Getting it Right

As primarily a custom surfboard designer and a shaper, the most important thing to me when I build someone's board is getting it right. When someone orders a board from me, I always feel that great responsibility has been given to me, and so I take it very seriously to make sure that I get their board right for them. Because as a surfer, I know exactly what it feels like when my board is not performing as good as I expect it to. Not only do I not enjoy my surf as much as I'd like to, it also means that I'm not surfing as well as I could be, because my board is limiting me. And that's part of the deal that I have to wear as a surfboard designer. The process of getting it right. There are many times when I could be surfing a board that I know and having an incredible, inspiring surf, but instead I'm struggling with a board that's just not quite performing how I want it to. And nine times out of ten, it's the smallest thing that's making the board not right for me. Maybe the tail rocker needs 0.5 or 1mm of adjustment, maybe the concave or vee needs to be just 0.5mm deeper or shallower, or maybe the board just needs slightly different fins. So when I'm designing a custom board for a customer, I want to make sure that I get it right for them. That I take one of my well tested designs and customise it just for them. So the end result is that I build them a board to make it easier for them to surf better and enjoy their surfing more.

Because at the end of the day, when I build someone a board that's going to make surfing more enjoyable for them... I've done my job.

If this is something you're after head over to the order form. Order book closes this Tuesday.

CUSTOM ORDER FORM

Indo Quivers

Indo Quivers

It's that time of year... Indo season! And it's kicked in with a bang this year. We're currently getting back to back swells right now, which has been great for putting the latest versions of the Indo Rocket and Hit the Road designs through their paces. I get a lot of crew asking me for recommendations for their Indo Quiver, so here's my take on a 3 board Indo quiver... Board #1 - Would be a Magic Carpet for anything from knee high up to double over head, or if you're not fully up to speed with the twin keels, and still riding thrusters a lot, then the concave bottom MKV twin keel. Board #2 - An Indo Rocket for waves from chest high up to double overhead. And while the Indo Rocket will carve and drive its way through the more solid days, all the way up to double overhead, with quad fins it's still an extremely lively and responsive board even in softer, waist to chest high waves, making it a very versatile board. Board #3 - A HTR quad between for anything overhead. And while the HTR's are a very reliable board for double overhead plus, they will still perform very nicely all the way down to head high waves. Feeling inspired to make a soul surfing statement and travel 70's style with just one board? Here's what I'd bring... Option #1 - Of course my first choice would be a Magic Carpet, because it's such an incredibly versatile shape that can handle pretty much anything, whether it's knee hi mush or double overhead barrels. Option #2 - For going true 70's style, it would be pretty hard to go past a single fin Wanderer. Put the fin way forward for the tiny days and then just inch it back as the waves get bigger and /or hollower. Option #3 - A Zen Glide for stylishly cruising and gliding on the smaller days, and then when the ocean gets going, be totally in control all the way up to double overhead... or even more if you're up for it. Taking orders for Indo Quivers now. Order book closes April 30.

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The New FLV Indo Rocket!

Creating a Full Length Vee version of the Indo Rocket has been quite a task. While the FLV dropped into the Hit Roads, Magic Carpet and Single Fins Series beautifully, the Indo Rocket has taken a massive amount of work to get right. For over a year now, I have been testing different rocker configurations of the Indo Rockets! Trying to get the beautiful balance of drive and ease of turning that the previous single into double concave versions featured. It made me realise just how lucky I got with the other boards.

What made it such a challenge was that the previous concave version already surfed so well. The bar was already set high, but I needed the new FLV version to go even better. So, for over a year now, I have been testing different rocker configurations of the Indo Rockets, trying to improve the beautiful balance of drive and ease of turning that the previous single into double concave versions already enjoyed.

In the end It was all so close except for one last issue that took me ages still, that was to recreate the exact rail curve of the concave version because the FLV changes the rail curve of the board. This took ages and when I finally got this right, I discovered that because the vee interacts and responds differently than the concave, that just matching the rail curve wasn't exactly right. So finally after many different attempts I ended up pulling the tail rocker from my magic 7'0" HTR FLV and dropped it into the Indo Rocket. I've played around with this concept before, of dropping longer rockers into shorted boards and vice versa, and it doesn't always work. But, finally I got lucky and my latest 6'6" Indo Rocket with the 7'0" tail rocker and FLV is now surfing like a dream. It certainly glides smoother and faster than the previous concave version, feels a lot freer and more responsive under the feet, and hooks off the top much faster and smoother than the previous concave version. Whew! Finally... Order book for these, closes for the year this June 22nd!

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