Atlantic POD for Florida

Merrick’s Atlantic POD bonzer EVO6 6’6” x 20 3/4” x 2 7/8”, Bernoulli concaves, cheek tail, beak nose… very happy with how the shaping went today, especially the concaves which are often tricky to get just right.

BONZER wins Smithy Invitational

It was double overhead plus at Welcombe. Ig Wilkinson had come through the first super heavy heat on a very retro 6 ft twin fin and was wondering what to ride for the finals.

Whilst the other 3 finalists chose old faithfuls Ig, with a little encouragement from literary master and photo journalist Lee Robertson (thanks for the pic Lee), thought “I know  I’ll try a bonzer, and why not that weird looking asymmetric Tim is always banging on about.”

He won with smooth powerful carves, big turns on even bigger faces. To me he looked immediately comfortable and was able to lay down turns comfortably across the powerful walls. He won the contest with ride of the day, a massive right that broke from way out back all the way to the inside, surfer and board always ahead, always in control.

Ig really impressed me with his surfing, but also with his open mindedness. Thanks, respect, and congrats.

Atlantic POD #1– Ireland again

Test pilot Richard Woodcock putting the very first Atlantic POD through its paces in some more Irish Juice.

“Hi Tim - the Atlantic POD is a truly amazing craft. Was riding it as 6 fin (just 2 FCS honeycomb glass ones that came with a Firewire that snapped!!)and the grip is incredible. Paddling for fast jacking, barrelling, sand bottomed waves, turning as I popped up and dropping at 45 degrees !!! Wow - its a machine. Its bonzers all the way for me now - Ill never go back to thrusters. Thanks.”

    

Blood Sweat & Tears

5’11 x 20 3/4 x 2 7/16 Kevlar/carbon, wood, eps FreakFish.

This was a prototype – lots learnt through blood sweat and tears. Pretty pleased with the end result. Learning points are all visible and will make the next one lighter with a more perfect finish.

It will be super robust with the tulipwood rails (beautifully thicknessed to 3.2mm strips by Beech Bros of Exeter), birch ply deck, Kevlar carbon bottom. Weight is more than a PU or EPS conventional but it is still a spritely 8lbs and the added weight should give it loads more flow and quicker take offs.

         

This one will be ridden a few times and then for sale. It is a prototype so it’s imperfections will be reflected in the price at £450 ex fins.

Custom orders will be £700 inc fins.

Charlie Rs Atlantic POD

 

Atlantic POD #1

     

Richard Woodcock. Putting the very first Atlantic POD through it’s paces in Ireland.

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Jiggy jiggy

One of the thing about bonzers is that all the jigs made to fit standard fins and boards just don’t want to work with bonzer concaves unless they are really shallow… just another reason why they have never been popular mass production boards, factories can’t churn as many out.

Fortunately Daz, Adam and I usually always find ways around the problems they present.

This is Daz fitting the mini-boxes for the LokBox system with new bottom contours I designed to make the production a little easier and the end result stronger. Pleased to say it really made a difference and LokBox bonzers are now back on the menu, which means more direct transfer of energy through the board and the potential with an extra set of fins to ride the same board as a thruster or even a fish. Charlie Rs board here will be the first to be able to enjoy the benefits and we look forward to hearing how it goes.