The least glamorous surfboard in the world : Review
Andrew P wrote:He was typically understated and said something along the lines of "Well of course it does that. That's what you asked for.".
Ha ha...whatever the opposite of gushing is, that's the Wiz. Tells it how it is.
You ridden is as a quad yet?
Nah Stu. Haven’t ridden it since the trip home last month. Can’t wait to try it as a quad in the waves I usually surf. Will update here when I do
I ended up getting one direct from Wiz too. Goes better than the 7S. He seems like a nice bloke, good fella to deal with and pumps out a great board.
Whats the Dimensions Blowin...got some pics ?
Love this thread. Cheers fellas.
I surfed a fat, but perfect, righthand point the other day. Only had a too small Pyzel Nugget (perfect size for steeper waves), and while it went really well on the better waves I was often too slow/late/deep/old.
Been thinking of a fun groveler, something that'll pick up speed easily under my ageing size 11s. May just have to scour TradeMe for a 7S; unfortunately 2nd hand boards are a ripoff here in NZ.
RM Firewire Seaside IB ?
I.B. just had a look around ..faark i see what you mean about NZ secondhand prices
Every OZ trip would worth you buying 2or 3 to take back and resell.
Old-dog are you and 6'6 Superfish still in love ?
seaslug wrote:RM Firewire Seaside IB ?
An amazing board…I have a 5.10. I love the helium technology. Super easy to paddle into waves.
Give any competent surfer a bit more length, width and thickness and they tend to catch more waves and have more fun. Gary just puts them in the right places to make them manoeuvrable, as I’m sure many good shapers would/can/do do
I agree, Andrew. How tall/heavy are you?
5’10 x 90kg IB
Superman physique, obviously!
Cheers
Obviously!
Stu - rode the Wiz as a quad today at an inconsistent 2-3ft beachie. Got a few waves and it went well. Did a nice roundhouse to foam bump and it carried its speed very nicely. Really stable and solid platform. Dont know if it was the waves or the fins but straight line speed seemed faster - I feel that quad rears give you lift compared to having a back fin. Had to nurse the more vertical turns and straight bucked me off one reo. I reckon I could work it out after a few more surfs as a quad. Definitely more predictable as a thruster but.
[url=https://ibb.co/K9cSvFs]
[url=https://imgbb.com/]
@ udo just saw your post, Yeah I'm still riding it, makes it so easy to pop up, perfect for an old bastard who isn't quite ready to give up on life and ride a mal. Just cruising and trying not to embarrass myself. Cheers.
How's the Glassing...Deck holding up O.K. ?
Just one litttle compression udo - on top of the step on the left hand side of the deck from hitting my left knee during a hurried duck dive. Glass hasn’t shattered which is good. Might recommend Wiz’s glasser to Kale Broccolis shaper!
Think I may have dropped in on old-dog there udo! Sorry mate!
With the superfish I went for the p/u not epoxy and hardly any compressions on deck. I didn't want to worry about it in the car on 40 degree days while fishing.
Just had another frame by frame look at the Deck of that Twinnie Kale Brock tested
What a Fkn Mess - What would you do after dropping $1145 on a board and it looks like that after one Surf..?
I would Scream refund !
Off topic but reading this thread made me think of Patto and how good his glasser surfs in Cronulla.
I paddled out on a slightly "not light" board due to hemp inlay and it didnt paddle that well but surfed unreal once you got into one. Anyway i noticed this too lowtide bank spitting as i was heading towards another bank to the south from the wrong side of the northerly moving current which had no signs from land that i could have noticed.
Anyway i gave up and went back to the spitting left. By then another bloke was surfing it and getting shacked every time.Spoke to him turns out he is pattos glasser. I got stuck in the current and never made it back to that bank and went in buggered and just watched him rip and get shacked every time and paddle back effortlessly. while all the other surfers who noticed the bank too always got stuck in the current and moved north.
It was then that i gave my biggest effort into giving up the smokes.
Lasted about six months.
Thank fuck for e-smokes.
Just finishing up here in Fiji. Wizstix fish went unreal. Surfed CB over 3 days ranging from 4ft with light crossshore winds, 3-4ft and howling offshore and a bonus 2-3ft and glassy morning session. Board went great paddling into waves and was a stable platform on the drop. On the windier days the width and volume in the nose didn’t help with the take off but an extra paddle accounted for that. Rode as a thruster each time. Very happy to have caught a few waves on a board that worked at a spot I’ve been thinking about for 25+ years.
