Rusty - Shiv, Hatchet, 419Fish

JeffRSpicoli · Feb 10, 2020

Aruka said:
Good call Jeff. At first I took mine out in some pretty crap conditions because that's just what we have had. There was one day that wasn't bad though. Like chest high and kind of mushy outside bar to steeper running inside section. It didn't have as much fishy glide as I was hoping. It catches waves fine but I wasn't able to hold a high line like a fish and also felt like I just couldn't get much drive off the bottom to make it around sections. I got a couple waves where I linked a few turns but never felt like I found the sweet spot or really clicked with the board. I eventually came in and grabbed a different board and had a great rest of the session. My hope is that it was just a little too powerful for the board even thought it was only chest high. The board is on ice for now since we have swell and I'll wait for a good small day to bring it back out.

Hey Aruka, thanks for the info and what fins/set up were you using.

I am planning on starting with tri-fin and my Futures Stamps.

Figure a tried and true will be best to baseline.
-although I did just get the NVS C-Drive fins in the mail can't want to see how they feel.

Aruka · Feb 10, 2020

JeffRSpicoli said:
Hey Aruka, thanks for the info and what fins/set up were you using.

I am planning on starting with tri-fin and my Futures Stamps.

I went with JJF large fronts and HS1 quad rears first couple sessions. That's a setup I liked in my Fling.

I've surfed it the past few days as a thruster with much better results. Fiberglass AM2's felt more positive and had nice hold off the bottom although I felt like I was outrunning the pocket a little so I switched to F8 blackstix which didn't feel bad either and did allow for a little tiger shreds. I had one session where the waves were pretty good and I got into a bit of a rythm, got a couple little barrels on the inside and a few decent turns. The waves looked pretty good yesterday so I tried to surf a step down and I felt like I was bogging. After 20 min. of that I went in, grabbed the Hatchet off the beach and had a much better time. Gonna try twin+trailer setup next.

JeffRSpicoli · Feb 11, 2020

Aruka said:
I went with JJF large fronts and HS1 quad rears first couple sessions. That's a setup I liked in my Fling.

I've surfed it the past few days as a thruster with much better results. Fiberglass AM2's felt more positive and had nice hold off the bottom although I felt like I was outrunning the pocket a little so I switched to F8 blackstix which didn't feel bad either and did allow for a little tiger shreds. I had one session where the waves were pretty good and I got into a bit of a rythm, got a couple little barrels on the inside and a few decent turns. The waves looked pretty good yesterday so I tried to surf a step down and I felt like I was bogging. After 20 min. of that I went in, grabbed the Hatchet off the beach and had a much better time. Gonna try twin+trailer setup next.

Sweet thanks for the info and stoked to hear your experience is improving!

I have the F8's as well so maybe I will give those a shot first and since I got the Rusty Twin fin I have acquired a couple of twin fin sets, must say slapping those in a 'normal' board sure does make it a lot of fun, what speed without the trailer friction.

Too dark our right now to see the ocean, but today might be the day.

mundi · Feb 12, 2020

Was coming off some injuries and emailed Rusty about a Blade. He suggested one around 10L more than I was used to riding. Replied quick, sent a file, great service to be honest. Went in to see Aido who shapes them in Sydney and had a chat and he suggested a custom Smoothie a couple of litres more than what I usually ride. Board was ready two weeks later, and when picking it up, the thing that stood out most was how plain it looked and felt under the arm. Threw a set of Futures F8’s in it and I haven’t surfed anything else in the last 6 months. Really easy board to paddle and surf, I’ve had it out up to head and a half and never felt like I was limited by the board in either end of the range. I don’t think I’ve had another board that I’ve enjoyed surfing more to be honest. No quirks, no weird stuff, just a really well balanced board. Ordered a squashed down Twin Fin with a trailer box a couple of weeks ago which should be ready soon, just to mix things up.

