With advice from world-class shapers who make them
Here at WaterWays Travel, we like to make the logistics of surf travel as easy as possible. We do the heavy lifting; you do the surfing. Yet we know flying with surfboards isn’t easy. With airlines adding fees constantly, surfers are forced to make difficult decisions about their ideal quiver.
So, we chatted with some of the best surfboard shapers in the world for their advice on the ideal set-up for a trip away. Legendary shapers like Darren Handley, Matt Biolos, Christiaan Bradley, and Dylan Longbottom came to the same conclusion: You only need to take two boards if (and here’s the kicker) you take the right two. Here’s their advice on how to do that.
Darren Handley, DHD Surfboards
Darren Handley grew up on the Gold Coast and launched his label DHD 20 years ago. He’s won 11 World Titles with Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore. On the wrong side of 50 (his words), he still surfs regularly at home and on team trips worldwide.
“In terms of sizes, if we use me as an example; I surf okay, am getting old, yet still want my share of waves,” said Handley. “At home, I’d ride a 5’11”, but if I’m going away, I’d take a 6’0” or 6’1” for the shortboard and a 6’4” or even 6’5” step-up for the extra volume. The bigger board, though, has the potential to elevate your trip.”
He advises a roundtail, with a five-fin set up for versatility and a wider nose that isn’t too rocketed to make it an absolute paddle machine.
“You’ll remember that wave of the day or the trip that made it all worth it,” said DH. “You want to make sure you have the volume that makes you feel confident you can take off when that big set comes your way.”
Christiaan Bradley, Bradley Surfboards
Bradley is a Tasmanian based in France who works out of the Euroglass Factory in Hossegor. He has made CT winning boards for Kelly Slater, Jeremy Flores, and Leo Fioravanti. Aged 44, Bradley can be found surfing the Hossegor rip banks at most opportunities and towing when the swell gets too big for the banks.
Bradley took a personal approach to the ultimate quiver, focusing on quality waves. He weighs around 200 pounds, has two young kids, and hasn’t seen a gym in a while. “If I were going to Indo, I’d take a 6’3” by 20” wide and a 2 5/8” that comes in over 35 plus liters in volume,” said Bradley. He calls it a performance shortboard with hidden volume designed for quality waves.
“But you go on a trip to score pumping waves, better than at home. I’d pack a rounded pin 6’6” with drive, handles power, and holds in the barrel,” he continued. “I’d pull the tail in and thin the rails off my shortboard dimensions. Let’s say 6’6” by 19 3/4” x 2 9/16” for 38 litres. When the surf is overhead, you want to trust your board.”
Matt Biolos, Lost Surfboards
Matt Biolos started shaping in high school in 1987 in California and founded Lost Surfboards by Mayhem. He shapes boards for Carissa Moore, Mason Ho, Tyler Wright, Kolohe Andino, Griffin Colapinto, and Yago Dora. A few years ago, he turned 50. He regularly surfs his local Cali beach breaks and heads to Mexico and Indo each year for his quality wave fix.
“I’d take a 6’3” or 6’4” EL Patron model, which I call the gentleman’s shortboard,” said Biolos. “I’m 90 kilograms and would go 20 and 1/2” wide and 2 and 3/4” thick with volume above 35 liters. Under my arm, from a distance, it looks like a 6’0” because it is so well proportioned.”
Interestingly, Biolos doesn’t increase the length for the step-up but advises a rounded pin with a wider nose outline, a more pulled-in tail, and an added tail rocker. “That’s a perfect bigger guy’s tube board for, say, a trip to the Mentawais when you could get some epic sessions in good waves,” said Biolos
Dylan Longbottom, Dylan Surfboards
Dylan was a professional free surfer and big wave rider throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Around 20 years ago, he started shaping boards. He is known for his big wave guns and tow boards, which he makes for Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Matahi Drollet, and Justine Dupont. At 50, he still does airs and continues to charge the heaviest waves in the world.
Dylan is still interested in surfing with as much high performance as your age and talent allow. He advises that surfers should first pack a small wave high-performance shortboard with a slightly flatter rocker, touch fuller nose, and more area in plan shape with a hip in front of the fins. “I’m 175 pounds and six foot tall and ride a board an inch shorter than my height at 5’11” by 19 1/4″ x 2 1/2”. I prefer single-to-double concave with a volume around the 30-litre mark.”
He only goes a couple of inches longer than his height for his step-up and tries to keep as much of the performance aspects as possible but with added features for barrels and drawn-out turns in solid waves. He opts for a round rail, a nice medium rocker with slighter concaves than his shortboard. Dylan does advise to go heavier on the glassing. “That makes it stronger for dealing with baggage handlers and less likely to break,” said Longbottom. “Plus, in good waves, having a heavier board is a disadvantage.”