Good one Andrew
Good one Andrew
Nice work mate!
On a side note - the surf forecast model for CB was pretty spot on for the three days I was out there, if anything a slight undercall. Wind forecast was generally ok but strength changed out at the reef. Its hard to predict as the reef can be howling and inshore can be calm. But was a good guide to picking and choosing which days to book a boat. Thanks Ben and Stu!
Mine's a Jughead model but as far as I can see it's pretty much a Wizstix Fish, with maybe just an edge taken off the bevelled rail. The bevel isn't as noticeable on mine as it is in Andrew's photo, nor as noticeable as in the 7S Superfish. It's still a blocky rail, just blended slightly. I imagine the difference in volume would be negligible.
There may be changes to the bottom contour but from all I've read they're fairly siimilar.
Yesterday morning I tested my board as a Thruster (used FCS AMs for a neutral middle-of-the-road feel), quad (again with AMs), and quad (with C-Drives). Worth noting that, despite claims to the contrary, it isn't an all round board. The design is heavily skewed towards small waves. Because of its reduced tail area (compared to other grovellers) it handles marginally better in size, but I imagine people who ride this model in waves 4ft+ do so for the same reason Lachie Rombouts rides a board three-feet longer than is necessary: Because it's fun to push the boundaries.
Started with quad C-Drives, as that's what was left in the board from my last surf. Very fast, almost too fast, as the speed was addictive so you'd forever push to make the next section and it took a concious effort to break from the horizontal and surf the wave top to bottom.
Lots of lift...again, almost too much lift. As mentioned, Gaz has reduced the tail of his fish to retain some back end control, but four highly refined fins rarely allowed it to sit plush on the wave face. Probably feels great in scrappy beachbreaks but I was at a long pointbreak.
Once the board was side-slipping, say at the end of a turn, or if I lost control, it wasn't easy to get it back on track. Sometimes felt great, but no doubt looked ridiculous.
Quad AMs brought a modicum of control to the ride; still very fast while pushing down the line, still had to conciously steer into the Y-axis, but perhaps marginally less lift and a corresponding gain in control. The board felt the most balanced and I reckon I'll stick with them.
Thruster AMs slowed the board, added drive, and added control too. All feelings marginal but perceptible. Admittedly it felt good to have greater control of the back end and I imagine most people would prefer this set up - I'd prefer it too once the waves got 4ft+ - but in small waves it lacked just that bit of spark and spontaneity in the rear. They're the feelings I seek when riding real short boards. Otherwise I'd reach for my 6'0" shorty.
Split Keels may worth a try
Are you managing with the extra Literage from your normal amount - A Hand shaped would give a + or - of 2 litres on Volume ?
27 litres plus 9% for a Grovellor -29.43
Your point about pushing the limits is spot on Stu. I asked Gary to shape me a board that would work in conditions i'd usually ride a minimal in (1-3ft mush) so i could turn it instead of cruising. At the moment I'm lucky to surf once a month and my paddling fitness is nowhere near what it used to be. With the forecast of 4ft max in Fiji i took it to see how it went rather than a more traditional step up i had in my quiver. My reasoning was that i would catch more waves with the extra volume (well over 40L vs mid 30s) and would handle the mushier sessions at wilkes etc. and i'd have more fun. The extra nose width and volume definitely hindered paddling into the wave with strong offshore and required a straighter entry and later bottom turn which found me caught behind faster sections on the take off (mind you others were also getting caught too). When i entered the wave with less of a wall the straighter angle helped me time my bottom turn and retain speed to initiate the top turn. It wanted turn more out on the face rather than near the lip but carried momentum between sections and was quite manoeuvrable. I felt like it was a good board choice for the conditions without being the best board possible.
So far i've ridden it 8 times at good quality beachies, reefs and a point in 2-4ft and it has been a rewarding addition to my quiver. I prefer the thruster vs quad as i felt like i had more control in these conditions. I reckon it would go good in small mush as a quad as you feel that reduction in drag from the back fin. I'm yet to try it in 1-3ft mush but will report back as soon as i do!
