aspects from the past and the modern. smaller swallow and addition of a 3rd fin. Rocker might be flatter, width and thickness greater than it's shortboard cousins. ( wide point forward ? Maybe not so much )

[steveylang]

Thanks guys for the responses. My impression of boards in general is that you should only buy a particular board if you can ride it in the intended size for your hieght/weight, buying on oversized this or that is going to give you a different board than the designer intended. So you're better off looking in the proper category of board to begin with. So a real retro fish that is above my height seemed like the wrong choice, of course there are hybrid-style boards that are designed to be ridden bigger.

I ended up finding a 5'7" twin fin for a really nice price, it's a fish (flat/wide/thick) but not quite a Lis retro fish as it has a much smaller swallow tail. I understand it's not a beginner board, but I wanted to give it a try since I really enjoyed riding the smaller board I mentioned in my original post, the 2 boards ended up with very similar dimensions and profile.

I've seen fish (retro or otherwise) ridden in all sorts of conditions, so I know its not just a small wave board. But I did want a board suitable for smaller waves (so not a HPSB for example.)

[waikikikichan]

Check out what a skilled rider can do on a retro fish.
0:55 notice the fins he is using is a twin-stabi set up. FCS MR.TX
3:37 cheater five's better than some of the kooks on longboards, who he absolutely runs circles around.

[tomthetreeman]

That is hilarious.

[steveylang]

That’s a really great clip!! The long boarders look like they’re wading in molassses compared to him. Here are 2 of my favorite fish clips, the flow of the surfing is incredible-

This one starts at about 4:30, Ryan Burch shapes and surfs a rainbow fish in South America in a clip from Psychic Migrations. His riding starts at about 6:00 (mixed in with some other riders), he’s doing things in these waves that I hadn’t really seen before:

This is Toryn Martin in Ocean Motion, a pretty popular web clip:

From a design perspective, these boards seem extremely versatile and capable of a different type of ‘high performance’ surfing, different from WSL riding and maneuvers. I understand they’re not beginner boards (except for maybe the really big ‘hybrid’ boards which are not really fish boards anyway), but seem like a great alternative to HPSB’s for intermediate surfers looking for a next board. To be honest I don’t consider myself intermediate, but this will be a fun board for certain conditions to complement my bigger boards (all my boards are from CL so my 3 board quiver was pretty cheap). I know I can paddle into and get up on waves on this board, so will work on my surfing from there.