What's your favorite board between a groveler and a shortboard?

JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
572
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I rode my Rusty Twin yesterday for the first time in a while. It has a decent balance of fishy glide with a narrow enough tail to hold in on a steep face. I like this board and I've had good sessions both here and down in the weaker point waves of Baja. I still feel like every time I ride this board though I spend half the session figuring out where the sweet spot is. I think despite the full-ish nose and the twin fin configuration the sweet spot is a little more rearward than I expect. I want to paddle it from a little too far forward and then when I hop up and try to drive off the front foot the nose rocker bogs and the fins slide and it's not pretty. When I do get a rhythm going on this board it feels amazing. Like a thruster with the brakes off. I think if I rode it more often I could find that feeling more consistently but I am always changing things up even though I know it's probably bad for my overall performance. I love twin fins in clean, lined up waves but I question whether they are the pinnacle of versatility, especially in bumpy, crossed up beachbreak waves such as the ones I regularly surf.

I like this description "...Like a thruster with the brakes off...."

I am still really liking it and haven't had a bad session yet. I rode it a couple times recently in some halfway decent waves, small 2'-3' incoming tide, glassy beach break. I hadn't been on it in a while or surfed too much due to C-19, so I was admittedly amped to be in the water, so I tried to push it a little too hard, like I was on a thruster, it worked but I didn't let it vibe me with how I think it is supposed to be surfed; which I mentally feel is a more relaxed smooth chill style, kinda take your time the board will get you where you need to be, let it glide you there..
-I did get the heavy glass job 6/6/6, it does feel very firm.

anyhow like the description and hope you get a day where it shines!

Oh and picked up the 4/3 Rip Curl Dawn Patrol back zip for $183, haven't had a back zip in like two decades, so far fantastic! If it lasts as long as my 5/4 hooded ~ 3 season and still going, well worth he price.
 
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Billy Ocean

Duke status
Jan 7, 2017
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was just listening to latest Rusty "talk to your shaper" episode (link below). About 14 minutes in, he starts talking about twin fins. He is not a fan of twin + stabilizer. says you just need to get used to 2 fins and once you do you realize you can ride them even in bigger hollow waves. he thinks the stabilizer gives a "false sense of security" and adds drag

 

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
2,720
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was just listening to latest Rusty "talk to your shaper" episode (link below). About 14 minutes in, he starts talking about twin fins. He is not a fan of twin + stabilizer. says you just need to get used to 2 fins and once you do you realize you can ride them even in bigger hollow waves. he thinks the stabilizer gives a "false sense of security" and adds drag

dang, seen this on IG live but didn't realize they had it available for replay on YouTube. Will have to go back and listen
 
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rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
3,617
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Long time ago I had a Lost RNF with a twin plus trailer. I was running it with FCS MR twins and trailer. One day I took out the trailer and the board really freed up and worked so much better. Didn't ever put it back in. Eventually ripped the plugs out as the big twins are too much for the old FCS system but I hear what Rusty is saying.
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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San Diego, CA
Akila Aipa recently said the same thing when someone asks him what setup he rides himself. Said he never uses a center fin and loves the speed of twin. Of course you definitely get used to how a twin reacts when you ride them in varied conditions, but jumping back and forth between a thruster is not easy for many of us.
That said, I have been loving the MR twin+1 in my GMM2. Twin would be too skatey with that extra wide square tail, but the trailer really holds in punchy, chunky conditions the last couple weeks. The board design is an ugly rectangle but is just ultra-functional. That blunt square nose never pearls on late bumpy drops. Had a couple guys in the water tell me how good it looks like it's going. Been pleasantly surprised and really opened up the range of what I thought was a groveler. The lesson as always... @jkb knows!
 

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
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speaking of square tail twins, this looks interesting to me

1592943805555.png
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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Central California
Akila Aipa recently said the same thing when someone asks him what setup he rides himself. Said he never uses a center fin and loves the speed of twin. Of course you definitely get used to how a twin reacts when you ride them in varied conditions, but jumping back and forth between a thruster is not easy for many of us.
That said, I have been loving the MR twin+1 in my GMM2. Twin would be too skatey with that extra wide square tail, but the trailer really holds in punchy, chunky conditions the last couple weeks. The board design is an ugly rectangle but is just ultra-functional. That blunt square nose never pearls on late bumpy drops. Had a couple guys in the water tell me how good it looks like it's going. Been pleasantly surprised and really opened up the range of what I thought was a groveler. The lesson as always... @jkb knows!
It's hard for me to wrap my mind around a GMM2 with a twin/trailer set-up, but I might have to give it a shot now.

