Dim-Sim(Mini-Simmons) board test.
Nice pics Steve. Definitely looks like it struggles a tad in the steeper sections of the wave (I guess due to the flatness of the board) but those cutbacks on the fatter shoulders look damn fine to me (generating some reasonable speed through the turn??).
first surf, wait til he has a few more sessions on it, those struggles become less and less, and you find the flatness and drive a benefit, just gotta adapt ya surfin a bit, confident SS will like it more each sesh, plus backhand is a little trickier at least in the beginning from my experience.....floaters with flow, it loves em, maybe you can beat Owen on it ????- like the dolphins in the background, pic 8 I think....
should have a go on it DW ....
went back to the scene of the crime for Rnd 2.....more perfect head high peelrs, this time a bit more pockety.
Started to surf the board a bit more top to bottom and found plenty of love rail-turning the board in a tight pocket at speed.
Started to appreciate the range of turn arcs that could be utilised and found the board loves, loves, loves a full rail wrap at speed.
Found some floaty, free moments back in the whitewater after a rebound....but generally those keels on the tail keep the board feeeling very connected, which I dig.
It was a freaking fun as shit session.
Wish I could have hung around to surf with ya Steve. Thanks for the coffee and chat. It was good to meet up. That is definately a good little wave for that board. I had a ball on it out there that morning.
Scot
Sesh 3 in high tide rock runner was the kind of wave I envisioned the board excelling in.....the kind of wave that is moving down the line fast but with all the energy in the top third of the wave and not much of a pocket.
Hard to ride and often uncrowded for that reason.
Easy speed is addictive and roundy's can be voluptuous ......but the damm thing will go vert as Scot asserted.
Sesh 4 was in offshore but short range join the dots pointbreak.....little bits and pieces evrywhere. The DimSim loves traversing cross country and finding little bowls of vertical goodness amongst a confused line-up.
My philosophy of quiver enhancement is ecological. I'm looking for under-exploited niches and thinking about what boards would best suit them. It's amazing what an opportunistic outlook like this will turn up, often right under the herd's noses. Little vacancies, driveby motels on the main highway with room at the Inn.
Damm this little Dim-Sim. One more fun distraction from the business of paying rent and putting beans on the table.
Steve, stoked you are enjoying the board and reading the feedback in varying wave types is great. I am interested in what your original thoughts on this board were , what you expected it to ride like ? Do you think the majority would be assuming the same ?
I am a genuine believer in these little boards and think a large chunk of punters would really like them and they could enhance their quivers, but due to most peoples perception of them ( wether that be becase they look like they would not go well or because they think they arent 'cool' or just too alternative and not their scene or possibly some combination of thse reasons ) and belive they go better than traditional fish ( but theres so many variations from one fish to another, silly to compare really ), anyway, I am sending this one around and giving anyone the chance to try one for free, just for fun, they can try it for a week or so, at their breaks when and where they want, I just wanna see and hear their thoughts, good and bad, but I really reckon alot of people will get stoked on this little board, they make me smile every time I paddle mine out.....What would you change Steve, anytghing you want to make them do better, always keen to hear honest feedback and thoughts, after all, thats how I can make adjsutemnts for the better, if need be....
it's hard for me to answer that question right now Mark, cause at 4 surfs in I feel like I'm only starting to figure it out.
Jeez, I didn't really have any idea what it was gunna go like other than fast and flat.....I mean surf flat.
I'd really have to see some video footy to see if what I'm feeeling is actually what is happening.....right now I feel like I'm turning this puppy tight in the pocket but I could be deluded.
It gets alot of attention....people think it's a kneeboard, but I think they can see it
's a whole lotta fun to ride.
Would like to have a go in some lefts, so whoever is waiting next , if you could be patient that'd be a stoker.
Cheers.
enthusiasm usually overides any patience for me...haha....seriously thinking about writing " No, its not a fucking kneeboard" on my 5'3" dim-SIM....
Hey Mark,
How much do you sell these for?
