Chris Jackson (CJ Surf Designs, Cornwall) talks about some interesting ideas and a fresh look on asymmetric boards and fin set ups, keen to keen what everyone thinks.

http://www.blackprojectfins.com/2014/04/14/is-it-time-for-a-fresh-take-on-asymmetric-boards/

Well it's testing time in Maui, and we've done quads and thrusters now, so why the hell not. Bring back the assy I say!
Coming soon to a shop near you. I reckon Starboard will be first.

All my boards are asymmetrical! On the bottom they're kinda smooth, concavey, channelly, pointy-uppy at the front with fins sticking out towards the rear whereas on the top they're kinda dome-y, rough and have strappy-loopy things sticking out towards the rear.

Nice looking board,

I'm guessing its for riding left handers.

I had a couple of assymetricals (22 years ago , they used to be the go in Geraldton !!), Polakow killed the assy's off with his Strapper single fins.

Would be interesting to see the new generation riding them, they were awesome for bottom turns on big waves.

I believe there were assymetrical surfboards (Wayne Lynch ?)

Asymmetrical boards were okay but I guess that the benefits were too subtle to justify mass production. I kinda wish I kept mine for historical nostalgia.

Asymmetric footstraps as well. That is rad.



I used to sail a thruster as an asymmetric, but by removing one thruster fin completely, so a large rear and a single front thruster on the bottom turn side. I figured tight bottom turns but loose slidey top turns.


The idea came to me one day when I broke a fin and couldn't be arsed to fix it. Unfortunately I can neither crank a bottom turn nor slash a top turn so I didn't really see much difference.

McSmurfin said..

I've been wondering when someone was going to start pushing assy fin setups, kinda makes sense for multifin setups as it's easier to muck around with and you can swap them round for going different directions. Sure Starboard would love to bring assy boards into production - now you need a Lefty and a Righty new board every new year model ;)

@ Al Planet - There's a ridunculous amount of assy surfboards and surfboard fin setups out there, including finless and 2:1 side fin setups and all sorts: www.google.co.nz/search?q=rabbit+foot+surfboard&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=EMtMU_uUIsSLkQXjh4GYAQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1421&bih=779#q=assymetric+surfboards&tbm=isch&imgdii=_


Plenty more exploring to be done in the board world :)

OK so maybe the surf industry is not a good example of the utility of asymmetric shapes there is no doubt that they have tried a lot of alternatives including all the finless shapes, a trend I don't expect to see in windsurfing and I don't include Mike Waltz sailing a door as part of a fin free design culture. Ian K mentions speed boards as a more likely area for experimentation, as most speed strips only work on one tack and asymmetric fins are already in production.

I guess nothing should be ruled out, even Nobby Rash riding a board shaped like a nob?

Ive got some plans in the pipeline for a big asymetrical quad wave board, moving the centreline fins straps etc will give me a narrow feeling board on my bottom turn side, but I'll have the width of an early planing wide board.

I like what Chris has done www.cjsurf.com/category/home/