Modern board like Lost RV

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
3,617
1,327
113
Grabbed my brothers 5 or 6 year old mint condition RV yesterday and wholly crap that thing went so well. It's 5'7 x 21 x 2 3/8 and just was a rocket ship in waist to chest high little Earl leftovers. I sold my 5'5 Bottom Feeder years ago and forgot how well these things work.

Was thinking of getting something along the same lines but all the modern Losts like this seem to be Puddle Jumper based. I rode the OG Puddle Jumper back in the day and didn't really like the combination of the big single concave combined with the flat rocker and width up front. The big concave under the front foot felt really sticky. The RV and the Bottom Feeder which are flat or even convex in the front go much better.

But I wouldn't mind a little more rocker in the nose and a little more pulled in tail. Wondering if the modern HP or Pro Puddle Jumpers with the narrower fronts and more rocker tame that stickiness a bit or if someone else makes one of these with flat or a shallow concave up front to loosen it up.

No local shapers and won't got the custom route with Lost, life is too short.
 

spjones123

Legend (inyourownmind)
Oct 24, 2005
538
1,343
93
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aruka

trifish

Gerry Lopez status
Sep 23, 2009
1,337
3,790
113
Shred City
RV & PJ Pro are very different boards. If your looking for a groveler I would go with something else before the PJ pro. What type of waves you thinking of using it in?
 
  • Like
Reactions: parkiteric

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
3,617
1,327
113
LazyToy II might be the call. Gremlin looks interesting as well but maybe a little chunky in the rail. LazyToy II looks like a mini egg.

Thing I like about the RV is that it's a pretty foiled 2 3/8 and just feels really good, better than my Bottom Feeder did rail wise.

I'd use it in anything under about chest high or even bigger if mushy. I mostly have been riding my egg in those conditions. My other two shortboards are a CI Twin Pin and a Ghost and it's almost never good enough to ride either of them. I like riding the egg but sometimes I just want a more shortboard-y feel and the RV scratched that itch without being a pain in the ass to ride or making me have to pump like a hyperactive teenager.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,510
113
PNW
I think the lazytoy has more of the bottom contours you are looking for. I didn't find the PJ to be sticky but mine is the slim version.
 

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
3,617
1,327
113
Yeah it's the combo of the wider bottom and the concave that I don't like. I tried the Lib Tech version of the PJ I think and also had same experience on one of the Rocket variants, maybe a V2 which was pretty wide.

I might just steal my brothers RV but the LazyToy II looks interesting.

I think the lazytoy has more of the bottom contours you are looking for. I didn't find the PJ to be sticky but mine is the slim version.
 

MathDebater

Michael Peterson status
Apr 13, 2016
2,580
6,117
113
SD
What JKB said. I loved my Lost Bottom Feeder, then I got a Manta and it's on another level for smol azz waves. I liked my GMM2 too but it doesn't have the same low end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: oeste858 and jkb

ckupczynski1

OTF status
Oct 14, 2009
277
110
43
I’m on my second RV in C3 construction and like you said it’s a very fun easy board to ride thats really fast and kills in mushy waves. Youncan easil get away with that board 6ft no problem just switch fins to the mayhem large quads and you’re set. EZ up looks like a fun board too that’s a step up I’d look into that one
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,856
11,262
113
San Diego
I know a bigger duu that went 1 boar quiver on an RV. Loves it.

just wait a few years and biolos will have (re)released the mashup.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: MathDebater

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,255
19,082
113
Jacksonville Beach
I didn't care for the RV myself. Maybe I needed to upsize it to Bean Bag volume but at a liter more than Sub Driver, Sub Driver blew it the f--k away. The board got into waves, just didn't do anything after the popup.

For not wanting to pump I might try the custom route and risk heartbreak. Maybe order it in C3/C4/Black Dart and Drew will build it and that might help with delivery matching order?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aruka
Apr 29, 2013
107
107
43
Oregon
For not wanting to pump I might try the custom route and risk heartbreak. Maybe order it in C3/C4/Black Dart and Drew will build it and that might help with delivery matching order?
My Bottom Feeder is the original C3 construction Drew built. That board has been put through the wringer and still gets regular use. My wife has an EZ up which she likes. These are not boards that ride like shortboards, and we're cool with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aruka

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
3,617
1,327
113
Couldn't buy a Manta, GMM or Stamps WTF, just too ugly and straight outlines though I know people swear by them. Need a little curve and the waves I surf tend be a bit punchy and don't lend themselves to such straight outlines. Had a Fling briefly here too and while I loved it in Califonia, it just didn't fit the waves here as well.

The nice thing about the RV is that it has a little curve and feels really refined. I would loose the silly wings in the tail and pull the tail in a touch more (the tail on the new PJ Pro looks perfect) if I could do anything, but it really feels like a more refined Bottom Feeder especially the rails. The combination of width (it's 21" wide!) a touch more rocker and the sensitive rails make it pretty unique among these sort of boards. Also the flat/mellow concave going into vee in the tail just seems to work really well. Don't think my brother is getting it back.
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
17,272
113
San Diego, CA
Couldn't buy a Manta, GMM or Stamps WTF, just too ugly and straight outlines though I know people swear by them. Need a little curve and the waves I surf tend be a bit punchy and don't lend themselves to such straight outlines. Had a Fling briefly here too and while I loved it in Califonia, it just didn't fit the waves here as well.

The nice thing about the RV is that it has a little curve and feels really refined. I would loose the silly wings in the tail and pull the tail in a touch more (the tail on the new PJ Pro looks perfect) if I could do anything, but it really feels like a more refined Bottom Feeder especially the rails. The combination of width (it's 21" wide!) a touch more rocker and the sensitive rails make it pretty unique among these sort of boards. Also the flat/mellow concave going into vee in the tail just seems to work really well. Don't think my brother is getting it back.
a Gremlin XL might be in your wheelhouse
 
  • Like
Reactions: tedshred5