Hi everyone. I’m back after finishing and LOVING my second board. It’s now my go to and I’m having so much fun on it, but I’ve realised I kinda like building boards as much as surfing them. So since I’m in a place where I have limited access to a sort of shop, I’m itching to start my next board.
I like weird and unusual things, stuff that “most” surfers don’t use. I havent surfed many boards, but I just like the idea of strange craft, so after my first board, a twin fin fish, and my second, a 7’3" pintail, I’m going for full weird and doing a mini simmons. I don’t know alot about them, never surfed one, to be honest I’ve never even seen one in real life, but I’m attracted to them.
Here is the shape I worked up in board cad, would love your thoughts and input. Most importantly, I know that Mini Simmons are famous for their bottom contours. This will be my first foray into bottom contouring, my previous boards were pure flat, and almost pure flat. Can anyone describe to me how I should go about contouring the bottom of the Mini? From what I understand it is traditionally supposed to have “belly” in the nose and concave in the tail. Am I right about this? How deep should concave be? How prominent should belly be? Should I dig out the deck on the nose like it seems is also part of these boards? Any and all input is GREATLY appreciated by all you legends.
I got taught to locate the concaves, then count the length and number of strokes of sanding so that each side can be matched. Long strokes to fair into deck and short ones to deepen concave.
Sandpaper on wide plank for vee
56 litres is a lot of cork to control in 5’11" of length.
Thanks man! I’ve gone all through hydrodynamica’s site it’s really cool. I’ve also scoured minisimmonssurboards site but I feel like there isn’t a lot of concrete info on there. It seems more like discussions about general design ideas. I even went as far as to buy the Keel Nation book and was a little disappointed by that too. It’s very general in everything it talks about. But I did enjoy looking at the photos of submitted boards. I’d love to go and look at a mini myself but I can’t find one anywhere, even at the surf shops near me. Anyhow, if you’ve got any tips or pointers or more resources I would love to hear them!
Thanks man. Is the dished deck just a style/look thing? Or is there some kind of specific design reason for it? I remember reading somewhere that it was done originally to reduce the weight of the nose, but not sure if it would really be noticeable or not, especially for a surfer like me.
Yeah that’s what I see shapers on youtube doing. It’s very methodical and it usually gives good results I think. What type of concave/vee would you put into this board? I have no idea about concaves or anything so I’m starting from a total blank slate of “I don’t know what this is” hahaha.
As for the high volume, it makes sense what you’re saying. I am 6’1" and 220lbs. though, so I usually need more volume than your average surfer just to keep the board above water. You think it’s still too much with my weight/height? Should I skinny it up a bit?
Here’s a video of Kenvin riding a 6-2 Simmons-type shape. Unlike his original boards, this one has the much longer length and is set up as a quad with the cluster being more forward. As a result, he is riding the board a fair bit more forward than when he was surfing the shorter lengths. This board still retains the spooned deck at the nose and the additional flip in the nost rocker of the originals.
Here’s another vid of Kenvin himself giving a lecture on his version of early surf history as it relates to Simmon’s designs. He gets to that point at about 16:00 into this vid. If you’re interested in the early evolution of this design then this vid is worth a watch.
IRL there’s a certain amount of controversy over the execution of the first Mini-Simmons as to how many of the details accrue to Simmons, how many to Kenvin and how many accrue to the shaper (Joe Baugess). Everyone has an opinion about it so there’s no point in arguing one over the other.
One other thing I’d like to add to the conversation is that, as with all boards you build, you might want to consider the merits of figuring out what design elements will work with you, your current skill level, the conditions in which you intend to surf that board and how you intend to surf it. Work backwards from what you’re trying to do to result in a board that will help you do that.
This design came up at Windnsea and was most notable at the San Diego County reefs. They weren’t surfing a fast breaking wave or beachbreak slop. There are other designs that do better in such conditions. Etc, etc. The point being, you’ll do better for yourself by actually building for yourself (or for your rider) as opposed to only copying what other builders have been building for other riders.
Aswesome input as usual man, thank you so much for the video links and sound advice. I’m what I would describe as a fairly novice surfer. I can paddle in, stand up, ride and turn, but I’m not ripping or hitting the lip verticle, or even close to that. I’m 6’1" and about 220lbs. I usually surf the point at Jordan River on Vancouver Island which is a rock bottom fairly powerful right, and a more mellow and steady left. but I surf other spots here too. I feel like this board will go well there, especially on the right point, but I guess we’ll see. In reality, I think I am working backwards from what I’m trying to do, because my main goal is to experiment, grow my building skills, have fun in the process, and then if all goes 100% well, have a ton of fun on the board too. I’ve already made a board that I love and have tons of fun on (my 7’3" pintail) so I’ll have something to love and enjoy if this one fails, but I hope it wont.
I guess the question I would ask here is what hole you’re trying to fill? What do you want to do with your surfing that your 7-3 isn’t doing for you?
The way you describe your surfing depicts what we could say is in between a rookie and intermediate surfer (which most surfers never get beyond intermediate). You were apparently an adult when you picked up with surfing so your wave count is probably still in the low 100s, not 1000s. And there’s nothing wrong with that 'cause everyone starts somewhere.
Anyways, you’re surfing a singlefin midlength right now so that’s going to lead to a specific style where you’ll be popping up more forward on the board with that close longboard-style stance and using more hip than legs. You’re taking off straighter and making the big bottom turn but the board will be running out of juice in the 2nd half of the turn unless you’re really projecting on the bottom turn. So the next logical step on this track would be to stick with a conventional shape/length and go from a singlefin to a 2+1; that will extend your range and get you up to the lip. You can pump the cluester and start making some of your own mojo instead of leaving it all to the board; and you can still keep your stance and positioning on the board.
IMO going from a midlength singlefin directly to a simmons is a radical step that might hold your progression back because the style it takes to surf that design is different than what you’ll do on a single. . I get that you want to come down in length and surf something more nimble but those fat assed boards really are more difficult and take more effort to control. They’re not a noob-friendly design. AND they’re not that easy to shape, either.
Check out what this guy is doing. He’s a big guy and he surfs singles and 2+1s and he gets around on a wave really well. See what you think
I almost forgot. Another direction you could consider that would be an easier transition for you might be the McCoy Nugget. Hich volume, lots of float and real controllable.
I made a 5’-8" x 23" (19" nose and tail) Simmons a while back. The nose has belly, blending to flat with bit of a chined rail that tapers thinner as it goes through the middle, to a double concave with a lot of vee out the back (maybe it’s called a spiral vee?). It’s a quad and has a bit of a scooped out nose, kind of a poor attempt at an “S” deck. It doesn’t show and it’s hard to see in the pics but the bottom contours are pretty well pronounced.
This thing is super chunky and I’m 215lbs so I really like displacement contours vs. concaves on most of my boards that are this thick and wide. This thing goes surprisingly well as a quad, the only thing I don’t like is that I made it too thick but it catches everything with ease. You can just cruise with it on the smallest waves and throw it around pretty well when it gets good. It does get unwieldy when the surf pouchy because of how flat it is though.
That looks like blown up Kenvin Mini Simmons that are very short and are surfed right on the tail. Then again just looking now I do see that he’s made some bigger ones. Those moon keels kinda scared me so I went with a quad and pulled the tail in quite a bit.
