Flashback Mod Fish

This was a shape I did a couple of years ago and was one of my favorites.. A 6-4 modern fish with quad fin setup. What was unique about this shape was the use of a slope deck to extend volume out to the rails while still maintaining a nice thin rail. Dimensions are: 6'4" 15” x 20.5” x 15” 2.75”. Board featured LokBox quad fins. As shown in the pix, I first ran the Turbo Speed Dialer fins but didn't like the feel...too "drifty" on hard bottom turns. As a 185lb surfer, I need a little more fin. In a quad setup I like the Taylor Knox fin template in front. It has a 4.68" depth for extra hold and drive. Then I like to use either the smaller LBXM3.8 80/20 foiled rears or just LB side-bite for the rears. It has a 4oz+4oz deck & 6 oz bottom with clear, sanded-gloss finish to add durability while keeping overall weight low. The double-wishbone pinlines (red&blue) give the board a classic look. Glass work was done by West Coast Glass in Encinitas. The board surfed fast but smooth.

Scott's new Nova...

Customer Scott in San Clemente asked for a 9-6 Nova to go with his 10-0 Nova Pintail. He asked for a classic look, single-fin with triple stringer and tailblock...I want one!

He also ordered a 9.5" True Ames Wayne Rich Classic fin...

Scott and his quiver

New Board for Phil

This is Phil's second Thomas Patrick, the first being a 9-0 Nova Speedster Quad. Phil is a big guy and wanted something to keep up his wave count on those smaller days, but still work when the waves got bigger. After much discussion, the end result was this beautiful 10-6 Nova 2+1. Dims: 19"x24"x14.5" 3.625" Ray at Lucke Glassing did all the glass work, including sanding and polishing. Those are old-school black resin gloss-coat stripes you see, over blue air brush stripes. Here we are getting ready for the first go out at San O.

Here's another used board For Sale

9-6 Thomas Patrick Nova Surfboard
Dims: 17-5/8”x 22-3/4”x 13-3/4” 3-1/8”
My daily driver has beautiful dark Ice Blue resin tint by Moonlight with gloss & polish finish. Three cedar stringers: 1/4”center with 1/8” on both sides. Moderate rocker with blended half-length nose concave and moderate tail “V”. Pulled in nose and tail allows this LB to go anywhere on the wave, while the nose concave extends your tip time. Progressive 60/40 rails for the right combination of speed and forgiveness. Wave range is waist-high to overhead-high, beach-, reef- or point-break. This is the board you can use just about any day, anywhere and have fun. It has a few heel dents on deck and one pro-repaired ding. Price includes new LBXJT side-bites and clear 7.5” TA L-Flex center fin. Only $399. Call Thomas 805-856-8554 or email if interested.

More stuff about fins...

The importance of fins, or should I say the correct fins, for your board, your specific break and your particular style is often overlooked. Second only to bottom rocker, fins have a major impact on a board's performance. The modern removable fin system makes experimentation with fin templates and fin location a no-brainer.  Changes in fin shape and/or location can radically alter the way a board rides. A while back, I posted some fin basics which you may want to review. This time I'd like to share a tool that I use to compare center fins for longboards. Fin Comparison Tool Its not too difficult to use or to make your own. It allows you see at a glance how various fins compare in terms of base, depth, rake and overall area. My current favorite for single-fin LBs is the True Ames Velzy Noserider. For 2+1 set-ups I like the True Ames L-Flex or Skip Frye Flex in 7.5" and the FCS GL Template for side-bites. On mid-size quads I like the LokBox Taylor Knox in front and the LBXM3.8 for the rears.

One of the things that I try to offer my customers is value---bang-for-the-buck. I offer new fins at 60% of retail when purchased with new boards. Likewise on select new board bags and new leashes.

Used Boards Gotta Go!

Near new 9-6 Neo Single Fin. Dims: 19”x 23”x 15-1/2”   3-1/8”

This is a special longboard. This board has all the features associated with a true noserider; wide nose and tail, parallel rails, half-length nose-concave and kicked tail. But it also features very knifey, pinched-low rails with thinly foiled nose and tail, almost hull-like which reduces the over-all volume. The Velzy Nose Rider fin provides solid hold when on the nose, but releases easily for turning. All of these feature combine to provide a longboard that noserides extremely well, but maintains an easy turning, and light and lively feel. Great for surfers under 180lbs. Light grey resin tint rails and bottom, with clear deck and red pinline. Pristine condition, no dings or scratches. Asking $499 includes fin.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Its been a while since my last blog entry back in September. I hope all of you are well and enjoying the Holidays. Over the past three months I've successfully re-located to Ventura County north of L.A. I'd be lying if I said its been an easy transition. Seems like there were road blocks every step of the way. Everything took twice as long as anticipated but it seems I've finally settled into my new life in Ojai, CA. What's more, I have a great new glasser, Ray Lucke of Lucke Glassing, and a place to shape. I was actually able to build two longboards last week for customers who had previously purchased used Thomas Patrick surfboards. I'll post some pix as soon as Ray has finished them...should be next week.


I know that last Fall I promised a “special offer” for anyone owning a Thomas Patrick Surfboard. Well here's the offer. If you own a Thomas Patrick Surfboard I'll take $100 off the retail price of any new board ordered by January 31, 2011. Use the pricelist on my website (www.tp4surf.com), take the base price and add any extras, and then subtract $100. That's all you'll pay. Email or call if you have any questions or just want to talk about your next board.

TPS is moving!!!

I’m retiring from my “day job”, leaving North County San Diego and relocating to Ventura County at the end of September. I’m stoked to have more time to shape and surf.  I’ll still be offering great boards at a great price, and hope that my new location in Ventura County is more convenient to surfers north of LA, and for those of you east of Ventura. But I won’t forget my surfers in San Diego, Orange County and the IE.  I’ll be happy to personally deliver your board down south and share a few waves at my old breaks. I’ve also shipped boards as far away as the East Coast and have customers in Central America. What I’ve found is that there’s always a way to get that custom board into your hands.  Watch for the special offer I’ll be making in October for anyone who is currently riding a Thomas Patrick surfboard. 

Fin Placement - Single-fins

With all the small surf we've been having this summer, a lot of LBers are switching out their 2+1 set-up for a nice single-fin...but now where does that fin go? Fin placement has a major impact on the performance of any surfboard. Many surfers don’t realize this and simply leave their fin wherever it was placed when they bought their board. Or, they just place the fin anywhere in the box, assuming that its location is unimportant. The location of the fin relative to the tail can impact both speed and turning. For single-fin surfboards, some shapers recommend that the trailing edge of the fin be placed 8-1/2” from the tail, and then adjusted forward or backward from there in ¼” increments until the desired performance is achieved. Bill Thrailkill is a master shaper who shaped for both Hansen Surfboards and Hobie Surfboards in the late-60s and the 70s. He teaches people to lay the fin flat on the bottom of the board at the tail, with the base of the fin on the stringer and the tip hanging over the rail. Then he instructs people to slowly slide the fin along the stringer until 20%-30% of the tip hangs over the rail. This is the spot to locate the fin, and if you have a center fin box, you can adjust from there to your liking. What I like about Bill’s approach is that it automatically accounts for different fin depths and tail widths. 

Neo and T-Belly

Reef and I talk about a couple of his boards on Board Riders Review