camc · Feb 14, 2020

mundi said:
Was coming off some injuries and emailed Rusty about a Blade. He suggested one around 10L more than I was used to riding. Replied quick, sent a file, great service to be honest. Went in to see Aido who shapes them in Sydney and had a chat and he suggested a custom Smoothie a couple of litres more than what I usually ride. Board was ready two weeks later, and when picking it up, the thing that stood out most was how plain it looked and felt under the arm. Threw a set of Futures F8’s in it and I haven’t surfed anything else in the last 6 months. Really easy board to paddle and surf, I’ve had it out up to head and a half and never felt like I was limited by the board in either end of the range. I don’t think I’ve had another board that I’ve enjoyed surfing more to be honest. No quirks, no weird stuff, just a really well balanced board. Ordered a squashed down Twin Fin with a trailer box a couple of weeks ago which should be ready soon, just to mix things up.

Awesome.

How'd you get in touch with Rusty? I've emailed customer service a couple of separate times and got nada. Also, was Aido willing to plug that file from Rusty in and punch it out? Doesn't look like they're offering Hatchet's locally but if the source file comes from Rusty, maybe they can??

Aruka · Feb 14, 2020

Hatchet update: played around with twin+trailer sets on a fun day at my local. Drab twins (lightweight carbon, similar to MR with more cant) plus a small trailer felt pretty good. Definitely an improvement over thruster setups for the smaller waves, just a little easier speed and looser off the top. Maybe a little too pivotal and not holding speed through turns as much as I wanted. Tried Stretch twins which were worse in every way. Would like to try the EN's which are the largest upright twins I own. After a few waves on the Stretch's I went back in to see what other fins I had and I saw the Lovelace Piggyback Quads which I've enjoyed in other grovel boards so I popped those in. On the first wave the difference was very apparent. I was finally getting that fish-like projection I'd been missing. Not only was the drive and the highline hold and speed better but I didn't feel like I was bogging on bottom turns as much either. There was some pivotal sacrifice but for me it was well worth it. I still was able to draw some pretty sharp lines in the pocket but more importantly (for this wave especially) I was able to carry speed from the pocket out onto the open face to connect to the next section or to cut back without bogging on the flat face. I rode it with the Piggyback fins in for two more sessions in very similar conditions (waist to head high fairly soft, clean rights) and it felt really good.

But lets not get carried away, this isn't a love letter, exactly. I definitely had a few wtf moments where the board exhibited some of those wide/fat behaviors such as, and most often, not wanting to tip onto rail as readily as I'd like. I don't know if I ever fell but I had a few near stumbles when my feet weren't maybe perfectly centered and I went to pump or turn. I think that whatever the advantages of the flat deck are, one of the disadvantages is the full rails are just a little harder to sink. The wide tail sometimes did as wide tails do and off the top it slid when I expected it to hold but it wasn't often or completely the boards fault and the more I rode it the more I started to get a feel for the limits. Importantly it usually held just fine off the bottom. I'll refrain from a final verdict until I get a chance to ride it in some lefts and some slightly juicier beachbreaks.

casa_mugrienta · Feb 14, 2020

Aruka said:
I think that whatever the advantages of the flat deck are, one of the disadvantages is the full rails are just a little harder to sink.

I really fucking hate them at least when it comes to modern performance oriented shapes.

sushipop · Feb 14, 2020

Aruka said:
Hatchet update: played around with twin+trailer sets on a fun day at my local. Drab twins (lightweight carbon, similar to MR with more cant) plus a small trailer felt pretty good. Definitely an improvement over thruster setups for the smaller waves, just a little easier speed and looser off the top. Maybe a little too pivotal and not holding speed through turns as much as I wanted. Tried Stretch twins which were worse in every way. Would like to try the EN's which are the largest upright twins I own. After a few waves on the Stretch's I went back in to see what other fins I had and I saw the Lovelace Piggyback Quads which I've enjoyed in other grovel boards so I popped those in. On the first wave the difference was very apparent. I was finally getting that fish-like projection I'd been missing. Not only was the drive and the highline hold and speed better but I didn't feel like I was bogging on bottom turns as much either. There was some pivotal sacrifice but for me it was well worth it. I still was able to draw some pretty sharp lines in the pocket but more importantly (for this wave especially) I was able to carry speed from the pocket out onto the open face to connect to the next section or to cut back without bogging on the flat face. I rode it with the Piggyback fins in for two more sessions in very similar conditions (waist to head high fairly soft, clean rights) and it felt really good.