First time poster here. Thank you to the author of this article and all the commenters! And to the Swellnet crew for keeping articles like this in the archive. After a 10year hiatus from surfing I wanted to get back in the water with a board that I finish the session stoked on rather than frustrated. Came here because I wanted to hear from everyday punters. Read the article and then came across a third-hand 5’11 Superfish 7S on gumtree for $180. As I think one of the comments said above, it’s like a Toyota Corolla - nothing to look at, but it does everything you could ask from a something not built for high performance. Paddles great. I’ve been able to pump, and turn, and it eats up flat sections with speed. And every session it lets me (re)progress. If I can eventually get back into bigger, hollower waves again I’ll try and find something with a tighter outline and more rocker for those days. But for now it’s everything I need and I’m unashamed to say I love the 7S!
Unreal....your back into it...
From another Stoked Swellnet member
At age 64 I have finally swallowed my pride and gone for more volume getting a 6'6" S4 superfish (polyurethane) and it has given me a whole new lease on life. It catches waves I wouldn't have even looked at before and glides over dead sections with ease. I feel like a grommet again and am frothing to go surfing.
udo wrote:Unreal....your back into it...
From another Stoked Swellnet memberAt age 64 I have finally swallowed my pride and gone for more volume getting a 6'6" S4 superfish (polyurethane) and it has given me a whole new lease on life. It catches waves I wouldn't have even looked at before and glides over dead sections with ease. I feel like a grommet again and am frothing to go surfing.
Good on you Udo , my HP puddle jumper is 6’6” x 22 1/4 x 2 7/8 47 litres . Foam is now my friend . Good up to 3-4 ft. Got a set of split keels in it and it’s drive and flow over flat sections is amazing .
They are actually old-dogs words from his Rebirth a few years ago
But im hearing you - 40-42 litres and Split Keels = FUN
Mr Nettle do you have a part 2 of your Wizz Fish ride report ?
stunetTUESDAY, 30 AUG 2022 at 3:16PM
The thirty minute ride report:
It's a bulbous old thing, is the Jughead Model Wiztsix. Jump aboard and that globular nose steals the view, while to duckdive you gotta grip the blocky rails and push. 33 litres. Six more than usual for me, but at 5'8" it's four inches less length, and the volume is in different parts of the board - around the stringer, under the chest. So it's short and wide and corky. Paddles like a chief.
The board gives up it's formless looks after takeoff where it becomes a quick-witted cad. All the planing speed care of volume turns into acceleration built upon a long deep concave - just keep pumping and it'll keep powering, irrespective of wave size. I think I've found my summer board. Down back, the double flyer reduces the tail area for hold, though it wasn't enough at times. Rode it as a quad, might be better as a Thruster.
A sharp swallow completes the spectrum. From orbital nose to barbed tail. Both ends serving their function well.
$100 on Gummy. Front and back deck grip included. No dings. There are five Albums downstairs, each with a sticker price of $1,350.
I rode it all summer, Udo. Loved it too, to the extent that the next board I ordered shared a few characteristics while being more of an all-rounder.
The problem at the moment is I haven't surfed it in four months, and I haven't surfed at all in three. It's all become distant memory for me and that makes writing about it hard.
stunet wrote:I rode it all summer, Udo. Loved it too, to the extent that the next board I ordered shared a few characteristics while being more of an all-rounder.
The problem at the moment is I haven't surfed it in four months, and I haven't surfed at all in three. It's all become distant memory for me and that makes writing about it hard.
Off topic, sorry, but how is the recovery coming along Stu?
blackers wrote:stunet wrote:I rode it all summer, Udo. Loved it too, to the extent that the next board I ordered shared a few characteristics while being more of an all-rounder.
The problem at the moment is I haven't surfed it in four months, and I haven't surfed at all in three. It's all become distant memory for me and that makes writing about it hard.
Off topic, sorry, but how is the recovery coming along Stu?
Really well, thanks.
I bought a bench press, weights, 4-in-1 stand, and gym rings to kit out a backyard gym, plus I've been swimming at the beach every other day. Lots of stretching, I'm on a program with Dean Jamieson at Surfer Strength Gym up at Cronulla - thanks Reg - and it feels like my body is recovering well.
Still can't sleep that great - every time I roll onto my left side I awake - and yesterday I tried to paddle a board but only lasted laying on it for a minute. So there are hindrances, but I'm happy with everything else.
udo wrote:Unreal....your back into it...
