Surftech’s Take on This CI Twin Can (And Probably Should) Replace Your Thruster
- 4 years ago
f this is your first rodeo with The People’s Board Review, please allow us to explain: this is a board test series in which we enlist unsponsored, relatable rippers to jump on the latest designs and tell us what is and isn’t working for them. Because at the end of the day, a pro’s breakdown of their favorite custom in world-class waves probably isn’t as useful to you as a local shredder’s take on something with off-the-rack dims in average surf.
For this review, we put three different Surftech collaborations – boards designed by world-class shapers, then constructed with unconventional materials and processes for enhanced performance and durability – in the hands of four surfers to test out in clean, shoulder-high conditions at a typical California beach break. The craft included the “Untitled” by Haydenshapes, an honest-to-god rip stick with a friendly amount of foam; the “Twin Fin”, a (you guessed it) two-finned craft by Channel Islands that functions as a great all-arounder; and the “Modern 2”, a down-the-line, more classic twin shape from Sharp Eye.
Here’s what you need to know about the Surftech’s CI “Twin Fin” with Dual-Core Technology:
The Gist:
Striking a magic balance between speed and maneuverability in average surf elevates this twin fin beyond alt-board curiosity and into the realm of a high-performance, everyday go-to. Starting from an already-beloved CI design, Surftech’s Dual-Core construction sandwiches a lighter EPS core between a pair of PU rails, giving it a springy, lively flex while bottom turning and driving down the line without feeling too “corky” or overly buoyant when you try to bury rail through a turn. It’s a truly modern take on a twin fin, with a level of responsiveness that feels much more closely related to a performance thruster than a retro cruiser. A little less soul arch, a little more lip evisceration – although, yeah, you can certainly soul arch, too. Tester #2 – who is 5’9” and 130 lbs. – told us she’d never found a twinnie she liked riding before, but couldn’t stop gushing over this model. “I feel like it’s the best all-around board. It’s in-between a high-performance shortboard and a fish, which I think is my [right] balance.” Tester #2 rode the CI twin in 5’6” x 18 7/8” x 2 5/16” 26.9L, which seemed to fit her surfing like a glove. “The drive, the speed, you really can do it all.” All testers chose to ride the twin-finned board with an optional trailer.
Speed: 7.3/10
Tester #1 (6’0”, 150 lbs.) gave the same 5’6” “Twin Fin” 8 points in the speed category, finding no significant impediments driving down the line. “I stood up, and the board did whatever I wanted it to do. I was getting small little runners and it turned really, really well and maintained its speed.” Interestingly, Tester #1 is two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Tester #2, yet they both rode (and loved) the same 5’6”. “It just felt like an extension of myself,” Tester #1 continued. “I’m extremely jazzed on this board.”
Frontside Maneuverability: 7.3/10
Testers #1 and #2 gave the “Twin Fin” stellar marks on their forehand, claiming that the board could more or less read their minds as they leaned into turns, but Tester #3 (5’10”, 180 lbs.) wasn’t as sold and only rated it a 5 in this category. “It felt a little stiff,” Tester #3 said of the 5’8” x 19.6 x 2.6 29.2L twin, “but I also think it was maybe too long [for me]. I’m used to riding a fish that’s like a 5’2”, and I’m kinda indifferent to the whole performance style twin-fin.”
Backside Maneuverability: 6.3/10
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from The People’s Board Review’s thus far, it’s that The People like going frontside more than backside, and backside maneuverability consistently gets the shortest end of the stick in the scoring. This turned out to be true again in the case of the CI “Twin Fin”. “I’m kinda partial, some boards feel really good frontside to me, but I don’t like them backside as much,” said Tester #1, despite the fact that from the beach he appeared to be ripping rather hard in both directions. “With a slight groveler like this, I find that I can’t really turn them that well backside."
