Model: Quad Skate EPS/CARBON
Size: 5'6 1/2x21x2 9/16
rider
Age: 43
Height: 168cm
Weight: 61-64 kg
※People who recommend the Quad Skate EPS/CARBON model, keywords, etc.
- There are many surfing days when the wave conditions are bad.
- Shortboardist
- Restless personality
- Finding meaning in performing one's skills
- I want to ride a short board with less paddle power
- Have mastered a certain number of actions beforehand
A surfer's mood depends on the condition of the waves and the condition of their surfboard. A good surfboard can be chosen by one's own will. However, people who have limited days to go to the beach may not always be able to enjoy good wave conditions. With the development of wave information and social media, information about places with good waves is shared instantly and crowds form. If we follow the new lifestyle after COVID-19, we may have to choose surf spots with few people because of bad waves rather than good waves. However, most surfboards are not developed with bad waves in mind.
Living by the sea, I have been worried about the worsening wave quality every year due to the effects of revetment construction and other factors. It is true that when the waves are bad, there are fewer people, so you can enjoy comfortable surfing. However, if you want to feel satisfied with each wave you ride, that is a different matter. Anyway, I decided to ask DVS to shape a surfboard for waves that are not considered in the development of regular surfboards, such as waves that have no power, no sections to perform tricks, dirty breaks, bumpy shoulders, and dampers.
The satisfaction of surfing varies widely, but when it comes to bad waves, the shoulder is almost always short. Therefore, it is impossible to expect a sense of cruising or speed from the start. To enjoy bad waves, first you need to be able to catch a lot of waves, and secondly, you need the board to be easy to act on and quick to converge so that you can feel satisfied with the way you are controlling it. For example, trying to tackle damper waves with a board that has a slow ripping return is extremely dangerous and could cause injury.
So, what were the specifications of the board I requested?
- As short as paddle force will allow
- A material that allows for fast paddles and draws power even from weak waves
- High action performance
The result was a surfboard that combines both of these elements.
First of all, the length of 5'6 is almost the same as my height. In the past, mini boards were popular, and I used to ride those boards myself. However, this length seemed quite an adventure for a body approaching mid-40s. When I looked at the board that arrived, it had a wide design, but the thickness of the square tail with a very tight vee was not that great. Also, I could see that the carbon of the bottom was wrapped up to the rails, which I expected to have a lot of rebound power.
The colored carbon laminate on the bottom has a strong presence. It's a beauty that is completely out of proportion to the fact that it's a board for junk waves. The weight of the board without fins is 3.1kg, which is about 100g heavier than a board shaped with EPS only. How does this board perform? I tested it in various conditions, from junk waves to unexpected good waves.
In conclusion, the worse the wave quality, the more this board's true value was demonstrated. First of all, even though the paddle is as short as 5'6, the bottom concave and the lightness of the material make the board not feel short. Above all , the deck concave and the repulsive force of the carbon make it easy to keep the paddle in a constant position. Takeoff is fast, just like other DVS models, and the narrow nose and short board make it easy to make the first turn. From there, you might imagine that the square tail will make you blast through the shoulder at once, but as mentioned above, the speed performance is commensurate with the length, as it is targeted at short shoulders. However, from there, what line do you take and how do you approach the shoulder of a junk wave? I have never met a board that is better at this than this board.
Junk waves, which I used to hate, are actually quite deep. With a PU or EPS board, even if there is a bump, you just ride along the shoulder as usual, complaining about the lack of power or not being able to gain speed, and the ride ends. However, with this board, the carbon's repulsion draws out the maximum power from junk waves. So if there is a bump that is too big, the recoil is too big and you fall over. So, if you gain experience in what line to take in junk waves, you will naturally take a beautiful top-to-bottom line with speed. The sharpness of the action at that time is absolutely impeccable, even in junk waves. In addition, it is good at floaters and cutbacks with split-second decisions while riding along the shoulder. Bottom carbon is effective in weaker and smaller waves. If you want to attack good chest-shoulder size waves with a small board, it may be better to order a regular PU or EPS board, except when riding with less buoyancy.
As mentioned above, this board was made with a very special concept. While the Hydro Hull is a small wave board from DVS that moves with buoyancy and lift, this board moves on the waves with the repulsive force of carbon. Since this board is specialized for performing actions without relying on the power of the waves, its movement has some quirks. For example, it is made like a rally car that maximizes its rotation by shortening the wheelbase to the maximum. Because the tail is wide, you also need the skill to move your back foot to the rail side of the wave before taking action. However, with a board that is so specially focused on junk waves that it is impossible to find in the mainstream, you can immerse yourself in junk waves with the same feeling as enjoying normal waves with a normal surfboard. It can be said that the appeal of DVS's hand shapes is that they can accommodate a wide range of ways to enjoy surfing.