From another Stoked Swellnet memberAt age 64 I have finally swallowed my pride and gone for more volume getting a 6'6" S4 superfish (polyurethane) and it has given me a whole new lease on life. It catches waves I wouldn't have even looked at before and glides over dead sections with ease. I feel like a grommet again and am frothing to go surfing.
Nice one Udo. Hope your best waves are yet ahead.
hows your 6-6 going udo still riding it?
Go back a page...i was referring to olddog buying a 6'6
Fall from Grace...Once Happy go Lucky Surfboard becomes most Hated Vile Slab.
Enjoy the thrill of a SWASTIKA
Californians cast it adrift > Washed up on Hawaiian Shore
Now rebranded [Waikiki Surf-Board ) Still with the Swastika.
Nothing to do with us Peace Luvin' Californian Nazi Surf Punkz.
Warning : [Locals Only] Surf Nazis Seig Heiling from Woodies!
https://clubofthewaves.com/feature/surf-nazis/
[ Hollywoody Surf Nazis must Die ]
Mccoy nugget anyone ridden one .?.........falls well into the term of ugly board ......but never hear anyone bag em out .?...
Yeah i've got a 6'2 Nugget (single fin) that Geoff shaped for me a few years ago. Paddles well, catches waves pretty well, goes good in steeper waves with a bit of curve but also deals with onshore waves if they have a bit of power. Can turn it forehand and back. Not my first single fin so i guess i was used to that feeling vs thruster. Where it really shines is in hollow, barrelling waves. Surfed a head high point onshore for a couple of sessions and it was a pleasure - lots of carry between sections, no need to pump, turned with confidence. When it went offshore and the walls turned to barrels it came to life - it was stable but really neutral in the barrel (i.e. could make adjustments rather than locking in a line) and i made waves i probably wouldn't have made on my regular shortboard thruster. Straight line speed was incredible. So fun.
I now have a Wizstix fish which i would regard more as a groveller/longboard alternative that goes good in most waves.
simba wrote:Mccoy nugget anyone ridden one .?.........falls well into the term of ugly board ......but never hear anyone bag em out .?...
A wolf in PIGs clothing because thats what the outline of a nugget is, reminiscent of the 50s balsa pigs.They get up to speed quickly and the curves fit a wave better than any other shapes.
Top speed isnt as high as concAved boards but its enough.
Cruisers when the waves are weak but in the grunt they shine.
Speed increases as you add fins, One is first gear..Two speeds the reaction...Three DRrrIVEs...but 4 is where the top gear lies.
Was Surprised when Mcoy put out Tuflite Model
udo wrote:Was Surprised when Mcoy put out Tuflite Model
He needed to pay his mortgage off and when that happened he withdrew from the arrangement.
On weekdays used to mind the Brizzo neighbour's weekend Blowin McCoy back in Start of '76
5"6' Mc Double ender rounded (tail) with the wider (nose) of the Mc Chisel
Any stringer was kinda glassed over > hidden - made it look like a lairy pop out Skateboard!
Modern but inescapably Brizvegas!
Also sure the Logo was Deep Blue as the rails...
Being most accurate...some pop out exactly between these here two designs!
https://mccoysurfboards.com/all-surfboard-models/retro-range/
Thinkin' this be wot the crew are referring to as a retro Nugget...maybe?
Real thin biscuit rail it was...cut thru the chop but too stiff to turn...just gotta go with it!
If it were good for somethin'...then sure...Middle break chop cutter
Also had that weird roll deck...make sure to wax whole deck as you'll need to counter step.
Almost like ya were riding back 2 front & upside down.
We had a few of 'em up on the northern Goldie...near all were fluro orange with deep royal blue rails!
One of those...
Mostly got kicked about as an ugly Brizzo pup...bang yer foot & shit....Coz thinner rail would hurt...
Kinda like a Heavy Glassed hard skateboard rail...Ouch!
Each dent was like like a glass shatter...over exaggerated! Hard to hide...he won't notice...Fark!
Think they were 1974 coz can recall the Fin Hole for leggie...no plugs!
That made them date instantly & copped any wretched pig dog association.
Typical Brizzo Board...maybe Goodtime Gabba Gail sold a batch around 1974/5!