Paddling: 8
With low rocker and an even distribution of foam throughout, this twin keeps things easy on the arms. It’s a hard balance to strike with any semblance of maneuverability, but the “Twin Fin” threads that needle perfectly well, which is why it earned excellent marks from all of our testers. “I’d give it a 9 for paddling, with 10 being a longboard,” says Tester #3. “This board paddled really well.”
For this review, we put three different Surftech collaborations – boards designed by world-class shapers, then constructed with unconventional materials and processes for enhanced performance and durability – in the hands of four surfers to test out in clean, shoulder-high conditions at a typical California beach break. The craft included the “Untitled” by Haydenshapes, an honest-to-god rip stick with a friendly amount of foam; the “Twin Fin”, a (you guessed it) two-finned craft by Channel Islands that functions as a great all-arounder; and the “Modern 2”, a down-the-line, more classic twin shape from Sharp Eye.
Here’s what you need to know about the Surftech’s CI “Twin Fin” with Dual-Core Technology:
The Gist:
Striking a magic balance between speed and maneuverability in average surf elevates this twin fin beyond alt-board curiosity and into the realm of a high-performance, everyday go-to. Starting from an already-beloved CI design, Surftech’s Dual-Core construction sandwiches a lighter EPS core between a pair of PU rails, giving it a springy, lively flex while bottom turning and driving down the line without feeling too “corky” or overly buoyant when you try to bury rail through a turn. It’s a truly modern take on a twin fin, with a level of responsiveness that feels much more closely related to a performance thruster than a retro cruiser. A little less soul arch, a little more lip evisceration – although, yeah, you can certainly soul arch, too. Tester #2 – who is 5’9” and 130 lbs. – told us she’d never found a twinnie she liked riding before, but couldn’t stop gushing over this model. “I feel like it’s the best all-around board. It’s in-between a high-performance shortboard and a fish, which I think is my [right] balance.” Tester #2 rode the CI twin in 5’6” x 18 7/8” x 2 5/16” 26.9L, which seemed to fit her surfing like a glove. “The drive, the speed, you really can do it all.” All testers chose to ride the twin-finned board with an optional trailer.
Speed: 7.3/10
Tester #1 (6’0”, 150 lbs.) gave the same 5’6” “Twin Fin” 8 points in the speed category, finding no significant impediments driving down the line. “I stood up, and the board did whatever I wanted it to do. I was getting small little runners and it turned really, really well and maintained its speed.” Interestingly, Tester #1 is two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Tester #2, yet they both rode (and loved) the same 5’6”. “It just felt like an extension of myself,” Tester #1 continued. “I’m extremely jazzed on this board.”
Frontside Maneuverability: 7.3/10
Testers #1 and #2 gave the “Twin Fin” stellar marks on their forehand, claiming that the board could more or less read their minds as they leaned into turns, but Tester #3 (5’10”, 180 lbs.) wasn’t as sold and only rated it a 5 in this category. “It felt a little stiff,” Tester #3 said of the 5’8” x 19.6 x 2.6 29.2L twin, “but I also think it was maybe too long [for me]. I’m used to riding a fish that’s like a 5’2”, and I’m kinda indifferent to the whole performance style twin-fin.”
Backside Maneuverability: 6.3/10
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from The People’s Board Review’s thus far, it’s that The People like going frontside more than backside, and backside maneuverability consistently gets the shortest end of the stick in the scoring. This turned out to be true again in the case of the CI “Twin Fin”. “I’m kinda partial, some boards feel really good frontside to me, but I don’t like them backside as much,” said Tester #1, despite the fact that from the beach he appeared to be ripping rather hard in both directions. “With a slight groveler like this, I find that I can’t really turn them that well backside."
Paddling: 8
With low rocker and an even distribution of foam throughout, this twin keeps things easy on the arms. It’s a hard balance to strike with any semblance of maneuverability, but the “Twin Fin” threads that needle perfectly well, which is why it earned excellent marks from all of our testers. “I’d give it a 9 for paddling, with 10 being a longboard,” says Tester #3. “This board paddled really well.”