Album Surfboards

[sdsrfr]

the fin boxes are further back on plasmic. 7 1/2" vs. 7 7/8" on lightbender. that's from tip of tail to the rear edge of fin box opening.

got curious, lazy measured in the rack with a makeshift straight edge. ymmv, rubber ruler, etc.

plasmic, 5’5, has the boxes at 7 1/2, with fins between 7 1/8 and 7 1/4

lightbender, 5’7, has boxes at 7 3/4, with fins between 7 1/4 and 7 3/8

my lightbender has the shallow swallow like on the varial site.

 

[Aruka]

Foil shots are hard. I tried.

 

[need 4 speed]

trippy
I want to feel one up

 

[frontsidegrab]

How do the TA twins feel?
They're my go-to in both my Twinsman RP and Townsend

 

[racer1]

Looks kinda weird but sometimes those go the best

 

[MathDebater]

Still looks pretty chonky, even "thinned" out

 

[Aruka]

How do the TA twins feel?
They're my go-to in both my Twinsman RP and Townsend

I haven't tried yet. Been running JS fins first 3 sessions. They feel good but I'm curious to try something smaller and the TA's are a favorite.

 

[sdsrfr]

dang. You can’t not look at that gothic R. in the background.

foil looks trippy especially w/ carbon. kinda looks like my 5’5 pulled out at the tail.

 

[prsoza]

Think @Aruka has both Insanity & Lightbender. Prolly in multiple constructions too.
Been really impressed with Townsend so far. Shoulda gotten one when guys first started raving about them last year or so. Would've been a a lot less aggravated by the Covid kook crowds. My imagination is already talking me into a mini quiver of Townsend-with-Plasmic-channels at 6'4, 6'8, 7'0!

Ya I was riding my Darkness more than I wanted to during the CKC invasion here. Matt highly recommended the Townsend when I was looking for a mid with more range and not so cruisy. Took it out on some sub par days and some long period juice recently and really was surprised how awesome it was in good waves. Usually don't take a mid out in those conditions, but I might be now even wo/o the crowds yet. I got a CC LongF around the same time as the Townsend and not really digging it at all. Got someone lined up to take it off my hands. I also have been thinking what a shorter Townsend might be like?

 

[Aruka]

Ya I was riding my Darkness more than I wanted to during the CKC invasion here. Matt highly recommended the Townsend when I was looking for a mid with more range and not so cruisy. Took it out on some sub par days and some long period juice recently and really was surprised how awesome it was in good waves. Usually don't take a mid out in those conditions, but I might be now even wo/o the crowds yet. I got a CC LongF around the same time as the Townsend and not really digging it at all. Got someone lined up to take it off my hands. I also have been thinking what a shorter Townsend might be like?

my first townsend was 6-8 asym and 2nd one i went 6-6 in XTR. not a big difference in size but between the different construction and tail design they feel noticeably different. the shorter, lighter one is definitely more nimble and fun in smaller surf and fits in the pocket a bit better in tubing waves. the longer one is heavy glassed PU and is more stable and drivey in bigger surf. i'm 6'3" so neither one of these are that long for me compared to how some are sizing them. i see no reason why an even shorter one wouldn't be lots of fun. at some point it will lose it's gliding cheat factor and you will have to work a bit more for speed but with the basically fishy entry rocker and beak nose it will still be a good wave catcher i would think.

you asked earlier about insanity vs. lightbender. i have both and they are quite different. lightbender is a twin. it's kind of just a narrower fish with fin boxes set back to run upright fin templates. insanity is almost like a step up with a narrow tail and while it's not a super rockered out board it isn't fishy flat either. lightbender is best in the kind waist to head high range while insanity feels best in like chest to double overhead range. it handles juice really well and can feel a little stiff in marginal surf although i've recently been running it with upright thruster set and doing pretty well in fairly average beach break conditions. i think if you end up liking the insanity and want kind of a seamless transition from waist high to big the logical step down from it is the bullet. i have a round tail twin bullet but havent tried the OG 5-fin version. it looks really good to me though and i totally dig the twin version.