They weren't cheap as Brizzo neighbours had a posh set of brick flats & splashed out on their Gromz!
Some perverted reason...think we used it down at Budds Beach for Skurfin'!
truebluebasher wrote:On weekdays used to mind the Brizzo neighbour's weekend Blowin McCoy back in Start of '76
5"6' Mc Double ender rounded (tail) with the wider (nose) of the Mc Chisel
Any stringer was kinda glassed over > hidden - made it look like a lairy pop out Skateboard!
Modern but inescapably Brizvegas!
Also sure the Logo was Deep Blue as the rails...
Being most accurate...some pop out exactly between these here two designs!
https://mccoysurfboards.com/all-surfboard-models/retro-range/Thinkin' this be wot the crew are referring to as a retro Nugget...maybe?
Real thin biscuit rail it was...cut thru the chop but too stiff to turn...just gotta go with it!
If it were good for somethin'...then sure...Middle break chop cutter
Also had that weird roll deck...make sure to wax whole deck as you'll need to counter step.
Almost like ya were riding back 2 front & upside down.We had a few of 'em up on the northern Goldie...near all were fluro orange with deep royal blue rails!
One of those...
Mostly got kicked about as an ugly Brizzo pup...bang yer foot & shit....Coz thinner rail would hurt...
Kinda like a Heavy Glassed hard skateboard rail...Ouch!
Each dent was like like a glass shatter...over exaggerated! Hard to hide...he won't notice...Fark!Think they were 1974 coz can recall the Fin Hole for leggie...no plugs!
That made them date instantly & copped any wretched pig dog association.
Typical Brizzo Board...maybe Goodtime Gabba Gail sold a batch around 1974/5!
They weren't cheap as Brizzo neighbours had a posh set of brick flats & splashed out on their Gromz!
Some perverted reason...think we used it down at Budds Beach for Skurfin'!
The double ender came late 69ish...Jacko called his Bugs.
A round nose with round tail, wide point forward of half way.Single pivot fins.Flat or slightly rolled bottoms.
The next year was start of Twinfins,December Tracks(third one) had the front page story "the TwinFin thing" mark warren on the cover.
A few double enders ended up with twin fins glassed on.
Twins and DE gave way to Spear shapes for winter 71.
The saying goes that there’s no such thing as a bad surfboard.
A board might appear bad cause it’s paired with the wrong rider or maybe the wrong waves , but it’s maintained that all boards are legitimate in their own right. Whilst this may be true , it’s also true that all boards are not loved equally. For a surfer’s love of surfboards goes beyond mere practicality. Surfers love surfboards because they trigger emotions.
A pro model short board carries the promise of cutting edge performance levels . The niche shaper’s retro fish bears the bloodlines of high lines spanning decades of country soul . The eighties thruster contains the wild spirit of a reckless era within its clunky volume.
The brown seventies single fin , the glossy malibu and the core shaper’s specialised tube spear all represent an emotional attachment for the surfer which is greater than the sum of its physical manifestation and it’s literal interpretation of surfing.
These boards all conjure an attitude and a spirit which adds a romantic element to the idea of the ride. A palpable quality which lends surfers to idolise boards throughout history.....Sam . Black Beauty. The Stickerless reverse V. The low volume magic slipper.
Collectors pay dearly for this intangible metric of soul. Performance levels rise on the confidence attributable to this unquantifiable notion.
Surfboards are not loved equitably as a result. Not all surfboards possess the MAGIC which attracts awe.
Nowhere in the history of surfing has this been more glaringly obvious than when one contemplates the Global Surf Industry’s 7S Super Fish. .....6’0” * 20 1/4 * 2 5/8 .
There is no love in the world for the 7S.
It’s backstory is all wrong for a start. Conceptualised as a mass produced board by a faceless corporation. Manufactured by automation and a workforce to whom surfing is an abstract and foreign activity . Sold globally without regard to local surf conditions or rider sensibilities.
The Global Surf Industry 7S Super Fish is the surfboard equivalent of beige brand X tracksuit pants from a big box retailer. Unappealing to the fashion conscious, disagreeable to the discerning consumer.
A slap in the face to the mystique of the shaper as guru.
And yet.....and yet the 7S Super Fish works.
As stated....there’s no such thing as a bad surfboard.