Steve, I'd be keen to know what you think of it if you can get some left hand barrels on it. Living in the land of the long right pointbreak might make that a bit difficult to find though.
Scot
dunno if mentioning coin on here is frowned upon but they go for $600 atm but might be increasing shortly due to the cost of blanks needed to get them out of....
Reckon Steve could find some lefts especially with these offshore winds around, should be plenty of beachies with clean waves.....
i am sure its ok to mention prices on here. my brother was asking me. he is keen to make one himself but I think he'd be better off just buying one when he gets some funds together.
oh yeah thanks for ruining all my other boards.
they go like crap compared to the dim sim.
time to start selling a few i think.
No problems with talking about prices on here Mark.
Few more sessions on the Dim-Sim.
One in DOH, chunky barelling pointbreak. Lots of water moving, big heaving sections.
At first it felt comical being out there on a 5'2" and after the first wave I felt angry at myself for being a position to butcher the kind of surf people would cut off their left nut to surf.
I got a wide set that swung onto the shallow part of the bank and started heaving and pitching and going berko ...,...getting super low and grabbing rail on the bottom turn gave me control and I found some outrageous lines .....the board likes to go up super high through a heaving bowl and just run a high carving line right under the roof.....you just release and let the board run it;s natural trim line then carve it back down to the base again.
Funnily enough it felt close to the finless surfing I did a little while back.....your on the edge of control at full speed. It's not for everyone.
Next sesh was in big lumpy, slopier pointbreak....the kind of surf that can feel like snowboarding at speed down a mountain. I started pushing harder on the board up in the lip, as well as letting it run through those almost upside down speed arcs in the bowl.
I feel like I'm sort of addicted to this board.
Next surf was in small but perfect peelers. This was the type of surf I though the board would excel in but oddly enough I found it kind of boring and one dimensional. Maybe it was just the let down after pushing it to it's limit in solid surf.
One more session in solid overhead surf. Grabbing rail off the bottom and throwing it back into the pocket now feels second nature. Those big twin keels on the tail block give plenty of grip if you're prepared to chance your arm and give it some stick off the bottom.
To be fair......so far I've ridden the board in mostly high quality to fucking perfect point surf. It's the kind of surf almost anything goes good in. But the different lines are no bullshit.
The real test now is how the transition back to a normal board will feel.
Restricted is my guess.
Probably my guess too...
There's a section in Kidman's 'Last Hope' that features a fella surfing an all white Simmons at Windansea (he's looking the part too, sporting a black long john). Think the section was shot by Richard Kenvin.
You know the footy I'm talking about Steve? Seen it? If not, it's worth hunting down. It's one of those instances where a board completely suits the type of wave and is being handled by a very competent and stylish pilot.
sounds like you are enjoyin it mate, thats great stuff...and I know what ya mean about going back to a standard shorty after one of these puppies....like Scot said in an earlier post, he was concerned that his other boards wont seem so much fun anymore....thats gotta be good...and bad....
I've seen it Stu. It's actually Richard Kenvin surfing Windansea.
Funny how watching that didn't make me want to ride the board.
You can lead a horse to water and all that.
It wasn't until I rode the board that I started to get the picture.
Found a sweet little secret sandbank yesterday... got the next sesh pencilled in.
Think you're gunna have to invest in a crowbar Mark to get this board off me.
I've also got a super fast little right hand bank that I've been putting Stu's 8ft long Emerald single fin through its paces on (flows so beautifully fast down the line)..
Thing is it's on one of Sydney's busiest beaches and not secret at all..
maybe we shoud start discussing your one then ? the crobar model perhaps ???
if I do get it off Steve, then its going to make its way down to Sydney soonish, so if anyone would like to try this board, just let me know. I am stoked to be able to give surfers a chance to try something they might not usually be able to try, or not usually consider trying because its so different but when its free and its offered to you, why the fark not ???
