Sunday 4 May 2014

Recycled Arc Tail Fish

So you may remember a lovely little single fin called "Merluza" that was made from solid Balsa and Red Cedar. She was a great looking board and a lot of fun when the waves were hollow, clean and packed a punch. On less than ideal days, Merluza was not the right board.

So I made a very hard decision to reclaim the balsa blank and remodel that single fin into something that would work in a wider variety of waves. This is the end product - the Salmon - inspired by some of Tomo's tail designs combined with a tri-planing Alaia hull this little (5'7") twin fin should be a lot of fun. My idea was that I wanted something that would "light up" on the bigger days when the alaia was out of the equation. I made a similar alaia hybrid back in 2011 that was just phenomenal in solid surf, but it lacked buoyancy and responsiveness in smaller surf. So this board was hollowed out (using a honeycomb structure) and enclosed in 6mm paulownia shell.




There is no doubt this board is heavier than I would like, if I make another I will definitely look to drop the weight substantially. That being said, surfing here in the Southwest Coast of Victoria we are blessed with an abundance of swell and are exposed to the raw Southern Ocean power and a bit of extra weight in the board will be hardly noticed.

I give you a ride report when I get an opportunity to really test her out.

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Job's New Balsa Single Fin

It has months in the making, but finally Job's single fin is all but ready for her maiden voyage.

Job is starting out on his surfing journey and wanted to help build a board that would be easy to surf but also able to match is growing abilities. Over several late nights and many days of sanding and shaping out little lumps and bumps this sleek and simple single fin was born.

We settled on a single fin for a number of reasons. One is that the width and softer rails are forgiving. Single Fins are also a surf coach in and of themselves, they teach you to read the wave, to really see when and where there are opportunities for certain turns. Single fins help you to draw clean lines and stay with the power source of the wave.

The beauty of solid balsa boards is that they can be reshaped. We were able to keep a fairly full outline and profile, meaning that if in time Job outgrows this board, we can reshape and refine it to suit. 

Thanks again to Ochroma for a wonderful product.

Stay tuned for a ride a report.


Monday 20 January 2014

2014 Pricing for Mini Simmons, Fish, Alaias and Hybrids

Hi All,

As there have been a few queries coming through on prices for boards. I thought I'd post a bit of a guide for anyone interested in a Kiri Surfboard in 2014.

Alaias are still the most affordable timber board going.
For a standard Alaia up 6"4' with a square, round or swallow tail we can build them for $329
For an Alaia Hybrid  - King George or Flounder models up 6"2' -  $389
And for the Kiri Surfcraft Alaia/Mini Simmons Hybrid 6"1' X 19' with fcs plugs prices start from $425

Mini Simmons and Fish vary a lot on the finish you are looking for and also the type of wood you would like your board built out of.

The solid recycled balsa boards finished with lanolin based sealer are the most affordable at around the $800 mark. If you prefer a chambered paulownia board the prices will go up about another $200. If you prefer to have your board glassed, we can send it to a glasser in Torquay who will charge another $350.

I hope that gives you a bit of an idea of the price for a timber board, but it will vary on board size, timber type etc...

Please feel free to email any questions through to
kirisurfcraftinfo@gmail.com

or call

0417 106 480


Cheers