
Available widths: 18 1/2"----22"
Available thicknesses: 2 ½""----2 7/8"
Prices: Up to 6'8" AUD$900
6'9"----7'3" AUD$1,000
Color and shipping extra
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Semi-Gun
Appropriate volume with easy paddling allows early entry into the wave to avoid late takeoffs. These boards can be surfed either from further forward for longer turns, or off the tail enabling quick directional changes as necessary. Bottom shape is a soft single concave in the middle fading into a soft Vee under the back foot. The bottom concave allows the board to be ridden high in the wave to enable maximum speed whilst the Vee and subtle rocker (bottom curve) keeps the board nice and loose for optimum positioning.
Check out the Videos section to see these boards in action.
A Semi-Gun is a specialized surfboard designed for larger than average waves…….say
in the 6'-10' or double overhead plus range. Depending on location, bigger
waves are usually faster moving, more powerful and more hollow than smaller waves.
Bigger waves could accurately be termed waves of consequence since the effects
of any mistakes made whilst surfing them are significantly magnified when compared
with those occurring in smaller waves. Particularly when reef breaks are involved,
failure to successfully negotiate large waves can result in serious injury.
It follows then that surfboards designed for larger surf must successfully address
the issues of wave size, power and shape. If this is done correctly, the surfer
will be able to confidently deal with whatever comes his/her way.
Wave size.
Large waves have typically traveled from storm centers a long way away and are
faster moving as they approach the break than smaller waves. Therefore a
Semi-Gun needs to paddle very efficiently to allow early entry into the wave,
and to be of a length proportionate to wave size. Volume and length are
the main variables of interest here.
Wave power.
Large waves naturally have more power than small waves. Therefore a Semi-Gun
ridden in large surf will be propelled much faster than a surfboard being surfed
in small waves. Consequently the board needs to contain design attributes
to allow the surfer to maintain control at high speeds. The primary variable
concerned here is rocker.
Wave shape.
For a number of reasons large waves are usually steeper and more hollow than smaller
waves. Again the Semi-Gun needs to be able to accommodate these conditions
and ensure that the surfer has control. Primarily this entails narrower
planshape dimensions and adjustments to rocker.
DESIGN BACKGROUND
Planshape/Outline
As you can see in the photo, our Semi-Guns have a continuous free flowing curve
through the outline with no straight sections or hips at all. The effect
of this outline is to allow smooth and predictable transitions between turns….for
example between coming off the bottom and laying the board over on the rail for
the first turn. The nose area is pulled in, but still retains sufficient
area to enable the surfer to move forward on the board if desired to draw out
a longer turn….thus having multiple sweet spots. Boards which are
too narrow in the nose can only be surfed off the tail because they cannot support
the surfer's weight when forward and hence are restricted in their length of turn.
Also obvious is the rounded pintail whereby the tail area is significantly reduced
in comparison with small wave boards like the F-SKATE or V-SKATE. Reduced
tail area is critical in large waves since it allows the tail to be buried during
turns at high speed, rather than sitting up on top of the water and spinning out
or "chattering"on the wave surface. The narrow tail actually bites into
the wave face and helps hold the line through each turn. Tail shapes in my Semi-Guns
are invariably rounded pintails……there is no good theoretical reason
for using squares or swallows. Although a rounded squaretail would have
a touch more drive……in practice this is inconsequential since there
is abundant wave power to propel the board.
Rocker.
Outline and rocker (bottom curve) are the two most important determinants of surfboard
performance.
You can see from the picture here that there is significant rocker in the Semi-Gun.
This is in stark contrast to our small wave boards such as the F-SKATE and Powerglide.
As wave power increases, so should rocker. Why? The less rocker a
board has the faster it will go and with more drive…..but it will be relatively
stiff and hard to turn. In small waves we use less rocker to compensate
for low wave power. In big waves with abundant power…..a board with
low rocker would be really fast but almost impossible to turn and control.
Therefore we use more rocker in Semi-Guns to enable the surfer to turn and position
the board. In essence the heavier use of rocker allows the board to
be slowed down in turns from the tremendous speeds which are generated.
Whilst there is gradual rocker throughout the bottom……there is a
relatively straight section located somewhat behind the halfway point.
This is the engine room so to speak and can be used to increase speed when necessary
by weighting slightly forwards. Because of the steeper character of most
big waves….extra rocker is also required to facilitate late takeoffs.
Additional tail lift enables the tail to fit into the steeper wave curve on takeoff…….and
allows the nose to rise simultaneously so as to minimize the chances of nose diving.
Bottom shape.
After many years of surfing and shaping I have developed a bottom shape which
produces predictable and confidence building results. A very slight roll
in the nose area ensures that there will be no rail catching up front during full
rail turns. This roll graduates into a flat area and then into a fairly
shallow single concave under the chest area. Concaves promote speed by allowing
the formation of an air pocket between the board and the wave and thus reducing
friction. Concaves also have the effect of drawing the board up the wave
face. This ability to be drawn up the face in a controlled manner allows
the surfer to ride high in the wave……which is the fastest part of
the wave, and to generate tremendous speed runs which have obvious benefits.
The concave gradually flattens out and is replaced with a soft Vee under the backfoot
area. The Vee facilitates rail to rail turns at speed.
So overall we have a very fast bottom shape which still allows for control and
direction changes.
Thickness/Length/Rails/Fins and things.
As you can see in the foil picture, the Semi-Gun has the majority of its volume
under the chest, and thins out significantly in the nose and tail. The tail in
particular needs to be relatively thin to allow it to be buried in turns rather
than to ride up on top of the water. Its perhaps obvious but nonetheless very
important that you can paddle in early in big waves. There is nothing worse
than not being able to get into the wave in time and going over the falls.
By contrast, early entry allows you to set yourself up for what's ahead and creates
tremendous confidence. The exact thickness of each board depends on many
variables which I take into account with each person. Likewise with
length……the board needs to be long enough but not too long, and depends
on variables such as where the board will mostly be ridden/whether the surfer
has other boards/level of experience and their weight.
Rails are low soft in the nose area blending into a slightly harder rail through
the center and then very hard in the last third of the board for drive and bite.
The rails through the center need to be fairly neutral or else catching will occur
in choppy conditions. The rail foil.....the thickness of the rails themselves
is also very important. Too much thickness and the board will feel "boaty"
and will lack response/too thin and the board will catch through turns and will
feel unstable. Complicated huh?
Fin positioning is critical. Too far forward and the board will lack drive/too
far back and it will feel too stiff and will be very hard to control at high speed.
It's obvious then that a successful Semi-Gun contains a marriage of many subtle
variables. When these are combined appropriately by an experienced shaper the
surfer will feel confident in larger waves and will look forward to testing his/her
limits.
Happy surfing
Grant Miller.