Yes it's a great feeling to share the stoke of your boards.. Glad to see your having that fun now mark.. I have had Simmons demos at my shop since the first gold coast fish fry when Ian Zamora brought one for me to try.. Plus about 35 other test boards and many different models Inc round tail quads, diamond tails and boards with flyers. Etc etc all free for anyone heading by..
Cheers Dave...
Here's a few shots of Mini Simmons as shaped by Stuart Paterson of PCC at Cronulla. I've ridden the blue one in what could be considered the least appropriate waves for a Simmons twin - chunky, bumpy, onshore four foot mush. Wasn't too impressed with it, but I'll blame the surf for that. How long is the Dim-Sim in Sydney for Mark?
not sure, Steve has been enjoyin it and may be reluctant to hand it on...but hoping it'll be there in a few weeks....
Just let me grab a few lefts on it.
Haven't been left in weeks.
Haven't been left in weeks.
By: "freeride76"
Perhaps a trip to Indo is on the cards then Steve, as I can't see any E/NE swells arriving in your neck of the woods anytime soon!!! ;)
Crack the whip Mark!
no little runners at Tallows SS ? it is miniscule and unsurfable up this way atm but gives me time to get a bit of work done, and that bloody fun surfing stuff isnt in the way finally...haha...3 days without surfing and gettin a bit toey, going tomoz no matter what, even if its 1 ft on the sets....
No real rush Steve, get some lefts on it and have fun with it mate...any word from AK as yet ? after you guys are finished I need to see if I can get it down to Red Rock ( or red cliffs just north of Newy I think ??? ), anyone heading south or near there, please let me know.....
Soft touch...
Actually I saw some sweet, sweet little left bowlskies yesterday but I couldn't find a window.
I've got the bank co-ordinates in the mental GPS though.
anyone heading south towards Sydney from maybe the Goldy or Northern NSW ? I need to get this board a lift, if anyone knows anyone planning a roadie or someone who might be heading that way in a wekk or 2, please let me know....
any more surfs SS ?
Movin' house at the mo Mark.
Looking good for the weekend though.
But yes, I should pass it on.
Reluctantly.
actually, hang on to it til Andrew Kidman finishes his tour, would really like to hear his thoughts on the little slab, be good to have him involved and you mentioned some footage too, ?, I think thats well worth waiting for myself....we'll get it south asap after all that...best of luck with the moving mate....
looks like they are starting to evolve
looks nice...I been makin one to go better in the smaller gutless waves, the mini-simmons goes pretty good in small stuff but mine need a little push or a little run to the waves to really light up...these ones are beefed up and stretched out , bottom contours are tweaked out for the tiny soft waves we get alot of....
got the dim-SIM wet lately SS ? ( the surfboard I mean...)
Yeah, racked up a couple sessions this week.
one super sweet dawn patrol sesh.
the biggest dim-SIM I have done so far, 5'10" x 22 1/8" x 3" its for a guy who rides a 9'1" longboard, he is about 6 ft and a bit under a 100 kg's and he likes em with a bit of foam....C'mon guys, whats taken you so long for the uggy payouts ???
whats the latest with the board SS ? been surfing it or too busy with work stuff ??? Hoping someone is heading to Sydney real soon and able to take it for the trip, if not next Tuesday it might get thrown on a courier, really dislike using a courier coz thats not what the traveller is all about, so if anyone is going south, or knows a mate who might be, please let me know...It has some people who are pretty keen to try it out down there, even though the waves are gunna be way tooo big this week.....please let me know SS, thanx
If Steve can get it to the Goldy tomorrow (Thursday), I can bring it back down to Sydney tomorrow night.
It'd skip a fair bit of coastline that way, though. Just giving you the option
Does it have a bag this time?
Nice uggy's Mark, I've seen Pam Anderson wearing a similar pair. You've got a very similar tattoo to hers also...
Has fucking Shearer still got the dim-Sim? What, is he going for squatters rights? Time to send the goons around MP.
