7s Superfish

Fish surfboards are not meant for perfect surf. But let’s be honest here; the vast majority of surfers don’t ride perfect waves. So the argument goes: Most surfers should not ride surfboards made for perfect waves. A 6 foot performance wafer (a board that is very thin) may work well in head high glass, but this same surfboard will sink miserably in 2 foot slop. Therefore, it stands to reason then that we should equip ourselves realistically and properly in order to really enjoy the surfing experience.

With the summer doldrums firmly in place for many locales, I wanted to review boards that would help improve a beginning surfer’s wave count (the amount of waves you catch during a surf session) and riding performance.

So allow me to introduce the 7S Superfish.

The 7S Superfish. boasts an interesting step-deck design that I noticed right away. It gives the girth needed to float you into massive amounts of waves while giving the feel of a thinner railed board, so you can more effectively put the board on edge as you progress in your surfing performance. While it doesn’t quite have the freakish wave magnetism of the Webber Fatburner I have also reviewed, it does, however, offer more maneuverability typical of fish surfboards.

The 7S Superfish. is a very fast and very loose surfboard. There is no argument there at all. It projected strong off the bottom, which is where some fish surfboards (boards that are wide and thick and generally have a split “swallow” tail) falter. In addition, I found the 7S Superfish performed very similarly to a traditional surfboard. It turned quickly off the top and transitioned smoothly from top to bottom along the wave face.

The 7S Superfish is designed with a flat bottom and full-length concave leading to a double-concave near the tail. This probably means little to you unless you build boats or spaceships, so let me break down the bottom design here.

Board Design Dynamics

The flat bottom requires less speed and power to keep the board level and generates less friction on the water’s surface. Flat bottoms are great for small waves but don’t work well in more hollow waves that require your board have more curve to fit into the more extreme curve of the wave.

The board’s concave is where the board’s bottom is curved inward to provide a subtle channel for the water to flow, theoretically providing more projection down the wave and out of turns. The 7S Superfishcomes in lengths from 5’ 8” to 6’ 3”, all with a double-bump swallow tail that works in conjunction with the afore-mentioned concave bottom design. The swallowtail breaks up the water that has been channeled by the concaved bottom, thus loosening up the boards turning capability.

The Bottom Line

All this board design explanation really doesn’t matter when you are surfing. What matters is this. The 7S Superfish. is a great surfboard for any level rider, but I believe would greatly help beginning surfers who may have trouble catching waves or turning their big beginner boards.

This board is loose and fast, and its innovative step-deck design gives it the feel of a thinner board while still being maneuverable in small, crappy surf.

This model is among the newest movement in surfboard design which uses computers and shaping machines to create carbon copies of original shaper designs. This board in particular is distributed by Global Surf Industries which helps keep it affordable for beginning surfers by serving a world-wide market.