But lets not get carried away, this isn't a love letter, exactly. I definitely had a few wtf moments where the board exhibited some of those wide/fat behaviors such as, and most often, not wanting to tip onto rail as readily as I'd like. I don't know if I ever fell but I had a few near stumbles when my feet weren't maybe perfectly centered and I went to pump or turn. I think that whatever the advantages of the flat deck are, one of the disadvantages is the full rails are just a little harder to sink. The wide tail sometimes did as wide tails do and off the top it slid when I expected it to hold but it wasn't often or completely the boards fault and the more I rode it the more I started to get a feel for the limits. Importantly it usually held just fine off the bottom. I'll refrain from a final verdict until I get a chance to ride it in some lefts and some slightly juicier beachbreaks.

You are the fin marketing machine’s wet dream and Greg Griffin’s nightmare.

mundi · Feb 14, 2020

camc said:
Awesome.

How'd you get in touch with Rusty? I've emailed customer service a couple of separate times and got nada. Also, was Aido willing to plug that file from Rusty in and punch it out? Doesn't look like they're offering Hatchet's locally but if the source file comes from Rusty, maybe they can??

I just sent an email to service@rustysurfboards.com. Aidos great to deal with, call or visit him and he’ll sort it out

JeffRSpicoli · Feb 26, 2020

Alright, couldn't wait any longer took the Hatchet out in some 3', maybe 4', groundswell that was getting ruined by local onshore winds [5/4 hood, 7mil booties, 7mil lobster claw gloves]. 3 rides to speak of that provided open shoulder for some top to bottom action; marginal first two waves and felt like a cross between the Zeppelin and Twin Fin, a positive feeling. The last wave turned out to be incredible! Found the line and man did the board take off, fast as phuck, thing just took off; like wait up for me. Turned on a dime, was impressive and can't wait to see how it operates in glassier conditions.
-used F8 Blackstik's tri-fin set up.

Must say the rails feel interesting, like holding a phone book, but for me the foam distribution seems spot on.

tedshred5 · Mar 4, 2020

Think I wanna order a Twin Fin in the near future after demo'ing one over the weekend. I've got the T1s and Aipas in fiberglass. Those of you with the R. Twin Fin, how's it been going? Should i go Flat deck or normal?

JeffRSpicoli · Mar 4, 2020

tedshred5 said:
Think I wanna order a Twin Fin in the near future after demo'ing one over the weekend. I've got the T1s and Aipas in fiberglass. Those of you with the R. Twin Fin, how's it been going? Should i go Flat deck or normal?

I ordered the Rusty Twin Fin in normal deck, didn't know it was available in flat deck and probably would have chosen normal anyhow.

I did the heaviest glassing vs. epoxy or Torsion Spring, maybe due to cost and at the same time I ordered the Rooster in Torsion Spring, but heavy glassing does not seem to inhibit me. An honestly I love the board!

I am sure many twins are roughly the same, so can't speak to other set ups, but the thing fly's, has made me laugh out loud a few times at the speed and feel and some of the longer turning radiuses I experienced. Really can drive around crumbling sections without that center fin drag. A couple of different sessions I have had a few guys complement me "man you're catching some nice waves" so the board must be doing something for me! Nice having a board with a different feel to look forward to.

I have been using the Al Merrick Keel fins, started with the NVS Krakens. NVS aren't bad, but the Keels seem more responsive. So all in all I have no doubts about the purchase and am very happy it's in my quiver!

