Thinking about a fish

[Steve1066]

Hi lads
Well I have been logging for 22 years but latly I ceap thinking about getting a fish
Now in the past I have ridden short boards larst time was 7 years ago in AUS but I eventually got a longboard and road that and never looked at the short board again.
So is this just a phase or should I get one
So have any of you long boarders got a fish and how do you get on with

Buy the way I am 38years old 6"3 tall and way 17 stone pretty much cach all the waves I go for can bottom turn,cutback,stumble to the nose, top turn, drop knee cutback, back hand is sh1t so I switch foot and can go over the falls with style .

[pico_train]

I've done the longboard to fish switch recently. Went from a 9ft to 5'10. It was quite difficult but did get the hang of it after half a dozen sessions. It is entirely different. We're about the same age but you are about 5" taller and 3 stone heavier so I would not go for a 5'10. Do the 6'3 as a minimum with volume. I would have to also recommend volume in the front for easier paddling. Mine is a quad and it flies. Your style is important, as is your fitness. It's more about front foot surfing, quick pop ups, paddling later as the wave approaches and closer to the actual breaking of the wave than on a lb. when you get it right, it's quite a rush but it can be frustrating. Why not try renting one a few times to see how you go or buy a cheapish 2nd hand one before making a final decision. I'm excited for the change of season for my fish as it is more suited to the upcoming summer conditions and got a bit frustrated with it in larger winter waves this season.


Think about it and if you really want to, just do it. You can always go back and you only regret the things you didn't do. So I'm told...

Cheers!

[Steve1066]

I was thinking second hand and guest it would be a bit twitchy on the pop the waves were I live are slow and gutless. It's inserting that you say you surf it more with your front foot. Do you mean you fine your putting more wait on your front foot than you did with your long board
Thanks for the quick reply

[pico_train]

Yes, and throwing your back hand forward, so regular, right arm forward, goofy, lef arm forward, makes a massive difference.

[pico_train]

Slow and gutless might be good ... You never know until you try

[Steve1066]

It's time to try something new and the fish is it
Thanks for your help

[pico_train]

Go for it. Try the arm thing at home. Stand like you would with the back arm towards the back and normal stance for you on your longboard. Now shift the rear arm forward towards your front foot while slightly twisting at the hip. Feel the shift in weight? Subtle but nice and effective.

Enjoy!

[dtc]

Are you looking for a fish because of the 'fish' qualities (fast, maybe a quad, etc) or because you want a short but wide/higher volume board? The only reason I ask is that in the last, I guess, 5 or so years, there has been a big growth in what are often called 'hybrid' boards, which are shaped more like a normal shortboard and surf more like a shortboard than a fish.

So boards like the Firewire Dominator or Addvance or (an Australian shaper but has a good website you can google) Grant Miller's Waterskate or V-skate. I put those forward only as examples of the boards I am talking about, as a large number of manufacturers/shapers make these types of boards.

Nothing wrong with a fish if that is what you want; but if you are just looking for a wider/fatter shorter board, there are other options nowdays.

[Steve1066]

Defo what a fish thinking twin or quad.
I am looking for fast and smoth long drawn out turns as I ride my long board from the back most of the time it seemed to me the way to go.
What I am looking for is people how manly ride a long board and have got or gone over to a fish any how they found the transition.
Thank for you help dtc

[IB_Surfer]

Start with a bigger fish if you can afford to do it twice. My first fish was 6'8", it paddled better than my 8ft minimall and way outperformed it. Go retro, not modern, at 17stone you will need a nice thick wide fish

[Steve1066]

I was thinking 6.3 by 21 by 3 as that's the biggest I can get second hand if I go for a 6.8 I will have to have ti made and I was not planning on spending that sort of money on what my be a bit of a fad
Thank for the help IB

[IB_Surfer]

That is actually the size of my current fish but I'm 14.5 stone. However, it's too big for me, but on purpose, because when I have it out I like to sit 10yds outside the shortboarders, like if I had a longboard. I actually owned a 5'10 fish and had no problems.

[Steve1066]

Wade my self this morning and I am down to 16.2 hope to be 15 by Christmas
Thanks again for the help

[beachbumuk]

How did it go?! have you got yourself something?
I got a retro glassed in twinny earlier this year, mainly for east of transport over anything else....surf liek a long board but able to fit in a normal car...

Really happy with her on fat rolling waves as well as steep faces and faster breaks.

Hope you have found something good for you