So i've rented a tuflite for a few days, observations and questions

General Discussion
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A local boardshop rents out quite an extensive range of tuflites and new technology boards. I’ve been thinking of trying one for a while, as some people love them, some hate them, so i thought i’d find out for myself. Today is day no.1 of 3 days. The board is a byrne “mullet” 6’6’’ x 12.5’'n x 21 wide ( a bit back i think ) x 15.5 x 2 3/4 thick. Looks like a zappy kinda fish i guess.

This morning got out in some 4-5’ mostly dumping hollow shorebreak kind of waves, not great for this style of board i know but i wanted to try it.

The paddle out was quite hard, one of the hardest, just no break, waves coming one after the other, and a small lull every now and then. I was surprised that i felt like i could just keep paddling without really having a break. I got out of breath, but my shoulders didn’t really get tired at all. I know i would have really struggled on my twin keel. I got caught inside after a wave, and had to do it all over again, i was surprised i got back out.

Surfing wise, i found the board seemed to take off well, but when i got on the front foot, it just seemed to stop. I think it might be coz im used to front foot boards, any ideas???.

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Buy a custom?

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Hi Mark

Like you, I’ve just tried a surftech. It’s the 8’2 McCoy nugget, borrowed from a mate. The aim is to try the board on for size and then buy a custom.

Like you, I find it easy to paddle, and my wave count is way up. But when I get into the wave, it seems that the rails don’t bite, it just skips across the top…and I’m nursing it. I was wondering if it was just that particular model or the material?

Be interested to hear the replies from your post.

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Pulled my 9’6" TufLite August out for the 1st time in 6 months. I have been back on a PU board during that time. I agree, it just feel like it’s skimming on top of the water, not good on the choppy wind swell we had the day I took it out.

I think I’m done with it except as a loaner board or small glassy days.

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Thanks for the replies guys. Bunyip, an 8’2’’ surftech nugget would be a boat for someone your size i think, You could go much smaller i think. I really wanted the 6’6’’ nugget, but it was being rented out.

Took the mullet out again in 1-2’ today, and, well, i just didnt like it. Floats great, paddles great, but wave catching isnt as good as i expected, and once up and going, i can’t seem to get any momentum out of it. I think if you’re used to really snappy surfing they would be great, as they are very twitchy and can be whipped around, but i am totally opposite in that regard. Might sound silly, but i much prefer my longboard foam, 6 x 6+6oz wide nose fish anyday. In fact, tomorrow im not even gunna take the mullet. Im not gunna bag the board, but i just dont think it is for me. was good to try it though, at least i know how they go. I would be interested in trying a wide nose fish type board in that construction, to see if maybe the narrow nose put me off.

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Quote:

Pulled my 9’6" TufLite August out for the 1st time in 6 months. I have been back on a PU board during that time. I agree, it just feel like it’s skimming on top of the water, not good on the choppy wind swell we had the day I took it out.

My friend have a surftech robert august, Albeit I think it’s the 9’0" and it’s a wood series. He is absolutely ripping on the board, in particular in choppy wind swell (which is all we’ve had lately). If anything it looked like his rails were holding in very well. He absolutely loves it. Maybe the wood series are heavier than tuflites and thus behaves a bit better?

regards,

Håvard

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tangentally, I rode my neighbor’s 10’ Walden Magic Model last night.

grabbed it on a lark only to find el porto was about shoulder to head high

with an occasionally heaving inside section.

my first thought was…“I grabbed the wrong board”, but I decided to suck

it up and see how it paddled.

a few strokes later I was outside and wondering how I got there so fast.

the board is light and a bit wider than most of my others…it catches nearly

anything, but you really have to give it a couple extra strokes…I kept feeling

that the weight was causing it to ride up the wave at take off, but once

I got to my feet and got a rail in the thing hauled ass.

super responsive…way more than I was expecting…handled late, walled up

drops far better than I could have hoped for and just plain flies once it’s

in trim. much more maneuverable from the center to the point that when it

came time for a cut back I forgot I how many steps back I really needed

to take to find the sweet spot.

none of the negatives I’ve heard associated with epoxy sandwich contruction

seemed to plague this thing…I don’t know if GSI has some magic up their

sleeves or what, but I’m now in the market for one of these wave hogs.

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The EPS density and D-cell construction do not have enough mass in shortboards to drop well and drive. This is why the 9-10 ft and veneered versions work well. Get an old one, sand off the paint, and lam a layer of 8 oz. on it and you’ll see the difference.

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I don’t like Surftechs for all the reasons stated. I love my 6’4" Hynson twinzer, Boardworks version, however. Fast, easy to paddle and duckdive, heavier than the S’techs and not finicky in chop. My main ride when it’s less than chest and mushy.

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hi beerfan… its cool that you are expermenting with the surftech… i ride longboards only, but here is what i ve found… they paddle fantastic! you have to give it a little extra oomph on take off… ( they have no glide because of there lightness}… they turn really easy and can be whipped around… on small mushy waves they do seem not to bite as good as a p. u. board… on real waves they work fine… not good at low speeds but good at high speed… also a HUGE plus for longboarders " there easy to carry" … just my observations after having 2 epoxy boards…

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Quote:

Hi Mark

Like you, I’ve just tried a surftech. It’s the 8’2 McCoy nugget, borrowed from a mate. The aim is to try the board on for size and then buy a custom.

