Custom Alternator

[Baker]

Has anyone tried customizing one of these? Been on the CBD and specked something to hit about 27 litres of float, what i got was:
5'8 x 19 x 2.38 - Nose was standard at 12.63 but widened the tail to 15.69 = 27.65 l

As i'm so used to my 5'6 spitfire i don't really want to go that big but would like a more performance orientated board for better/bigger days. I find in the winter my 5'6 spit digs in quite easily what with extra weight from a thicker suit/boots/gloves, also feels a bit boggy too, in the summer its perfect so there's no problem there, would also be good to have something longer anyway, even if only 2"

I like the look of the Jackknife in a 5'10 but after having the futura (very similar dims) i'd prefer a thicker wider-tailed board as i still want the low rocker and thickness to catch waves.

So far apart from the Spitfire i have tried a 5'9 el fuego, 5'6 dominator, 5'11 hellrazor, 5'8 sub scorcher...none of these boards have yet felt as good as the spit so all departed as quick as they came...

Just wondering if the dims above will work?

[prjwebb]

I tweaked one on the CBD to 510 x 19.25" x 2.38" around 28.5l. Looked like a real fun smaller wave shortboard to me.

[Baker]

Wow you've built up some collection there now Prj...

I like the ethics of the sub and the chubby cheddar, but both seem too have too much in the nose just up from the centre point, i tend to surf of my back foot so prefer more in the tail and less up front, seems a custom is the only way to get that and the alternator is about the flattest performance board FW do that i'm aware of.

[prjwebb]

Yeah, or the other option could be to thin out a longer Hellfire?

I haven't bought that Alternator by the way, just played around in the CBD a lot, but yeah a bit of a collection in my sig building up...
The 604 was too good a deal to pass up and pretty much just a travel board, going to sell the Spitfire even though it's such a fun board it never gets used, and should probably sell one other really. It's getting a bit silly...

[Chris]

hey Baker,
I think the dims you have set up with the alternator are sounding pretty good. the only thing is that all the other boards you have tried are a little more high performance than the spitfire. Thus they are a little harder to use and require better waves to get up and go. I am just not sure you are going to find a board as easy to use and as fast of the spitfire in a conventional shortboard shape. Its just important to remember that when going with the better wave board, you'll find you need to surf a little more aggressively.

Cheers

[Baker]

Hi Chris, yep the spitfire is very easy board to just paddle out on and and go surf. Over the past 16 months of having it, my surfing has completely changed, not lazy but to milk more out of whats on offer, i actually want to go and surf lefts too (backhand) as it holds in so well, maybe just best to stick with what works? Switching to a performance board now and then maybe be the go but i'd get frustrated if i lost out on waves because of it, and frustrated if i never used it...I also saw a picture of Timmy Reyes getting barreled at backdoor on his, so i'll just zip it!

Any recommendations as to what fcs fins may improve performance and whether a quad setup would go better in steeper waves?

Cheers.

[prjwebb]

What fins are you running? I found the K3s do real well in the Spitfire as a thruster and I was running the Soar DL fronts with the K2.1 quad rears and a nubster on it in overhead, dredgey, low tide beach break and it felt like it would hold on anything. I surfed the same set up in waist to chest, mellow lefts and it turned well and felt super lively.

[Baker]

Hey PRJ, have posted a reply on the Spitfire tab as others maybe interested.
Cheers.

[Petoven]

I recently got a CBD Alternator striking right around my best litrage: 29 lts. It is a 5.9 x 18 7/8 x 2 1/2 for small waves. You can reach your personal litrage varying different measures, this one was one of the five alternators i designed around the same volume before choosing it. I do not recommend to vary either the tail or the nose width. It is prefferrable to vary overal witdh than any of those measures. Unless you're a shaper. Those are vital ones for the proportions of the board. You will still be riding an Alternator's design if you mantain the outline of the board: A fatter alternator, a thinner alternator, a shorter alternator, a longer alternator, but an alternator anyway.
My board went as expected, very fast, turns in a dime, and supports my 79 Kg very well in small conditions up to solid three to four feets. Magic board!!!

[windyway]

I have kited my 5-8 Alternator FST for two years in the wind to 40 mph and waves to 12 feet.
On the big gnarly north days, I totally trust it to let me enjoy the day.
The deck is reinforced with two layers of S glass and has an NSI waffle pad with NSI Proton straps.