Our look into fish design continues this month as Sean Mattison discusses the Keel Fin

Have you ever looked at a vintage board from the 70s or 80s and wondered how a shaper could finish that thing and think it could work? Asymmetric wings, 11 channels, six fins and a reverse rocker, and some poor guy thought he was leading a revolution in surfboard design. Some vintage fish boards look like they would be better used behind boats, but other designs have stuck and did in fact mark the beginning of a new era in surfing.
    This month, Fish guru Sean Mattison will give us a little insight on the origins of the Fish design that stuck. It is the original fish design that set a new pace in surfboard shapes and got guys around those big sections that their pathetic clunkers couldn’t. Take it away Sean.
“The origin of the Fish gets accredited to Steve Lis, and there are some interesting facts about the Fish that people get confused about. The Fish was originally designed for hollow waves like Big Rock and intended to be ridden by surfers on their knees. The stubby length, big area fins on the rail, and a split tail allowed knee riders to hold their line in critical positions.
“Around 1970-1971, Jeff Ching borrowed Stevie Lis' knee board at a undisclosed reef location somewhere in San Diego. He wanted to see how it rode standing up. It worked extremely well and many of the boys who witnessed Jeff’s session ran home to build their own models. The Fish, for the most part, began as an underground board. If you wanted one, it usually meant you needed to make it yourself. The Fish design allowed the guys to catch the wave deeper and, because of its flat rocker, it could make big sections. Plus, it turned out to work in smaller waves really well.
“The dynamics of how the board is ridden on you knees vs. when standing up are quite different. On your knees, you have a lower center of gravity and a parallel weight distribution. Many of the Fish builders started modifying fins, outlines, and rockers to accommodate the stand up approach to the Fish. The evolution of this design was on.
“A number of years ago I picked up my first vintage Keel fin at a garage sale for $25. I had a friend who collected boards, so I picked it up intent on giving it to him for his collection. I decided to take it out for a spin. I was impressed that a board so old could still be so fun. Sure, I couldn't surf it like my shortboard, but it was fast and it changed my approach to surfing. The board had to be carved and driven down the line. My first thought was, ‘This doesn't feel like a twin-fin at all.’ It was very positive, not all loose and spinney like the twin fins I had ridden in the 80s. I learned how to ride a Fish on this board, and, needless to say, my friend never got the board for his collection. The resurgence of this design has driven a lot of people back to the soul of the design, recreating boards similar to what guys where riding back in the day. These recreations do have modifications to the design, but they still stay within the guidelines of a true Fish. They surf better than the originals did.
“I currently have several Keel Fin boards in my quiver. As all boards do, each has a different personality -- my Lis verses my Frye compared to my Hynson or my Pavel. They surf differently, but they have a common thread; they are flatter with wide swallowtails, and have big area fins. The outline forces you to surf more horizontally by using some leg power to drive the fins through the turns. The speed is integrated when you let everything flow smoothly, allowing the design to generate the speed instead of trying to pump the board for speed. Being smooth and rhythmic is key on a Keel. Butt wiggling is out. These boards rule on lined up waves that have open faces and walls, but consider how to best utilize the design instead of expecting it to perform in a way that it was not intended.
“Go have some fun, and I'll see ya fishin’.”