 

[MrSteve]

my first townsend was 6-8 asym and 2nd one i went 6-6 in XTR. not a big difference in size but between the different construction and tail design they feel noticeably different. the shorter, lighter one is definitely more nimble and fun in smaller surf and fits in the pocket a bit better in tubing waves. the longer one is heavy glassed PU and is more stable and drivey in bigger surf. i'm 6'3" so neither one of these are that long for me compared to how some are sizing them. i see no reason why an even shorter one wouldn't be lots of fun. at some point it will lose it's gliding cheat factor and you will have to work a bit more for speed but with the basically fishy entry rocker and beak nose it will still be a good wave catcher i would think.

Same here. Had a 6-6 squash-ish twin asym Townsend in XTR. Went really well, but after riding Varial and feeling the flex and projection, sold it and ordered the same in Varial. I use this as a DD.
Also have a 6-8 asym twin pin Townsend in XTR 8.0 as a 'step up'. I've never had an issue with either in steep waves.

 

[Havoc]

Same here. Had a 6-6 squash-ish twin asym Townsend in XTR. Went really well, but after riding Varial and feeling the flex and projection, sold it and ordered the same in Varial. I use this as a DD.
Also have a 6-8 asym twin pin Townsend in XTR 8.0 as a 'step up'. I've never had an issue with either in steep waves.

pic of the squashish one?

 

[silentbutdeadly]

anyone notice the subtle shaka in one of the foil shots?

what a boss

 

[MrSteve]

pic of the squashish one?

Dont have the new one in hand yet... The smaller pic is what I sent to Shea, but it came without the sublte hook to it, just straight across, (gray board which is now sold)

 

[tedshred5]

anyone notice the subtle shaka in one of the foil shots?

what a boss

puffy jacket-cabron-shaka

 

[racer1]

dang. You can’t not look at that gothic R. in the background.

imagine it on the nose of your board!

 

[sdsrfr]

imagine it on the nose of your board!

too bad you don’t make YouTube videos of yourself unboxing them, that one would have been a real gem.

”oooohhh noooioo, wtf is that…” followed by trying to convince yourself it’s not that bad (it was).

 

[prsoza]

my first townsend was 6-8 asym and 2nd one i went 6-6 in XTR. not a big difference in size but between the different construction and tail design they feel noticeably different. the shorter, lighter one is definitely more nimble and fun in smaller surf and fits in the pocket a bit better in tubing waves. the longer one is heavy glassed PU and is more stable and drivey in bigger surf. i'm 6'3" so neither one of these are that long for me compared to how some are sizing them. i see no reason why an even shorter one wouldn't be lots of fun. at some point it will lose it's gliding cheat factor and you will have to work a bit more for speed but with the basically fishy entry rocker and beak nose it will still be a good wave catcher i would think.

you asked earlier about insanity vs. lightbender. i have both and they are quite different. lightbender is a twin. it's kind of just a narrower fish with fin boxes set back to run upright fin templates. insanity is almost like a step up with a narrow tail and while it's not a super rockered out board it isn't fishy flat either. lightbender is best in the kind waist to head high range while insanity feels best in like chest to double overhead range. it handles juice really well and can feel a little stiff in marginal surf although i've recently been running it with upright thruster set and doing pretty well in fairly average beach break conditions. i think if you end up liking the insanity and want kind of a seamless transition from waist high to big the logical step down from it is the bullet. i have a round tail twin bullet but havent tried the OG 5-fin version. it looks really good to me though and i totally dig the twin version.

Thanks @Aruka for the insight and taking the time! Guess I need to get out on my Insanity soon see how it feels. Just been loving the Townsend. And still riding my old UTF a lot. I keep beating myself up that I should of gotten a lightbender instead of the Insanity. But I kind of like having a quad option that's why I mostly went with the Insanity but the Townsend has me thinking differently now and this thread.

 

[302PD]

I haven't tried yet. Been running JS fins first 3 sessions. They feel good but I'm curious to try something smaller and the TA's are a favorite.

@Aruka - How do those JS compare the the ENs?

 

[Aruka]

@Aruka - How do those JS compare the the ENs?

they are similar, the JS are set back a little bit. i posted a comparison pic a while back in the fin thread. i prefer the JS for myself.

*** Official Fin Thread ***

Unsolicited twin fin comparison follow up… Rasta upright = t1 template. Compare to newly-copped AP 5.55 “retro keel(?)” (meant for Lightblender)

forum.surfer.com