CI Twin Pin

[bluengreen]

Asking for some help here.

Recently got back on the twin pin for a few sessions. One at wonky but solid Lowers, one at Ponto, and one at a closeout beach break. Strangely, I struggled the most at Lowers, where the waves and sections were a little flatter-faced than the other breaks.

Bottom turns felt really strange. As I would come off the bottom, the board would sharply pivot in an uncontrolled way at the end of my turn rather than drawing a smooth arc up into the pocket. This caused me to lose momentum and have to awkwardly adjust my weight and angle as I initiated a top turn. My brother says that I'm surfing too back-footed, trying to "thrust" the board at the end of the turn. The board wants a more even footed approach on turns.

It's strange because these same mechanics result in a smooth bottom turn with lots of projection on my Hess quads and Album Plasmic.

Looking back at the footage, I appear to be too backfooted pumping the board on flatter faces as well. It looks more like I'm squirling around on the tail rather than getting drive and projection.

Here's the footage. I'm the guy deepest on the peak. You can see it especially on the first bottom turn.

Anyone experience something similar with this board?

 

[rgruber]

Had one. Sold it. Seems to need a more lined up wave with a bit of size. Think a good quality point break at chest to overhead.

I think you're experiencing what a flat to vee bottom does. If you don't have enough push, the board kinda bogs.

I replaced mine with a different wider twin pin with channels that seems to have a lot more range.

 

[bluengreen]

What did you grab?

 

[rgruber]

I got a custom Ghost Ghobra. It's more of a mid length (although I got mine at 6'4 so on the short side) but if I were looking for something more performance oriented I'd get their Gho2 but take some thickness out of the stock sizing:

https://ghostshapes.com/shapes#85002149-226f-42d4-b3fe-0f168a06256c

]They were a pleasure to work with and I have no regrets about selling my CI (except by how much value it lost surfing it a handful of times as the glassing sucked).

 

[One-Off]

Asking for some help here.

Recently got back on the twin pin for a few sessions. One at wonky but solid Lowers, one at Ponto, and one at a closeout beach break. Strangely, I struggled the most at Lowers, where the waves and sections were a little flatter-faced than the other breaks.

Bottom turns felt really strange. As I would come off the bottom, the board would sharply pivot in an uncontrolled way at the end of my turn rather than drawing a smooth arc up into the pocket. This caused me to lose momentum and have to awkwardly adjust my weight and angle as I initiated a top turn. My brother says that I'm surfing too back-footed, trying to "thrust" the board at the end of the turn. The board wants a more even footed approach on turns.

It's strange because these same mechanics result in a smooth bottom turn with lots of projection on my Hess quads and Album Plasmic.

Looking back at the footage, I appear to be too backfooted pumping the board on flatter faces as well. It looks more like I'm squirling around on the tail rather than getting drive and projection.

Here's the footage. I'm the guy deepest on the peak. You can see it especially on the first bottom turn.

Anyone experience something similar with this board?

I don't know how you can surf that spot. I think I'd rather surf some crappy beachbreak by myself. That would get my blood pressure up.

 

[bluengreen]

Haha. That was probably my third time surfing Lowers. It was actually pretty mellow out there yesterday. All the groms sat on the inside shoulders and the older locals were at the top of the peak. I sat just under the older crew and got plenty of waves without much hassle. Way easier than surfing Swami's on Friday.

 

[Northern_Shores]

Think a good quality point break at chest to overhead.

I have heard of some boards for that kind of surf

 

[ReForest]

Asking for some help here.

Recently got back on the twin pin for a few sessions. One at wonky but solid Lowers, one at Ponto, and one at a closeout beach break. Strangely, I struggled the most at Lowers, where the waves and sections were a little flatter-faced than the other breaks.

Bottom turns felt really strange. As I would come off the bottom, the board would sharply pivot in an uncontrolled way at the end of my turn rather than drawing a smooth arc up into the pocket. This caused me to lose momentum and have to awkwardly adjust my weight and angle as I initiated a top turn. My brother says that I'm surfing too back-footed, trying to "thrust" the board at the end of the turn. The board wants a more even footed approach on turns.

It's strange because these same mechanics result in a smooth bottom turn with lots of projection on my Hess quads and Album Plasmic.

Looking back at the footage, I appear to be too backfooted pumping the board on flatter faces as well. It looks more like I'm squirling around on the tail rather than getting drive and projection.

Here's the footage. I'm the guy deepest on the peak. You can see it especially on the first bottom turn.

Anyone experience something similar with this board?

I've ridden two different Chemistry Zen 4.1's (which is similar to a twin pin) and an Aipa Flat Earth which is another pulled-in twin and l've come to the conclusion that twinnies don't work unless you have a wide tail. ...There is nothing to push off of. No thruster fin for drive, and no surface area on the tail. You're at the mercy of the momentum of the wave. You cannot generate your own speed. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I've come to the conclusion that twin pin style board only work in really good waves when you don't have to worry about generating your own speed.

 

[bluengreen]

I've ridden two different Chemistry Zen 4.1's (which is similar to a twin pin) and an Aipa Flat Earth which is another pulled-in twin and l've come to the conclusion that twinnies don't work unless you have a wide tail. ...There is nothing to push off of. No thruster fin for drive, and no surface area on the tail. You're at the mercy of the momentum of the wave. You cannot generate your own speed. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I've come to the conclusion that twin pin style board only work in really good waves when you don't have to worry about generating your own speed.

