The Can Opener

Posted in: Innovations

I do not know if you could open a can with this, perhaps it looks more like a bottle opener. Anyway the name is as impulsive as the design. My first quad was a flat decked stepped rail Bat Fish and was a great success. A few years later the 7S fish came out with a similar deck and rail shape. The Bat fish still has more than a few stalwarts that will ride nothing but, even though this design has been superseded long ago.

I think it has a lot to do with the dead flat deck. After dealing with over sensitive rolled decks common to most high performance thrusters, it is a welcome relief when you jump to your feet on a flat deck as it is so forgiving particularly if you are not spot on to the stringer with your footing.

 

The Can opener is basically a modern version of the old Bat Fish which I have always thought deserved some second wind.

The dimensions of this can opener is  5.6 x 20 ½ x 2 1/16. Remembering that dead flat decks deliver a fair bit of foam out to the rail not to mention that bottom concaves the way they are created with cad drawings these days also make the rail thicker- so don’t be perturbed by the stringer thickness of this model.
Perhaps another important feature of this board is the straightness of the planshape in the back half. Because of that parallellness it hugs the face easily and looks stiff but because of the vee back there and the tail lift and of course the right fin choice, it is as loose as, with heaps of speed.
The tail is a bit out there, but really is just another chop off tail, with a similar feeling to swallows, moons or chisels. The big bight out of the tail effectively reduces surface area tension and allows the board to bight and sit down better when moving faster.

Round tails are the polar opposite to chopped tails, and have a more flowing action, but cannot be made this wide without serious repercussions.

Why do you think swallows are used on wide tail fishes?
I Rest my case!

Again with these small wave wider tail models, 4 fins are really the ticket and the little nubster keel will just add to the purchase if you really wanna stick them off the bottom. I think the Can opener would be too stiff as a thruster so the centre plug is really only for the keel.

So with the summer swell doldrums coming up this little fish may be a great option if you are lacking in this department.

Muzz