Muzza's Trippin' - THE CON DECK FISH (The Origin of the Retro Fish)

The Purpose of The Con Deck Fish

Fast and reactive in small waves.

Board Specifications

DIMENSIONS: 60 x 20 x 2 5/16

IDEAL WEIGHT: 75 to 85kg

DESIGN EMPHASIS:

Low rocker, concave wide and slabbish but only 6 feet long, and a concave deck designed to encourage quick and powerful foot leverage, rail to rail.

Muzza's Ramblings

The Con Deck Fish

To make a board this size take off pretty fast when the rider is around the above weights, you got to incorporate a few essentials. The board has to be wide so it runs, throw in a forward concave combined with a flat rocker and wait: there is more! I have also shaped in a drop wing that slots into a double concaved vee in the last 2 feet which provides the squirt to get it up and running quickly from which it runs on overdrive due to the essentials.

The parallel nature of the plan shape and super wide tail also aid it’s continual running speed, but effects ease from rail to rail so by using a twin fin design all the lost looseness is totally recovered. I guess the most significant feature of this board is the use of the concaved deck. When you dig out the deck and the bottom at the same time (see above photo) the thickness at the stringer line becomes thinner. This board could only be about 2 5/16 thick, any thicker and the rails would be way too thick, as it is I have still had to scallop out the rails. This is similar to what I have previously done on some of Tony Ray’s tow boards. This rail shape allows it to bight a little more effectively. The point of the concaved deck is to demonstrate how when the surfers feet fits across the concave the balls of his feet have more instant leverage making a wide board whippy from rail to rail.

Prediction

I expect this little mother to lay over quickly on its first turn because of the absence of a back fin. It will then engage the drop wing through the impending turn thrusting into overdrive closely followed by a sonic boom when it pops the sound barrier where only the parachute effect of ones mouth agape could possibly slow it down to a less life threatening speed!

TOLD YA I WAS TRIPPIN! The first ever Pipedream Logo is reprinted exclusively for this board!!

Results

I gave one to a mate, Chris Chamberlain, who weighs in at around 85 kg, and this is what he says about the design:

With the quality of waves or lack thereof on the Gold Coast this year I have been in search of something (well anything?) to get me motivated and back in the water. I’ve always gotten off on riding ‘trippin’ boards so a board that you could ride in even the smallest crap and get some speed and maybe do one kook turn was just what Huey ordered.

With speed in mind and the fact that Muzz has been giving his glassers and sanders migraines with all of these weird and wonderful creations, the hour was nigh to get a board from him to realise the design that I thought could work for me.

My plan was simple: retro outlines with modern rockers and foils…. Murray’s was not, his acid flash back kicked right in after we drew the design on the shaping bay floor. He ran off muttering something about concave decks and crazy bottoms, I was spooked but the proof was in the pudding…. Enter the CD Fish!

This board would have to be the fastest board off take-off that I have ever ridden. Even in 2 foot waves you take off, dig in those big fins and massive swallow tail to be shot down the line so fast you have to concentrate to not miss the fun bits in the middle. It’s loose, oh yeah very loose, and fast as well. My first surf lasted for 3 ½ hours in waves so bad I wouldn’t normally even bother. Problem solved!

Murray and I have always scoffed at the guys that ask for a loose, fast, drivey board that catches waves easily, lasts forever and is light as a pros board. With this one he’s cracked at least 5 of these factors! I am gob smacked…….. This is without doubt in the top 3 best boards I have ever ridden. I have tried to talk everyone I know into getting one and I’ll do the same to you. GET ONE NOW!!!!!

P.S Did I mention that the concave deck fits your winter belly comfortably??

Success

Since this design became one of the successes I have renamed it as The Retro Fish and included it as a staplein the Fun Fish Series.

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