Time for the summer board
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The Mango Gordo Pescado surfboard Time for the summer board
Most of us have more than one board; some have a quiver. We exchange boards for different breaks, different waves, and different seasons, among other variables. Given the time of year and the forecast for waves in Santa Cruz for the upcoming weekend, it's now time to break out the summer board.
Put it another way; pack the gun, get out your fish! Why is a fish such a good choice for the coming wave season? Well, here's one DogMan's opinion.
The Mango Gordo tail Fish are fun
In fun-sized waves, you need a board that is fun to ride. Although the fish has its limitations, it excels in the smaller summer waves, maximizing your stoke on the available surf.
The Mango Gordo fins Fish are easy to paddle
Even though they might be shorter than your other boards, the thicker deck and the wider outline provides lots of buoyancy. This makes the fish easier to paddle than your performance shortboard. Nothing better than an easy paddle to maximize the opportunities in a beach break session.
The Mango Gordo nose Fish do well in windswell
Summer is the time for windswell, junky, fickle, gutless, crumbly waves. A more refined shape can't integrate the slop out of the water and help you zoom in these suboptimal conditions.
The Mango Gordo tail, another view Fish are retro
Nothing says 1970's like a fish! I know they have become cliche' over the last years, but this shape is still a blast from the past and a surf down memory wave.
The Mango Gordo rocker Flatter wider boards are faster than narrow boards with more rocker
In junky surf, you can outperform a lot of other boards with the larger flatter planing surface of your fish. Feels good to zoom around that drop-in artist and then cutback right in their face.
The Mango Gordo one more time The swallow tail increases the effective rail length
Though the board is short, the tail design lengthens the rail compared to a similar squash tail design. This helps propel you through the water.
The cut-away "V" in the tail decreases the turning resistance
Once you turn past one of the points of the "V", there is very little friction keeping you from pivoting to the other point. "Swish, swish, swish" go the rapid fire, tight radius turns.
Still not convinced? I know you have a buddy with a fish; borrow it for a wave or two on your next session and check the fun. You'll soon want one yourself. If you are like me, this is pretty much all you will ride until the first serious NW ground swell next autumn.
SO GO FISHING!
CU Out There,
DogMan
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