Q&A on the 2014 Fish

What made you want to revisit the shape of the Fish?
We wanted to make a board that had more of an “old school” fish shape with a straighter outline and wider nose, which from our experience, was a lot more efficient for light wind kiting. The straighter outline provides amazing riding stability while the wider nose increases the surface area of the board for easier planing (especially when riding upwind) and provides better “snap” off the top when the wave is mushy or when hitting white water.

What inspired the design/concept behind the Fish?
The inspiration for the Fish comes from a board we designed a few years ago, and of course, from standard, classic surf shapes. Over the years we’ve had some demand from kiters who are more and more interested in riding small waves and for simply having fun on a directional in lighter winds.

What are the advantages of the newly designed shape & swallowtail?
The new shape allows the board to be extremely stable when just cruising along and for going upwind, while also staying very versatile in the waves. The swallow lets us keep width and a straight rail line out the tail for drive and lift at lower speeds while allowing the rider to still carve the tail at speed…not creating so much tail lift as to make the board stiff. The extra volume in the Fish also makes it a very user friendly and easy to ride strapless board.

Is the end result what you expected?
Absolutely! It was really interesting to go through the entire development process and end on this design. It’s slightly narrower than some of the earlier prototypes, which was the key to bridging the gap between light wind performance and a fun ride. The Fish is incredibly fun in small, “mushy” waves, and for flat water cruising; we’re definitely excited about it.