So I decided I wanted to try shaping a surfboard (after years of buying them) and coincidentally my favorite twin fin was on its last legs with most of the deck delaminating. Luckily for me my girl friend’s dad has been shaping their boards for years in a garage and while his boards aren’t of Wade Tokoro caliber, they work well and pretty damn good for a lawyer. So, the two of us set on our mission of recreating that retro fish and after two days of mowing foam, airbrushing, and sanding fiberglass, we cranked out a pretty close version of my favorite fish.

This board features dimensions around 5’9 x 20 x 2.5″ (hey it’s not exact when you don’t really know what you’re doing). Being the anal perfectionist that I am, I admit that this board has a bit too much nose rocker probably because we used a 6’6 shortboard blank (board shaped a few months after Clark closing and major foam shortage). We forgot to build up the trailing edges which is why the board doesn’t feel as crisp in turns. Overall, this board works pretty well and everyone who’s tried it said it works great.

I think all surfers should shape at least one board in their lifetime to see how much work, dedication, toxic fumes, and fiberglass dust it takes to make a surfboard. You’ll respect your surfboard shaper that much more, which I do, especially after this holy experience.

I’ve decided to dedicate a completely separate section to my favorite type of surfboard, the trusty old fish. This section will cover fish design, fish photos, fish videos, and everything else related to fishes both retro, modern, and hybrid. I know I’m biased towards fishes but it is my mission to convert die hard shortboarders to at LEAST try some type of fish. Stay tuned as we talk more about one of the most versatile boards around, the FISH!