Album Surfboards

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,985
22,522
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PNW
I noted and appreciated your reviewing these before. I go right/frontside a lot so asym was an easy choice plus never had one before. I had considered going shorter but after Matt's rec and I have kind of been on a longer board trip lately (particularly at pointbreaks and OB/long paddles and walls where you can utilize all the rail) 7" for me at 6'4 still seemed short enough. We shall see, coming up Thurs..will post a review, may take a while, forecast lookin bleak!
EN was a recommendation but I am curious how a maybe different templates for front/back would go, ever try that?
Right on man keep us posted. I think 7' is a good length for a tall guy like you. Especially with the Asym tail.

I never tried different fin templates at the same time. Just never crossed my mind. I'm sure it would work depending on what you're trying to achieve. Matt recommended the EN for me as well. I tried them, they were fine but TBH that template has never really done it for me. In any board. They might be a little big for me? Not sure.

Rode the Avocadobender this evening in crap leftover windswell. Had a blast. Actually rode a different board for first half the session and was kind of struggling. Came in, got the Album and right away got a couple fun ones. Very much digging this boar.

Thinking of ordering a Plasmic in Dark Arts carbon. Casa didn't like his Plasmic and found it boring. We seem to disagree on most things so by that logic I should like it.
 
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ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
Not sure why anyone would want this color on a board (melting wax aside), but from what I know about Varial and the ability to heat-gun out dents (in this case, the ones near the nose), you could pretty much make this thing look like new.
 

chilly1

Nep status
Jan 4, 2010
734
1,094
93
Interesting to see them side by side. The left rail on the asym is nearly the same length as the tail tip on the pin tail. I know you like the pin better backside, a lot less volume there. I used to get boards from JC a long time ago and when I wanted squashes he was always recommending R pins because they turn better. Visually easy to see side by side.

It does look like you are getting ready to go right again, pretty nice sticky bumps RTG on the asym!! What your trick? I can get it like that but not consistently. My technique is fing a cool place or at night, B coat rail to rail, nse to tail, diagonal, circles with corner (to fill in gaps), flat bar circles. wax on...zen meditation

Hey, you really ought to talk to XTR about a loyalty stamp card!
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,985
22,522
113
PNW
Interesting to see them side by side. The left rail on the asym is nearly the same length as the tail tip on the pin tail. I know you like the pin better backside, a lot less volume there. I used to get boards from JC a long time ago and when I wanted squashes he was always recommending R pins because they turn better. Visually easy to see side by side.

It does look like you are getting ready to go right again, pretty nice sticky bumps RTG on the asym!! What your trick? I can get it like that but not consistently. My technique is fing a cool place or at night, B coat rail to rail, nse to tail, diagonal, circles with corner (to fill in gaps), flat bar circles. wax on...zen meditation

Hey, you really ought to talk to XTR about a loyalty stamp card!
Magic boards are reward enough;)

My wax technique is same as yours. I do the base coat rail to rail, nose to tail, diag at least twice before I do any circles. Sometimes it works great. Other times not so much. I think cool weather helps. Maybe toss wax in the fridge first? Sounds like a little too much foresight needed for me.
 
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sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,857
11,266
113
San Diego
1. Use the edge of the base coat bar and draw all over the top. Don’t need to get too crazy nose to tail or rail to rail. Just swirly/squiggly lines work and the finer lines are better like drawing with a crayon. Don’t need to get too crazy, step 2 will build up these lines into mounds of wax. If you’re a hipster a cross hatch pattern is preferred.

2. flip the bar of base coat flat and build up those lines you made in step 1 like you’re shading with the side of a crayon.

3. apply top coat like you did in step 2.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
12,920
14,981
113
Honolulu, Hawaii
Not sure why anyone would want this color on a board (melting wax aside), but from what I know about Varial and the ability to heat-gun out dents (in this case, the ones near the nose), you could pretty much make this thing look like new.
Reminds me of that eddie murphy skit on SNL last year when he's in the baking championships and one of the judges asks him, "why is it brown?" and he says, "Why is anything brown?"
 
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,985
22,522
113
PNW
@Aruka , how long did it take you to get your Insanity from order to delivery?
just checked emails and it looks like 8.5 weeks to complete the board and then a few more days to have it shipped to me. felt reasonable given the multi color resin tint and covid and whatnot.

the XTR Lightbender I ordered same day and it was at my door in 7 weeks.
 
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tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
2,720
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just checked emails and it looks like 8.5 weeks to complete the board and then a few more days to have it shipped to me. felt reasonable given the multi color resin tint and covid and whatnot.

the XTR Lightbender I ordered same day and it was at my door in 7 weeks.
cool, I'm at 6 weeks for my Fascination and just want to adequately mentally prepare myself
 
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,985
22,522
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PNW
Not sure but I reckon the Plasmic is gonna be chunkier than the Twinsman. That thing packs some volume for the dims. Twinsman has a slight concave deck though so I don't think you would want to go too thick on that one either.

Rode the Insanity for the first time in basically the type of waves I got it for. Overhead shifty beachbreak with pretty good power. Drab twin+trailer. Board felt great. It moves around the lineup well and definitely allowed me to get a couple extra waves that I wouldn't have been able to position for on my normal shorty. I expected to have to nurse turns with the fin setup I had in it but it held in just fine. It's definitely a stable, poised board that feels like it has some step up DNA but since the 6'2" is an inch shorter than my height it doesn't feel overly long and unwieldy on a chest high wave. It glides in early but also feels like it handles a late drop just fine. Got a few turns that really felt good.

Honestly if I had to compare it to something off the top of my head it would be a Ghost. Like a de-tuned Ghost. They both have that wider nose with lower entry rocker then they come back to a pretty narrow tail with plenty of rocker. Both have fairly subtle bottom contours. Insanity has a wider nose with considerably more foam up front and a little fuller foil overall.
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,857
11,266
113
San Diego
I saw someone in the lineup with socks and shoes on the other day. No BS.

dont both Vans and Former have a leather mandle now? I think Matt just did a copy cat.