I think this might have something to do with it. I really enjoyed this board on hollow inner-bar days at OBSF.

 

[rgruber]

+1.

Wider tail + channels and I really like twins. No problem with hold for me and have a freer and less locked in feeling than a thruster. Haven't found many drawbacks so far. A lot of the newer twin pin style boards I've seen they tend to pull in the tail a lot or add wings to break the rail line and then pull in but my experience is that leaving the tail pretty wide and adding channels gives you drive but still maintains the looseness. Have surfed mine in Bali, mainland Mex, pumping Basque coast and at home in pitchy NY/NJ beachbreaks.

The CI Twin pin was too specialized for me. It worked great in an overhead left point in Mexico but I never could get it to work at home. Has a lot of volume concentrated under your chest but not a lot further back which I think also contributes to the boggy feeling.

I've ridden two different Chemistry Zen 4.1's (which is similar to a twin pin) and an Aipa Flat Earth which is another pulled-in twin and l've come to the conclusion that twinnies don't work unless you have a wide tail. ...There is nothing to push off of. No thruster fin for drive, and no surface area on the tail. You're at the mercy of the momentum of the wave. You cannot generate your own speed. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I've come to the conclusion that twin pin style board only work in really good waves when you don't have to worry about generating your own speed.

 

[Woke AF]

I've ridden two different Chemistry Zen 4.1's (which is similar to a twin pin) and an Aipa Flat Earth which is another pulled-in twin and l've come to the conclusion that twinnies don't work unless you have a wide tail. ...There is nothing to push off of. No thruster fin for drive, and no surface area on the tail. You're at the mercy of the momentum of the wave. You cannot generate your own speed. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I've come to the conclusion that twin pin style board only work in really good waves when you don't have to worry about generating your own speed.

Learn how to use your rail.

This is Thruster-rider problem.

 

[Retropete]

I've ridden two different Chemistry Zen 4.1's (which is similar to a twin pin) and an Aipa Flat Earth which is another pulled-in twin and l've come to the conclusion that twinnies don't work unless you have a wide tail. ...There is nothing to push off of. No thruster fin for drive, and no surface area on the tail. You're at the mercy of the momentum of the wave. You cannot generate your own speed. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I've come to the conclusion that twin pin style board only work in really good waves when you don't have to worry about generating your own speed.

She seems to be doing well in average waves.

 

[flyinraptr]

"Bottom turns felt really strange. As I would come off the bottom, the board would sharply pivot in an uncontrolled way at the end of my turn rather than drawing a smooth arc up into the pocket." Before giving up on the board .... i would suggest trying some different fins first. Not sure what fins you were using but sounds like they were likely a more upright twin fin set? Perhaps - try a set with a wider base - like K2 keels - or something to that effect. It may not be what you are looking for but it might help with learning to extend your bottom turn and letting the rail do the turn versus trying to pivot off your fins. Basically - try surfing it like you would a fish.

 

[rgruber]

The Brit Merrick Twins, which are sort of a hybrid of a keel and an upright which were designed for this board, work pretty well. Guy I sold my board to didn't want them so I hung on to the set.

 

[Retropete]

"Bottom turns felt really strange. As I would come off the bottom, the board would sharply pivot in an uncontrolled way at the end of my turn rather than drawing a smooth arc up into the pocket." Before giving up on the board .... i would suggest trying some different fins first. Not sure what fins you were using but sounds like they were likely a more upright twin fin set? Perhaps - try a set with a wider base - like K2 keels - or something to that effect. It may not be what you are looking for but it might help with learning to extend your bottom turn and letting the rail do the turn versus trying to pivot off your fins. Basically - try surfing it like you would a fish.

CI BMT's?

 

[ReForest]

She seems to be doing well in average waves.

Not really... you can see on her second wave, on the into, she is just squiggling along the wave face and not really going anywhere. You can also see the lack of drive in the backside bottom turns. The twin pin is a poor design. Too much pivot without any drive.

 

[bluengreen]

i am using the BMTs, which were designed for this board

 

[encladd]

As @Woke AF said, using more of the rail (front foot engagement does this) will give you more to push off, giving you more drive – a wider stance will do the same. More weight on the front foot will give you more rail to engage. That's why when you're pumping with your back foot in front of the pad you get such a more positive response.

If I were to surf a CI twin pin, when I'd pump the board I'd have a fairly narrow stance with my back foot well in front of the pad (see Mike February), when I bottom turned I would have my foot in the middle to an inch from the back of the pad, and when I went into my top turn I'd jam it all the way back (between transitioning from the bottom turn to the top). Easier said than done, but a technique that's widely practiced.

 

[Retropete]

i am using the BMTs, which were designed for this board

Love the look of the fins. The Asher Pacey twins have a similar recurve in the tips but the subtle difference must be just enough not to give me an issue.
I've commented before I wasn't a fan of the BMT's as I found they would release unexpectedly in turns which I attributed to the placement/amount of recurve in the tips (rightly or wrongly) whereas others said they had no such problem and love them.

 

[bluengreen]

I exclusively ride twins and quads. This is the only board I've had this issue with. Maybe the fact that it's a CI triggers my thruster muscle memory.