DHD's new small wave offering, the Phoenix

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
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S. Redondo
I've briefly had a DHD Skeleton Key (OG) that didn't set my world on fire. I bought it used and was able to sell it for the same amount I paid, so I'm still open to a DHD. This is the first model of theirs that's piqued my interest in a quite a while. I'd like to try the 29L 5' 6".

 
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rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
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Really nice clean outline. Love to try one. Nice to see a short, groveler type of board without a hugely wide tail.

Although honestly the waves they show it in toward the end aren't exactly what I think of as "small".
 
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Lowqi2

OTF status
Mar 17, 2013
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"super squash tail" ? ....it's just a regular rounded squash tail bro. trying too hard to over hype the board.

If I want to ride a twin plus trailer, then I will get a fishy outline board.
 
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Duffy LaCoronilla

Duke status
Apr 27, 2016
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Really nice clean outline. Love to try one. Nice to see a short, groveler type of board without a hugely wide tail.

Although honestly the waves they show it in toward the end aren't exactly what I think of as "small".
‘Small wave board’ - shows mick fanning in overhead barrel.
 
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rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
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Typical "groveler" hype form most board companies. Lost usually has Mason Ho in head high + Hawaiian juice on a new model.

Guess shows they have some upper range under the right feet.

I saw Mick surfing his standard contest board on an absolute junk day I wouldn't have considered paddling out on before the Quicksilver Pro on Long Island in 2011 or 2012 and he was killing it. Definitely archer not the arrow.
 
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
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looks fun but yeah stock dims are a bit bloated for me I reckon.
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,709
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S. Redondo
My new (to me) Fling at 4L above what I normally ride has me rethinking bloat for the real small stuff. I paddled out last Saturday while my daughter was trying out her friend's Catch Surf/Odysea RNF and was expecting to barely be able to get down the line and ended up having a decent surf. I normally would have continued to do 22oz IPA curls on the beach (last Father's day gift was a bomber Bottlekeeper from the wifey), but the LA beaches' active use only thing will keep me going in the water more. Before the Fling, if it was under waist high and weak looking, I'd usually would either bodysurf or be a Stormkooker.

The Fling is definitely not my thing when the waves are in the fun size realm. I knew it was going to be too corky for for top-to-bottom stuff. I took Brett Barley's sizing idea and kind of went against some suggestions here knowing it'd be way over-volumed, but wanted something to keep myself "shortboarding" when it's micro.

DHD's Phoenix may be an option for me on the waist to chest-high days or when it's waist high with some power and my NB2 (5' 8 @ 28.5L) isn't up for the task.
 
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tedshred

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 15, 2008
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Looks like a slimmed down version of the XRS that DHD was claiming was the ultimate groveler a few years ago. Granted I have one and it does work well but it's kind of ridiculous how the big names will tweak some board and claim its the best groveler ever then do some minor tweak then claim something like"we added some nose width and double concave now its the best small wave board ever".
 

Tomay

OTF status
Feb 2, 2010
160
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My new (to me) Fling at 4L above what I normally ride has me rethinking bloat for the real small stuff.

The Fling is definitely not my thing when the waves are in the fun size realm. I knew it was going to be too corky for for top-to-bottom stuff. I took Brett Barley's sizing idea and kind of went against some suggestions here knowing it'd be way over-volumed, but wanted something to keep myself "shortboarding" when it's micro.

I have had the exact same experience as you. Somehow years ago I ended up with a 5'8 Bottom Feeder @ 34 Ltrs. This was back in the days when Chilli was shaping for Lost in Oz. My standard volume (not that I'm a fan of volume as the main measurement) is around 28 Ltrs. It is a magic board that I will never sell. I can sit with the longboarders and catch unbroken waves but magically surf it like a shortboard(ish). If I put my weight into it I can manage to throw it around perfectly fine, it can even do snaps reasonably well. Such an awesome board for small days and grovelling - most summers I rarely get off it.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
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Looks like they added slim down dims:


Wouldn't mind trying a slim 5'10 or the thicc 5'8
 

ULUSURFER

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 2, 2007
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Australia
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‘Small wave board’ - shows mick fanning in overhead barrel.
significant different in aussie grovel vs california grovel. Aussie small=/=california small

waves on the gold coast are steeper and shorter period, very rarely mushy, flat or hard to get into.

an aussie grovelor is good into waves that are overhead in typical socal mush. an aussie grovel board is a california HPSB and an aussie HPSB is perfect for days that we call pumping.

I still remember the first day i surfed snapper, which was during a cyclone swell the locals were saying it was kinda fat and slow and you might want a wider thicker board. I paddled out and was like WTF this wave is steeper and faster than any 3-5ft wave ive seen around socal.

its all reference point
 

Duffy LaCoronilla

Duke status
Apr 27, 2016
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significant different in aussie grovel vs california grovel. Aussie small=/=california small

waves on the gold coast are steeper and shorter period, very rarely mushy, flat or hard to get into.

an aussie grovelor is good into waves that are overhead in typical socal mush. an aussie grovel board is a california HPSB and an aussie HPSB is perfect for days that we call pumping.

I still remember the first day i surfed snapper, which was during a cyclone swell the locals were saying it was kinda fat and slow and you might want a wider thicker board. I paddled out and was like WTF this wave is steeper and faster than any 3-5ft wave ive seen around socal.

its all reference point
I don’t really surf in “SoCal”
 

freeride76

Michael Peterson status
Dec 31, 2009
3,336
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Lennox Head.
thats a hard nut to crack for a lot of people.

it's shorter period, but steeper and more punchy.

still plenty of pure mush in summer to surf. I ride a 6'0" MF softie in that now. Don't even bother trying to "rip".
 

ULUSURFER

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 2, 2007
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I don’t really surf in “SoCal”
central and NorCal are different as you know.
thats a hard nut to crack for a lot of people.

it's shorter period, but steeper and more punchy.

still plenty of pure mush in summer to surf. I ride a 6'0" MF softie in that now. Don't even bother trying to "rip".

hahah after living in both places I say Southern California spots take the cake for mush factor.

dbah and TOS always have something rideable on a shortboard. Spots I surf in San Diego have days where it’s hard on a longboard it’s so mushy. Even on pumping days it’s hard to justify a standard aussie spec shortboard.

that being said the Phoenix looks good like most all of Darren’s board. The ordering process here is kinda funky but that’s part of the joy of custom ordering Surfboads