We went to Dave Moore at DMZ surfboards to design us the very best board for someone 5’9”, 160lbs surfing North Side of the pier in Huntington Beach. Dave’s knowledge and experience surfing and shaping boards for HB surfers make him the go-to guy. In Dave’s humble opinion, this is the perfect board for any conditions north of the pier. Get your own board at

​

​

​

I shaped this joystick with our local break in mind, Good ol’ North Side HB. Our waves in HB are always different and the sandbars are constantly changing. On the outside sandbar, waves lip, may shift and warp due to the ripping current, but can also get steep and barrel. However, they always end in a mushy flat section to a shore pound finish on the inside.

 

When I stepped up

to shape a board for out front I had to think about speed. How fast is this board going to go? How can I make it maintain the speed and flow in all wave situations?

My thinking, I figured I could shorten and widen up a board for our local waters. I decided to go Thruster, 5-7” x 19” x 2 3/8”. Volume placement should be balanced; HB has moments of race speed for first couple maneuvers or bowl, followed by a shoulder section. I wanted to make sure to give the board enough volume in the nose to give you the paddle power for when it’s mushy and when they waves are big and hollow. I wanted to keep volume throughout the board to make sure one can maintain speed in the crucial time when the wave flattens out until the reform on the inside. That being said, shorter with a high volume is best.

 

Rocker is Everything

Lower entry is the modern short board, directional twin tip designs to help push maneuvers to levels still that haven’t been seen. I played a lot with tail rocker and I feel that is the sweet spot of a board. Within a half of an inch makes all the difference in the world when it comes to speed and maneuverability. I wanted to give the board a decent amount of rocker to make sure the rider can go top to bottom when the wave gets steep.

 

I WENT WITH A CLASSIC

round pintail, which doesn’t give you raw acceleration but gives you control and an endless amount of turning angles. In addition, the narrower tail fits great in the barrel. This board will be perfect for when it’s lined up and mushy, or hollow and your trying to make the section and come speeding out.