I have a 2007 Naish Sol which is oval in shape and is really fun for taking in the surf. It was one of the first boards to have a wood core and side cuts similar to the way snowboards are constructed. I used it in Mauritius and had a lot of fun riding waves. The main issue is you can't back off the power so much like you can with a directional and ride the wave using the board as a surfer does (that is my wave riding n00b explanation), so you can end up shooting out in front of the wave and not actually riding it.

Just get out there and have a go mate, you'll love it.

Put some 55mm fins on your twin tip to help prevent sliding out and smack some waves.

A mutant will be better but you will be surprised at the difference longer fins can make

toppleover said...

Do a search on the Airush Hammer.

Yeah but good luck finding one..... They are treasured artifacts...... an almost mythical beast very very rarely do people part with them ... And when they do they get snapped up by friends.

Twin tip= Flatwater
Surfboard= Surf

Hope this makes sense.

Gorgo said...

harry potter said...

Put some 55mm fins on your twin tip to help prevent sliding out and smack some waves.
....

I wouldn't do that. You want to get experience before you start spending money. You need to get things because you know they will enhance your riding, not just spend bucks on stuff for no point.

Longer fins for a TT can be very expensive and the wrong ones can stuff up your riding.

More importantly if you are sliding out on transitions then you have a fundamental flaw in your technique that you must fix. If your technique is right then you can do the hardest, fastest slashing turns with no need for fins at all.

The biggest technique problem people have is flinging their body or their backside down and hoping the board will swing around on their legs.

Engage the rail. All body weight down through the legs, into the board, firmly onto the rail, perpendicular to the deck.

I have to disagree with you there Gorgo
A set of 55mm fins can be bought for less than $100

The sliding out is not due to transitions but occurs when you are attempting a hard bottom turn or turn on the wave face when on a twin tip. The longer find give you more grip and drive.

By your theory surfers don't need fins as they should be able to do the hardest fastest slashing turns without them.

I agree with your sentiment in reference to flat water etc.... But the original poster is asking about twin tips in the surf.

harry potter said...

toppleover said...

Do a search on the Airush Hammer.

Yeah but good luck finding one..... They are treasured artifacts...... an almost mythical beast very very rarely do people part with them ... And when they do they get snapped up by friends.

if you want one... I got a newish 144 hammer cond 8.5/10 minimal use, yellow.

Have to agree with the Hammer advice.
Ive had one for a few years. It drags a lot of power out of ur kite but its the only TT Ive ever ridden that gives some of that true 'surfing' feeling rather than just playing around on lumps of water.
Great for downwinders but cuts upwind when needed.

dogfish said...

tried the hammer. thought it overrated. saw one for sale in an online shop recently though. exxy for what it is.
had a shinn wave for a while. sold it.
bought a cardboard wave on spec, based on where the design came from, rave reviews, the standout performance of their FX TT, and the build quality (hand-made in oz, unlike UG).

the wave does what i want. senfknsational.

but just my opinion.

btw, got a SB. different game plan.

Code???

I've been riding a Shinn Wave for the past 3 years. Great fun in the surf and flat water if you like to carve around.

harry potter said...
...
I have to disagree with you there Gorgo
A set of 55mm fins can be bought for less than $100
....

I think $100 is expensive for a set of TT fins, especially if the benefit of the bigger fins is uncertain.

By all means add some bigger fins if you want, but only do it for a specific reason. Start off with good technique then add stuff. Not the other way round. Bigger fins on a TT can help a bit but if you're sliding out your turns then you have more fundamental problems than the size of your fins.

harry potter said...
....
By your theory surfers don't need fins as they should be able to do the hardest fastest slashing turns without them.
....

I was talking about TT not surfboards, although the essential technique of engaging and loading the rail is pretty much the same for any kind of board.

pro merc said...
...
the reason why mode people stick to directionals once they try them i feel is it can be difficult to go back and forth between the two type of boards.

Nup. I do it all the time. Anybody I know who ride directionals competently can ride TT just fine.

TT is best for boosting and easier to boost heel side on both tacks.

Surfboard better riding over broken waves and for hard fast carving and slowing down to try and surf the wave. Deep rocker surfboard best for turns. Flat rocker surfboard best for getting upwind to the peak and more drawn out carves.

Anyway, to answer orrock27, get out in the surf on your regular TT. Get good at popping over waves and carving on the face. Get really good at toeside because hitting a wave toeside is the best fun there is. After half a dozen sessions or so think about what you want to do next. Try and demo a surf TT/mutant and see what you think. The vast majority of people who get into surf riding usually end up on a surfboard. I particularly love my fish style board.

Feel free to spend $100 on some bigger fins for your TT if you want. I would be surprised if they turned your TT into a ripping surf machine.

Here is my 2 cents worth, feel free to disagree...

Many twin tips are designed around freestyle for flat water, they have little nose rocker so in the surf or choppy water I see a lot of learners and experienced riders nose diving the board when the nose hits some chop and goes under. Even in botany bay flat twin tips can nose dive when they hit chop. If your TT is nose diving then you need a TT with more nose rocker, or you need to ride in flatter water.

The other issue is many freestyle TTs have small fins 2cm to 3cm, good for freestyle and rotating and sliding, for the surf and chop you need 5 to 6cm fins to bight and not skip out when carving chop in the waves. if your TT is sliding out during the turns, get some 5 - 6 cm fins.

Another thing is rails, sharp rails on a TT skip out when edging hard, a good surf or chop TT will have a bit of a curve in the rail around the center to stop the board from bouncing out in a hard curve.

I designed a TT for my local area large choppy bays and the sea because not everyone gets to kite in super flat water, I designed the board with wider tips for easier plaining, 4 cm or rocker so the tips get over the chop and does not nose dive, even if you try to nose dive its difficult to do, and 5-6cm fins to grip in the chop and waves. Its not a freestyle board but a great all rounder free ride and choppy / in the surf board.

I still use a surfboard for the surf, Re mutants I think mutants are a cross between a surfboard and a twin tip, your better off getting a surf board or a twin tip, rather than something that does not do ether very well...

My 2 cents worth, feel free to disagree....

or check out the mutant from the makers of those awesome Flying Lilo's

Flysurfer
flysurfer.com/project/flywave-s/

I have a Jimmy Lewis Model 3 that's great in small waves and still some pop - similar outline to the Hammer and stock fins a little bigger than usual TT. JL also has a mutant called the Rad-F. Choicey told me once that he gybes his Rad-F....Both old designs but then so is the Hammer.

I have a brand new(used 4 times)no marks,scatches, Shinn Wave for $500 if anyone is keen.