Like you, I find it easy to paddle, and my wave count is way up. But when I get into the wave, it seems that the rails don’t bite, it just skips across the top…and I’m nursing it. I was wondering if it was just that particular model or the material?

Be interested to hear the replies from your post.

Mccoys don’t spin out and it’s been my experience you never have to nurse them through turns. I have ridden that board…it’s the board not the design.

I recently went to a have a go day with Surftechs and boardsworks. I rode about 10 different styles on glassy little chest high waves. There was not a board in the bunch I would spend my money on. I am not saying it doesn’t exist…only that I have yet to find it.

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Afoaf,

I’ve found the GSI epoxy boards are very different from the surftechs I have tried. Out of 4 (ranging from 6’6" - 10’) that I’ve tried I’ve only really liked one straight away.

The most trusty board in my quiver is a Southpoint Bonga 7’6" which rides really well in chop and over whitewater. This is where I found the surftechs to be lacking.

Of course just because I like it doesn’t mean too much. It simply works for me and thats enough.

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I had a Yater wood grain shortly after they came out. At first I didn’t like it but with different fins, it rode fine. I find it hard to believe that with proper finnage most any Surftech can’t be made to work well. Play with the fins on any board and you’re sure to be able to tweak some improvement out of it.

The common complaint of lack of drive might easily be solved with a wider based fin. The weight thing could easily be corrected with a router, some lead weights and some epoxy resin.

I received a new book on surfboards and in the first couple of pages found pics of an older 8 foot Hynson with lead weights attached to the nose. He’s also been known to insert tubes in the blank partially filled with water.

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Quote:

I had a Yater wood grain shortly after they came out. At first I didn’t like it but with different fins, it rode fine. I find it hard to believe that with proper finnage most any Surftech can’t be made to work well. Play with the fins on any board and you’re sure to be able to tweak some improvement out of it.

The common complaint of lack of drive might easily be solved with a wider based fin. The weight thing could easily be corrected with a router, some lead weights and some epoxy resin.

I received a new book on surfboards and in the first couple of pages found pics of an older 8 foot Hynson with lead weights attached to the nose. He’s also been known to insert tubes in the blank partially filled with water.

You might as well just order a custom if it takes all that to make it ride better. With me it’s not the fins or the weight…they just feel strange and they turn strange. I actually find it harder to catch waves on them than regular poly. Then again…I ride my polys pretty thick and wide. If there was something I liked about the way they rode, I would say it. I like the tech and possibilities…even if I don’t care for what surrounds it nor the program that promotes them.

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Update - I’ve persevered with the board because I always wanted a McCoy, and the option to ride one for a couple of months was too good to pass up.

After a few more sessions I can confirm that the rails do stick on a steeper wave and it’s fun! My first session was on a fattish point break and the board was skittish. I’ve heard generally that the McCoys prefer a steeper wave so maybe my experiences were magnified by the lighter epoxy construction??? I’m still getting used to it, and I’m definitely having to surf differently - but I’m slowly getting tuned into it. I’ve also added some larger fins so that may have had some effect

I’ve read that the pu McCoys are a different breed but I couldn’t believe how much. So much difference that I thought it must be the design of the 8’2 board. It’s the biggest chunk of foam - but I like big boards so I went with it. (The 7’11 in comparison is a much more refined shape).

I’ve ridden my sons 6’10 pu nugget as a comparison - its a bit small (for me) but I’ve gotten a good couple of rides on it. Enough to know that I like it a lot.

After this I’ll definitely order a custom McCoy, still not sure on the size, but most probably a single (cos thats his passion) and probably closer to the 8foot rather than the 6’10.

How did you find this board solo??? How was it different to a standard McCoy?

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Quote:

After this I’ll definitely order a custom McCoy, still not sure on the size, but most probably a single (cos thats his passion) and probably closer to the 8foot rather than the 6’10.

How did you find this board solo??? How was it different to a standard McCoy?

Geoff will take care of you on customs. You will be satisfied.

I found the board pretty much as you described. The bigget issue with me on the popout Mccoy is the lack of drive compared to the poly. Mccoy’s boards fly over sections and plane easilly. They are very stable and the steeper and more hollow the more they stick and the looser they feel. Thats been my experience with them vs the tech models. Also…the Surftech 7’11’’ was originally a single…but Randy decided to make it a thruster. Mccoy has two templates for the 8ers…wider nose and narrower nose. He can obviously do whatever, but those are the two I have seen. I own a 8er with the narrower nose. Love it.

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I think they are very different as well.

As for all the molded construction based boards I like these the best.

I feel that these are far from what surftechs are.

I don’t care if they are made in the same place or not they have a touch more weight (something in-between a poly and surftech).

I think the 3 phase epoxy has better IMHO flex pattern as well.

I have never tried a T2 so I cant say what they are like but I’m going to guess probably close to a EPS sanded finish type of board of an equivalent shape.