I am very interested in Mini Simmons and I hope to be able to make it.
5’6", 170 pounds, 37 years old, longboard intermediate, but shotboard beginner.
My surfing spot has a small, mellow wave of 1 to 3 feet.
I already have a 6’4 soft-form board for bubbles, but I’d like to add mini-simmons to the quiver for better fun.
OK, I know how to decide the size of the mini simmons to be 4-5" smaller than height.
Unfortunately I am very short and I think 5’2" is too small for my skill. What is the correct length and width?
When looking at the minisimones template, the classic has a flat concave.
However, when I searched the articles of the forum here, I saw many people recommending a single large concave, or flat to 1/3 vee, or single to double.
Can you tell me the secret of the concave?
i’m not good at english, so please reply with easy words if possible.
If you’re 5’6", a 5’2" simmons sounds about right. I’m 5’10" and ride a 5’0" type simmons with no problem. As for my bottom contours, I made my simmons from the front of an old longboard, so it had concave in the nose leading to flat going to vee in the tail. That combo works well for me, but I made my tail smaller than a traditional simmons so it might not be the best for the wider, traditional simmons tail.
The fist board that I made was a mini Simmons, 5’7 x 22 x 2 3/4 with a really wide tail. Im 27y, 6’1 and 190lbs.
The boad has single to a double concave that fades to a vee near the diamont tail. The next one will be smaller, like 5’4 and maybe less wide, but for sure with more vee area and a more pulled in tail, because most of days here the waves are not that long. So I dont have much time for cruising.
But if your waves are mellow, but long, you should not have a problem with a more “classic” mini.
I agree. The first simmons I made was 6’ and had a 17" wide tail (at the tail block). It helped me understand the value of that wide tail, but I couldn’t turn it comfortably. I had to shuffle it almost like a skim board, twisting my body back and forth. But boy could it catch.
So I shaped that same board down to a simmons-ish shape with a 15" tail (@ 12") and a 10" tail at the block. The bottom had vee and I added kick in the tail as well. It now has 12 fcs plugs and a fins unlimited box installed for a ton of fin options. Rides and catches great.
There is no rule that a mini-simmons needs to be so many inches shorter than your height. 5’6" x 170 pounds, a 5’6"x 23 x 2.75 mini-simmons will be fine and fun. Personally, I like flat to deep (3/8" || 9mm) aggressive single concave out the tail starting at the mid-point with the fins set all the back to the corners. But whatever you do, have fun with it. And if you find the length too long, build another and sell that one. That’s why we do this stuff.
I read this awhile ago and I been thinking about it since… I bought a mini-simmons from a guy in Coos Bay, OR, in like, maybe 2009 (?). His name is Tony, and I think he’s Swaylocks member “Rocklobster”. Apologies if thats the wrong handle. Anyway, that board was dynamite, and I remember him describing his approach to shaping the bottom contours in a blog called “Retroshaper”.
I haven’t been able to find a picture, but the board was very, very much like Gunkie describes in his reply: slight belly to flat to single concave out the tail. Fins on the very corners. The tail outline was dead straight, square, almost awkwardly so. Very little rocker, pretty decided step, S-deck. I can tell you that the board rode beautifully. i am not athletic (and admittedly the board was WAY long for me at 6’) but it just slid into waves. It wasn’t a magic paddler, but somehow it allowed me some buttery takeoffs. I used it mostly in very small mushy surf, and it never felt like I had to coax it. I never rode anything bigger than barely headhigh on it, but in that arena it worked perfectly for me, and was particularly easy for me to surf.
I can’t believe that I sold it several years ago. I am trying to think of the circumstances surrounding that… I guess I could say that of every board I’ve sold. every car and motorcycle for that matter.
Anyway… apologies as I get carried away. The “Retroshaper” blog has a blow-by-blow on the shaping of said board as well as others. Tony knows his shit, and in this case made a good little rider. I’m sorry to say that I have lost contact with him, and in fact, if you’re reading this Tony, (or if you know him…) Give me a holler.
So, Like Gunkie described. That’s how to do it in my opinion. I actually thought that (single concave out, fins at the corners) was the original concept of the Simmons (mini-Simmons).