As an aside rode the Hatchet again today, only second session, with better waves and seems to me on the Hatchet you don't have to work as hard, or as hard as I do, maybe I am generally too aggressive, to go rail to rail. Few waves today felt more like a skateboard with looser trucks, really enjoyed the easy of the top to bottom maneuvering, like the board knew where it wanted to go. Again seems to be a cross between the Twin Fin and Zeppelin. And is it the flat deck that seems to make it a good paddler? Today I felt like I was paddling like a monster, really able to be far forward on it when paddling, felt speedy and the offshores were honkin'~20-25mph.

I think I am going to be very fond of the Hatchet, can't wait for some better surf to really understand it.

Cheers!

silentbutdeadly · Mar 10, 2020

IMO as short as you're comfortable. IMO it's good not to have to move your feet much.

That 419 fish at 5'10" 21 2.2 comes in at 32.9... it's weird, I don't know the exact volume of my keels but I've had them in similar dims and would guess them to be in the 35 L range. Maybe look at another brand that puts more volume in for the size?

What's your shortest board now with volume?

Everyone is different. and you might have to do some experimenting. The keels I've owned have been 5/10" 21 2 3/4 (bladey hanel rails) and a 5'8# 21 2 3/4 mitsven. Both floated and paddled extremely well even at 201 pounds. 5'8" felt best under my 6'0" frame. These were handhsapes where they felt up and measured other boards of mine.

oeste858 · Mar 11, 2020

Agree to go as short as you can on a fish, so it's as maneuverable as possible. IMO up to your nose is about right. 5'10" sounds long for a fish and that Rusty at 2.2" sounds pretty thin; most fish I've ridden are thicker, closer towards 2.5"-3". But I just looked that model up and it's probably simply due to the Flat Deck so don't get hung up on the Liters number. I bet you'd be fine with 5'8". I have a flat deck 5'9" x 21x 2.3" R. Quatro fish and it rides a lot bigger than its 34L volume- maybe feels more like 36L. I'm 6 ft, 175-180 lbs. and I wish I would've gotten a 5'7". You should contact Rusty and see what size they would recommend for you.

if you're going by volume on something with a regular (convex) deck, I'd think you look for something around 33-35 L. I have 2 Mitsven twin keels, a 5'6"x 21 x 2 3/4 and SBD's 5'8" he mentioned above. They're similar, but different models (tail width & fin placement), and the 2" length really makes only a slight difference. Both work well for me in the reefs around SD. I tend to ride the smaller one from thigh-chest high, and the bigger one as the waves get better as it holds a little tighter on turns (fins placed closer to tail) and slightly better paddler.
Neither would be my choice for a groveler and the classic SD fish was not intended as a small wave board. If you want to just cruise, I believe there is another thread extolling the virtues of a long fish (which I'd say over 6'6") but those are different designs than just a slightly oversized fish. Josh Hall makes great ones.

jkb · Mar 11, 2020

92122 said:
Here's a general question I'll drop here: What is the general consensus on sizing your first Fish? I got a nice long wave on one of our local / soft reefs last summer on a buddy's 5' 4" (doesnt know the volume) and it got me thinking. I know you size them short, but how much less than you are tall is a good guideline?

I know this is a Rusty thread, so pardon the response but if you had fun on your buddy's 5'4 fish why not just order the same thing your buddy had and forgo trying to do the calculus required to find the Rusty equivalent?

jkb · Mar 12, 2020

92122 said:
He's a much more experienced surfer and also 15lbs or more lighter. Both times I popped up my foot missed the tail. 5' 4" is too short a board for me, but I did adjust and get a decent wave on it.

Go 5'6 and call it a day.

silentbutdeadly · Mar 12, 2020

You can borrow my 5'10 hanel if you want.

daave · Mar 12, 2020

Agree 5'6 is a pretty good fish length for your size.

Rusty - Shiv, Hatchet, 419Fish

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