Why do you even need all those boards?
I want to get rid of all my boards and consolidate down to one stick. Why, you ask? It’s due to a psychological condition I call Quiver Anxiety.
It can be crippling. Remember how easy it was when you only had one board? Remember that peaceful feeling that comes with the absence of choice? That, at least, is the feeling I remember from my early surfing years.
When I was a grom I had one board, a 4’10” Randy Lewis with a custom checkered air spray. I rode that Twin Fin rain or shine, mushy or barreling. I never complained or blamed a bad session on my board. So Simple. I didn’t waste a second thinking I needed a different board for every day of the week.
Grom attack.
Times are different. There are now too many things in life that require emotional and logistical decisions; adding surfing into that category just seems, well, the opposite of what surfing is supposed to be about. Surfing is supposed to be relaxing. What it’s not supposed to do is stress you out with nine board choices before you even get to the beach.
Here’s what the truck ends up looking like:
.
Ridiculous. Also takes forever to load and unload every day.
Technically, unless you’re at Mavericks, Nazaré, Peahi or some other giant death wave, your board will work in anything. It may not be ideal, but you can still catch a wave and surf.
I recently got my best tube of the winter on a head-high day riding an 8’6” Retro Gun. Was it the perfect board for the day? Not at all. But it worked.
Retro Guns work.
And yes, it’s fun to try different boards. But it’s also really satisfying to get a good board wired and just have fun on it every day.
The Groovy Factor.
OG van life.
Before we get to the boards we have to talk about the Groovy Factor. The Groovy Factor It’s an important psychological element to the one-board quiver.
I’m a fan of groovy. I’m really not interested in watching endless video clips of 15 year-olds riding the same thruster and doing the same airs ad nauseam. It is fun, however, to watch surfers drawing different lines on well-made boards that don’t have 3 fins. It’s inspiring. Take Ryan Burch. His style and approach are unique, and the Twin Fin is an extension of this.
Burch, style master.
And Ozzie Wrong. Love or hate his style, he has more fun on a surfboard than just about anyone I can think of. He doesn’t usually ride conventional boards; they’re mostly short, thick and have two fins.
Ozzie, acid drop.
Groovy can help you not take yourself so seriously. Let go of the ego and the self-awareness and just have fun.
The board makers are marketing boards you don’t need and can’t excel on anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, I love shapers. Somebody had to make my magic Retro Gun. However. Who but John John can actually ride a Ghost properly? And the Neckbeard is great for Dane but problematic for anyone else who isn’t a surf god.
Dane being Dane.
The Environment.
Having 10 boards is bad for the environment. I haven’t seen a carbon footprint breakdown of the life of a surfboard, but it can’t be good.
And also, Money.
It’s expensive buying a wave craft every month because you’re bored. Think of what else you could do with all that money. Save it. Support some charities. Send your kids to college.
And now, the boards.
Obviously, there are more board shapes out there than the three I’ve chosen, but the point is to narrow it down to the three that will work in anything. For example, longboards are not on the list because, as fun as they are, they do not work in square barrels.
With that in mind, here are my three choices for the one-craft quiver:
1. The Fish
2. The Torren Martyn Experience
3. The Big Step-up
Let me explain.
The Fish.
Rad two-board quiver.
They’re short, fast, they hold in big waves with the right fins. You can make quick direction adjustments, they have plenty of foam for easy paddling. You can barrel ride and use the rail and punt some airs. You can cruise when the waves are bad or you don’t feel like trying to shred. They work great if your shaper knows what they’re doing. Remember Tom Curren at Bawa in 1994 on the 5’7” Fireball fish?
Tom Curren on the 5’7″ Fireball, circa 1994.
Asher Pacey being groovy.
Or Asher Pacey. Go to YouTube and watch any footage of Asher on a Fish, from big barrels to tight and square Snapper tubes. Or watch Josh Kerr. The Fish does it all, and it’s groovy.
Fish shortcomings: Big bumpy burgers. But big, bumpy burgers are annoying anyway, who wants to surf that?
The Torren Martyn Experience
Get barreled on this Twinner.
The step-up Twin Fin. They’re easy to catch waves on, fast, work in the barrel and you can still just cruise if the waves are gutless.
I know Torren Martyn is possibly a bad example. He only surfs perfect right points (mostly) and he’s a barrel savant…but, you can see the possibilities with the step-up Twin Fin if you watch his videos. The Lost Track movies have some heavy, cold-water barrels, and Ocean Motion has some heavy Nias, all which Torren navigates on his Twins.
Torren shacked, again.
And yes, they’re groovy.
Step-up Twin Fin shortcomings: Not always the best for top-to-bottom surf styles, tricky to punt. Probably difficult in giant, bumpy surf, but what isn’t?
The Big Step-up
Too many step-ups to choose from.
The Big Step-Up will cover a lot of ground. Big enough to cruise when the waves are mushy, great for barrels, will get you into big waves, you can still use the rail. You can even go top-to-bottom if you have the room.
Shortcomings: Not the best for airs, not the best for quick adjustments in tight pockets. Not very groovy if it’s a thruster. Nothing too spicy about them. It’s a workhorse board. You can, however, add in some of your own groovy style when riding one.
Full Circle
Apparently, I’ve now come full circle. I want to return to that simple state of mind.
As I said earlier, the absence of choice can be refreshingly peaceful. When you’re a kid, surfing is not about your equipment, it’s all about the simple fun of being at the beach with friends and riding waves.
So, after very little deliberation, I’ve decided the Fish is the best option. My one-board quiver will be 5’6” x 20 x 2 13/16, 36.4 liters. Keel fins for serious waves, uprights for softer days. Wish me luck.
I’m already working on getting rid of all my shoes and having just one pair.
And remember, the cure for Quiver Anxiety is just one board away. Now all you have to do is pick one.