As for a pure twin, I feel like they lack projection on a bottom turn. But that might not matter depending on the type of wave you're surfing. I think a trailer fin (or as Ghostshaper has mentioned a twinzer) would give you that projection back.
 

SharkBoy

Miki Dora status
Oct 22, 2004
3,881
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Akila Aipa recently said the same thing when someone asks him what setup he rides himself. Said he never uses a center fin and loves the speed of twin. Of course you definitely get used to how a twin reacts when you ride them in varied conditions, but jumping back and forth between a thruster is not easy for many of us.
That said, I have been loving the MR twin+1 in my GMM2. Twin would be too skatey with that extra wide square tail, but the trailer really holds in punchy, chunky conditions the last couple weeks. The board design is an ugly rectangle but is just ultra-functional. That blunt square nose never pearls on late bumpy drops. Had a couple guys in the water tell me how good it looks like it's going. Been pleasantly surprised and really opened up the range of what I thought was a groveler. The lesson as always... @jkb knows!
you running Futures or FCS in your GMM2?
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
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San Diego, CA
FCS2, the black & white swirled MRs

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around a GMM2 with a twin/trailer set-up, but I might have to give it a shot now.
Yeah, I didn't expect to like it. I really just haven't used the MRs much since I got them, so figured I'd throw them in and see, on a mushy day last week. Haven't taken them out since.
Edit: Also, I happened to see this pic today of someone using them in a JS Bullseye and he said they went "so good". Dunno. maybe the fins are more versatile than I gave them credit for.
 
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oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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San Diego, CA
erBB search function sucks now. This thread came up when I was looking for info on Gremlin so thought I'd revive it. surf's been pretty blah and forecast looks bleak for next week. Hard to motivate to get in the water. Just impulse-bought a like-new GremlinXL on CL for $200 less than new price to add to the groveler (aka SanDiego DD) quiver. Heard mixed reviews, but figure if I don't like it, Pyzels will be easy to resell. Stoked to try it out for our mushy <waist-high surf. I saw @trifish liked it with Muchacho twin+trailer so I may start out with MR twin +trailer (FCS2). Anyone like it as a quad?
 
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MathDebater

Michael Peterson status
Apr 13, 2016
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I've been thinking about building up my grovel quiver too, forecast has not been promising. I'm keen on a superflex fling, but need to wait for one to come up used.
 

trifish

Gerry Lopez status
Sep 23, 2009
1,337
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Shred City
erBB search function sucks now. This thread came up when I was looking for info on Gremlin so thought I'd revive it. surf's been pretty blah and forecast looks bleak for next week. Hard to motivate to get in the water. Just impulse-bought a like-new GremlinXL on CL for $200 less than new price to add to the groveler (aka SanDiego DD) quiver. Heard mixed reviews, but figure if I don't like it, Pyzels will be easy to resell. Stoked to try it out for our mushy <waist-high surf. I saw @trifish liked it with Muchacho twin+trailer so I may start out with MR twin +trailer (FCS2). Anyone like it as a quad?
A little insight on my runs with it. I've never been much of a quad guy, but I did run it as a quad for a few months and thought it felt good in the weaker stuff. Somebody had suggested I run it that way. I forget if it was Pyzel or some random friend. Didn't really have any complaints at the time. That board doesn't have problems turning with any fin setup it seems. I ride thrusters the most on my boards, so when I swapped it to a thruster It felt natural/predictable for me with a bit more control, just a little slower overall. I preferred the extra control over the quad on the days I showed up and the waves were bigger than expected, but not so much on the weaker days. As for the twin+trailer, I ended up trying it randomly one day and it clicked instantly. Noticeably more speed than the thruster , but some of that familiar feel I like when driving.
 
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rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
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Gbuzz diamond tail sk8 5'2" 20.25" 2.375 FU#3 quad set
Ewing MC mini log 5 fin bonzer pintail 8' 22" 2.75"
Thinking about hopefully soon a Speed egg MC with Alpha Omega bottom and twin set up 6'3" 21" 2.5"
 
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