6'4" X 20 3/4 X 2 1/2I picked this board up really cheap on a trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. The shop price was €280 new. The shop had loads of interesting hot Buttered boards, the label run by Terry Fitzgerald, at good prices. The plan shape was interesting to me with good width and volume right through, but with a really pulled in tail.
Its very much a shortboarders summer fish, made to be surfed rail to rail in small waves. The interesting thing about the board was the sticker "Proudly made in China". I'm told the factory is on the surf coast of China and some of the workers actually surf.
In fairness HB put this up front and their shop prices reflect the reduced cost base. The do make some sweet looking boards I would love to have a go on, particularly wood laminates.
Back to the board. The board is glassed to the usual shortboard standard so the deck dents pretty quick. The foil of the board is also like the standard shortboard but with boxy rails, so most of the float is coming from the width of the board.
My first ride on this board was in tiny waves, just getting in for a paddle about. To my surprise it caught all the little waves pretty easily. I found the the narrow tail was just not suited to my style having ridden wide tailed thrusters, I kept overpowering the tail and bogging the board. I decided quite quickly that the board was not for me and that probably it had a limited rider profile. Firstly the rider should be a competent shortboarder and secondly they should not be too backfoot heavy. I don't feel that this is a board that anybody can pick up and surf well from the off. You probably could if you spend a lot of time on it and you will adjust your stance and style to it, but for me a traditional fish is enough to get me from ankle slappers to shoulder high when I can ride a shortboard.
Recommended for a shortboarder looking for summer fun, for everyone else there are better options.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
