FLASH

OUTLINE

Slightly fuller nose, clean outline, rounded pin. I suppose the best way to describe this board would be to make comparisons between the Flow and Acid. Both the Flow and Acid have slightly narrower noses than the Flash, the Flow a wider tail and the Acid a narrower tail. So the Flow has more of a focus on performance in softer waves, with the Acid focused on juicy hollow waves. James found he could not push his Flow hard enough when the waves got punchier, but the Acid preferred the bowl over a clean carve on an open face. So James was looking for more drive and the ability to push the board harder when on rail in decent surf compared to the Flow, but also wanted something that didn’t need the juice the Acid likes best. With a slightly fuller nose and narrower tail, the board holds a solid line through turns when on rail, but still carries onto the open face, yet the outline is still curvy enough to let the board go top to bottom.

RAILS

Low rail with a distinctly tucked under edge up front blending into low blady tail with a nice crispy hard edge. A low rail is just so much more sensitive when surfing. When you initiate a turn, the first thing you do is bury one rail, if that rail is thick and boxy, you’re trying to fight it into the water, the faster you go, the harder it is to bury a thick rail because you’re working against both buoyancy and the flow of oncoming water. The subtle tucked edge up front gives the board more of an on top of the water feel, as the water releases from the bottom edge rather than wrapping the rail and pulling the board lower into the water. Again the hard edge in the tail gives release and skatey sensitive feel, combined with a super blady tail rail, so when on rail it’s cutting like a knife with minimal drag.

ROCKER

A clean banana style curve all the way. The goal is to have the board feel free, workable and loose no matter where you’re standing. Also allows the board to be thrown into high speed hacks and power turns in tight parts of the wave.

BOTTOM

Flat nose to single concave center and tail. The flat nose rather than a single all the way helps keep the front rail out of the water. It’s especially noticeable when you hook under the lip and get the nose pointing back to the whitewater. As you drop back down in the critical part of the wave, the concave nose places the rail closer to the waterline, with a higher chance of digging it. The single center, and rear, helps to initiate turns and engage the rail on the drop. Being an all rounder, we were not too worried about getting overpowered and needing to slow it down or give it more hold with a double and V in the tail, so the single out the back keeps that skatey on top of the water feel.

DECK

It’s relatively rolled on this board, the goal being a low rail. At paddling speed, the water rushes over the rail, as the rail is submerged below the waterline, this creates more stability because the board can’t bob around without having to lift the water with it. While stationary it’s not so effective.

FINS

5 Fins. James was looking for a versatile all rounder, sometimes preferring the Quad over the Thruster.