My new Assymetrical TimSUP

[Strand Leper]

7'8" by 28" ... 105 liters. A little heavier than my usual as I asked for a smidge more glass, about 12 pounds with pad and fins.  Quad

Purpose:  To get the Simmons Inspired Glide without the drift in turns and lack of precision in tight sections.  Also, to be able to link sections at a VERY fast reef by my house on big and hollow days.

Shaper:  Corran Addison Designs

His name for it:  The Twisted Retro

I have surfed this board nine times in the past week, not a session has been under head high... as far as surfing a draining reef in O head plus waves on a very low rockered board... me likey.  Fits in the pocket... hangs high... hangs low... pumps through sections... unreal speed on its own...

I have so much confidence on this board, that is a little bit unnerving.  Had a head high wave on Monday... threaded a section to a big committed roundhouse... to a head dip to another roundhouse... float over a closeout section to make the next section and hit the final closeout lip... check.  Most other waves were racing sections, hopping over the closeout after threading a few sections with insane speed.  The Assym smooths out the turns in a "hard to believe" fashion.  Going with Jaimie Mitchells all the way around... but will switch the rears out to controllers in mushier waves.

Didn't have too many rights... those that presented themselves were simple barrel racing sections... I backdoored one on Sunday that my mate Adam was (1) pissed that I went right... and (2) in utter disbelief when I glided out at the end of the section.  Looking forward to burying the rail on my backhand.

Will this replace the TimSUP?  I don't know.

What are the limits?  Well, for one, the additional glide from the minimal rocker and extra length and width tell me that other than TJ Slough on a VERY big day, this board can handle all the swell that So Cal can throw at it.  The width makes it manageable in just about any wind condition for which SUP is possible.  How small of a wave can you surf on it?  I don't know... but I will soon find out... I think that it will rip in ankle to knee high... but that size will likely belong to the TimSUP... but we will see.

Other limits?  The minimal rocker makes a pocket snap on a hollow wave a very difficult move... (it is a move that I am pretty sure I do in my sleep on a standard rockered board)... you have to snap it from the tail and touch lightly with your front foot until it comes around... and that point, it is cake to snap it back around.

Other limits?  I don't think that there are any other than the rider.  The assym at the tail makes the board surf so much narrower than it is... it is hard to describe.  I am going to have a board made with this same outline, but with standard SL rocker... I have a feeling that such a board will be a touch slower, but something that you can surf like a Mach 1 or Mach Bobby Roger.

[Strand Leper]

No new board review would be complete without Maximus' take:

"Snort, snuffle, sniff, fart."

[KiwiSupGreg]

Awesome looking board, so how does the tail perform right vs left? surely there will be a noticeable difference?

[KiwiSupGreg]

and will your shaper ship to new Zealand!

[Strand Leper]

Kiwi,

The assym runs through the whole outline but is most obvious in the tail. The idea is that your leverage and pressure points are different front vs. backside as we (at least we in the northern hemi) have heels at one end of the foot and toes on the other.  So the assymetry compensates for this fact. This entire swell I had maybe a dozen backside waves.  I love the way it handles a tight backside section, but I haven't had the opportunity to try to rip anything apart on my backhand yet. I will probly hit a beach break this weekend when I visit my other shaper roger hinds to noodle a few other ideas and mow a little foam. As to shipping to NZ, google CORRAN SUP and you can ask the man directly.

SL

[KiwiSupGreg]

So are you regular or goofy?

[Strand Leper]

Goofy.

[lopezwill]

Strand Leper

  This "Twisted Retro" design you came up with is really cool!  My favorite so far.  I keep looking at the design features, research, fin testing etc you have put into this design.  With the correct volume and length for different body types this might be the "Universal sup for the everyday person."

Good work!  I really enjoy all the testing and reporting of new sup designs you come up with.  Thank you!

[Boludo]

SL,

Stoked for you!  Sounds like the board is a huge hit.
Thanks for sharing all the pics and the write up.

I have a question for you though since all this talk about fins, boxes, and placement.
In looking at most of Larry Allisons setups (mostly the V1-V4's) the cluster is closer together.  I noticed on yours that your fin set up is more splayed apart.  I'm just curious why you choose that over a little more close together?  Seems like it would give you more drive but stiffen it up a tad, but what do I know.  Not saying that yours have crazy amount of distance from front to back fins, but more than some of the other simmy type boards.

[Kojack]

SL,

That is a great looking board and appreciate hearing your thoughts about your initial time on the water with it.

[Strand Leper]

Lopez,

I think you might be giving me too much credit. Corran is Brunelleschi ... I am merely a poor imitation of Cosimo de Medici... 

Boludo,

I didn't want to get risky with the fin placement. A blend of TimSUP and my Assym prone board. IMHO it works amazing.

Kojak, glad your stoked... So am I!

SL

[SUPerSwede]

That's just incredibly cool. I'm guessing that for me - a wave SUP noob currently on a 130 litre 8'10x32", the standard retro is probably easier to navigate in small, mushy, windswell?
I used to own a Nah Skwell 7'8" that was hilarious but overfinned and quite rockered for the conditions here. I have been looking for a used one but it feels somewhat like a step back compared to one of these beauties.

Must see what a Retro would cost me...

[JeanG]

So sexy.

Thing looks fun as hell.

[pdxmike]

Tim--your surfing descriptions are all a foreign language to me, and I don't know what does what on a board designed for surfing. But I know how much thought and effort and skill must be behind every inch of that board, and that there's a reason for every curve and dimension, and the result is really beautiful.   

[Biggreen]

Say SL,
I'm curious. You haven't mentioned (or more likely, i haven't been paying enough attention...I am a guy after all) what looks like chined rails on your two latest Corran rides. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving us your thoughts on how they feel. Even with my extensive surf background (I was 54 1/2 when I started...now I'm 55 and a little) I've never surfed a chine railed board, but I definitely like the look of them and feel they could really be nice on these wider boards.  Like your buddy Corran, I come to surfing from a whitewater background.  For WW paddlers planing hulls and chines most often add up to two things...fun and performance.  Mind giving us the benefit of your experiences?