It's ready to move on. Ho0ping to try and get some footy tomoz before the swell comes up too much.
that'd be great but I cant expect Steve to drive to the Goldy so unlikley but appreciate the offer...and not sure what ya mean about not having a bag ?, all my travellers have had board bags, one did get a busted zip but it was replaced with a new bag, all boards left with bags and made it back to me with bags....
Anyone out there going from Lennox to the Goldy ? unlikely but worth a shot ???
Thanks SS, I know you been tryin to get the footy but with all this swell coming, its prob a good time to move it on....maybe get ya to take it to Phil by Tues unless another transport option pans out...
Mark I will be down lennox the week after next - am on the southern GC
can get it up as far as BrisVegas if needed in the folowing weeks - where do you want it to get to
Would love to take it for a spin during transit
'twas a bit of a joke, MP.
Was talking about the other shaper's traveller that got stuck waiting for a bag...
I can get at least halfway to the Goldy (Bruns/Ocean Shores too easily).
probably have to give it a miss, sorry Steve. I'll be pushed for time and reliant on lifts.
If Saltman's pick up pans out, I'll most likely be back up to Goldy and Brisbane in late August/early September so could grab it from him and do the same then once he's had a spin?
Ideally I wanna get it from Lennox to Sydney asap , its due to head south , doesnt look like it can bum a lift unfortunately..thanks alot for the offers of help but guys, appreciate it... maybe you'll get a few waves on it tomoz SS and any footage would be epic, but I know its hard to make this stuff happen...re the no bag stuff and the other traveller, now I know what ya mean, I actually arranged a bag for another blokes traveller when I had it for a while in Yamba, guessing the same one...the dim-SIM is in a big baggy board sock that looks like its made from a doonah...sorry Saltman, would be stoked to have you ride it but just running outta time coz there's a few guys pretty keen for it in Sydney and I told them 2 weeks about 4 weeks ago, it'll be with Steve til Tuesday by the looks so maybe you can get it for a sesh ?, but it looks like it'll be way tooo big very soon...thanks guys....
I fly to Sydney from Cooly every 2 weeks
so am happy to meet Steve at Brunswick and bring it to Sydney in 2 weeks time
ok, can you guys tee it up , that'd be good...thanks
transport of the dim-SIM has been all sorted, thanx Saltman, and its heading to Sydney about 1 week into August, a mate called Alex is up first, then Stu , if ya keen still, is next in line...Hoping for plenty of pics and thoughts and experiences with the board... makes the thread much more interesting....
http://thealleyfishfry.blogspot.com/
footage of Dane on a liitle simmons shape....
so where's the traveller atm , who has it , is it being surfed, any thoughts/feedback/pics ??? be great to get a few more pics of it in action if possible just to keep the thread interesting....
Scot dropped the board off and with perfect peelrs on offer there couldn't have been a better time to run a mini-sim across a few runners and see what happens.
First things first: these things are ugly. Fucking ugly, compared to the sweet round-tail quads I've been riding. You don't need to be a naval engineer to see that with all that effective planing area the thing will go fast........but to what end....to what end.
My first three waves were horrible. Probably the three worst waves I've ridden for a friggin long time. I was butchering perfect waist/head high point waves in front of the local crew and that felt shite. Third wave I went to stand-up on a sweet little nugget that doubled-up on the bank, the kind of wave that your grandma could get barelled on and my back foot just missed the board ......I did the splits and copped the wide chisel tail right in the jatz crackers. Meltdown.
That required a total mental recalibration. I caught a wave and did nothing; just tried to let the board find it's natural trim lines. That felt a lot better. Less is more.
I started to find a little rhythm and the board responded with very, very easy speed and a ton of glide.
All of a suddden, the board started going where I wanted it to go....it had no real reluctance going into the pocket, though at very flat angles of attack compared to my quad. Keeping speed and flow felt damm nice, It started to stoke me right out.
For a certain wave type.....I'd say micro peelers or bigger flat-faced point waves this thing would be a mighty addictive wave sliding device.
Requires a very different approach though and I'm not sure it gels with where my other shortboards are going.
I'll surf it again today.