As I waited for a swell event to push over the horizon, I pictured myself pulling the Retro Fish from my car and having to explain to the boys, “This isn’t really my board.” “This is just a trial for my website…Seriously.”
The buoys bounced up and a dawn session was on. The surf was 3-4 feet with clean off-shores, breaking slowly over a deep outside trough..Clean, long, and peeling.
Now here comes the honesty again. The board friggin ripped. The wide nose, flat bottom, and wide midpoint of the board made for an easy friction free paddle from outback. Gliding in early, I slid into the pit before it broke and could immediately feel the freedom afforded by the lack of a third fin.
The subtle rocker (bottom curve) is an ally in the small summer surf since there is never a need for a fully committed bottom turn. The chemistry of the extra wide swallow tail (split fish tail) and the twin fin configuration allow the board to let loose and sail through sections effortlessly.
That is the most serious strength in this board. Twin fins generate twice the speed of a tri-fin with minimal effort; however, there is a lack of overall control. If you normally ride a tri-fin, twin fins take a little getting used to, but the speed difference is obvious and a bonus.
Bottom line: the Isle Surfboards Retro Fish is packed with speed.
I was also feeling the options and creativity that the wide longboard nose (front tip) offered. Riding in the pit, the Retro Fish is a demon once you get used to using more rail than fin and then it’s a cruiser in flats where noseriding can drive you into the inside section.
Overall, the Retro Fish is an innovative hybrid that blends the best of several surfboard dimensions.
The Retro Fish is a longboard that catches waves like it’s nobody’s business and offers the possibility of noseriding.
The Retro Fish is a shortboard that easily maneuvers up and down the face and up on the lip.
The Retro Fish is a freak of nature that uses all its unique attributes to create blazing speed that blows through sections like a bomb.