Good luck getting people to swallow that line when they’re eyeing a brown decked 7S whose bottom bears regular disfiguring craters and whose every point and rail is subject to dings of varying degrees of poor quality repair.
Not that the condition matters. The 7S was uninspiring when it was brand new.
I still vividly remember when I first laid eyes on it 15 years ago. I’d suddenly found myself riding low period beach breaks for the first time in years and I was completely unequipped for the waves on offer. Everyone was going Full Litmus and so I found myself caught up in the Fish Movement.
But there was no animated discussions with foam covered shapers for me. No earnest paring down of requirements with the local foam sage in order to establish just which form of fish I should ride. It was straight to the nearest board retailer and grab the first fish I laid eyes on .
So I came to be in possession of a Super Fish.
It was the first board I’d ever bought which I wasn’t completely enamoured with. Perhaps it was because the 7S was more functional than anything else. I needed it to be able to ride the waves available. It’s not like I was unlocking unimagined realms of performance , rather it was pure utilitarianism. And that’s some unromantic shit.
Eyeing the board in the racks , it wasn’t sexy or impressive. It was a case of that’ll do , hit the cash register and get the fuck out.
Thankfully the board worked as it said on the packet.
Catching waves with ridiculous ease. Gaining speed immediately and racing through the deadest of sections. Unsexy it may be , but the 7S opened up an entire new world of surfing.
Suddenly the tiny waves became rideable , the high tide sessions were tenable and the disjointed and lumpen fare most regularly served on East coast beachies wasn’t just palatable....it was delicious.
Soon I was riding the 7S exclusively.
Days when I’d have previously not surfed due to low quality waves became days at the fun park. I’d actually see forecasts of meagre surf stretching into the future and become excited. So many breaks which I’d viewed as unthinkably bad became spots to relish.
By this stage I was surfing alone virtually every session. The leg rope was gone. It was crap beach break every day and some of the most enjoyable days surfing I’ve experienced.
Walking from the place I was staying through Bush tracks to the secluded little breaks which surround the area. I’d see no people. Just board shorts and the board under my arm. A backpack with some water , a tin of food , some fruit and enough scoobs to ensure that I was stoned from go to whoa. Surf , chill on the beach getting baked and renourishing , then back out again.
I started to crush on the 7S super fish.
But no one else could even begin to conceive of the beauty hidden within it’s Plain Jane exterior.
One day I had a few friends come up for a surf trip. We all took a few appropriate fun boards down to an isolated little spot hidden amongst the littoral rainforest. Laying all the boards on the sand , we swapped and shared. Comparing and contrasting.
But not once did the 7S get ridden.
Passed over for the funky seventies single with the deep flyers. Overlooked for the flashy graphics of the eighties thruster .
The 7S was not sexy. Not new and lustrous, not yet an antique. It held no modern promise nor any bygone nostalgia.
It was the most unglamorous surfboard on the planet.
Unrepentant, I continued to love the 7S.
The upside was speed , speed and more speed. The fastest board between two points that I’ve ever ridden . It chews through flat water and high lines impossible sections. No rocker and no planshape curve is conducive to this. It’s all about projection. It’s a beautifully stable platform over which to centre in weak waves .
Downside was that carving is virtually impossible. It’ll turn no worries . Turn on a dime . Sitting on a rail for an extended period just isn’t viable.
It also hates the tube more than any board I’ve ever ridden. The Super Fish does not want to sit in a barrel of any power. It doesn’t enjoy turning in the pocket.
It turns out that the most unloveable board on Earth still has a lot to offer. Fifteen years on and the thing is still in respectable condition considering it gets treated with utter contempt. It’s never been in a boardbag and if there’s multiple boards going in the car it’ll be the 7S copping the wax all over it’s planing surface. For a board pumped out of a factory in Thailand it’s surprisingly durable. The deck is hardly dented. I’ve had many boards which have looked worse after several surfs.
In conclusion, I’d recommend a 7S any day of the week. It may be sneered at by the surfing cognoscenti and it may be as sexy as a dirty nappy , but they are cheap and they’re available. With the world looking economically unsteady and the threat of climate change still pending due to over exploitation of the planet’s resources, there is much worse things you could do for yourself and the environment than to source a board for next to nothing from the 2nd hand markets online . Just cause a board is cheap , dinged and unloved doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.