Getting excited now

Loooking Gooood.See ya at Yals.

Prob North Point Ian

The B-line twin is very much on my radar but I cannot decide which size to get.

8'5" x 31 x 125l - easy for me for all conditions... but I already have the 7'10" x 30" x 125l Escape Pod. Feels pointless....

8'2" x 30 x 115l - tricky but will be more fun to actually surf. I've figured out the 8'2" x 29" x 118l SB Pro and I am starting to take it into rougher conditions. I think this board should be similar and possibly more stable even though it's 3 litres less. I reckon that I will be able to learn to handle it, despite my large 105 kgs frame. The tail and nose scream stability to me.

Has anyone found the stepdecks to be hard to stand on? I have a 7'11 B line with the step deck and I cannot stand on it full time like I can other fuller rail models in that same size range.

Ie been riding SMIK spitfires and infinity Blur V2, from 121 L now down to 100 L, I find the step deck creates stability as the board sits lower in the water and the water is over the bottom rail, so it's not corky and sitting above the water line. I'm usually 90/94 kgs of late and can balance the 100/8 ft blur V2 in all conditions now. It takes constant work but love the small board on the wave. Additionally, the blur V2 has small wings or hips on the tail that also increase stability while standing. I love the infinities for the step rails, just my 2 cents.
Are your feet off set on the board and in the right location? also using the paddle for an out rigger and always moving helps when stepping downsizes. All the best.

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Nerdburger said..
I find the step deck creates stability as the board sits lower in the water and the water is over the bottom rail, so it's not corky and sitting above the water line.

This.

VenturaShaper, You may have too big a board for your weight. Boards with designs made for rail-to-rail performance have less primary stability, and you should not oversize them, as they are greatly subject to the cork effect.
If you need stability, it is better to use a inherently stabler board design than just oversizing a performance one.

It means a guild factor in the 1.0 to 1.15, 1.2 is the limit.
For my 100kg, all my performance boards have less than 120 liters of volume. For a stabler design (e.g. the Gong Mob) I could go to 120 to 125 liters.

Its 7'11x27.5" at 90L. I am at 79 Kg in a wetsuit soaking wet(most times I am because I cannot stand on this thing constantly). I can ride my Kazuma 8'6"x28.5" at 102L perfectly fine all day in every sort of chop available.

The water line is right at the deckpad. The rails are just barely out of the water or slightly in the water at the surface depending on how much I'm moving on the board. The bottom of my feet are wet but the top aren't most times.

The key thing is outline surface area which only gong shows. So look at length, then width of tail and nose between boards that will tell you more than just widest point, rails or volume. I'd agree in general a tippy side to side board standing stability isn't improved by more volume, but most brands increase surface area with volume so it's a rough indicator of standing stability.

What's the niche of the Bline twin? Like if you had Blurr and escape pod, what conditions/mood calls for B line twin?

He who has more toys has more fun....ha ha.

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Kisutch said..
What's the niche of the Bline twin? Like if you had Blurr and escape pod, what conditions/mood calls for B line twin?

Hi Kisutch I have had a few Infinity's over the years including an 8/5 custom B line and a 8/8 production B Line. I haven't seen the Pod in WA sp so can't really comment. Looking at the new Twin and am hoping at 125 LTS it will be my go to board for Margaret River. Sensible volume for me, 31" wide for stability in the usual conditions we get here, lots of nose rocker, wide point back and super *****g fast being a twin fin.
can't wait to get it wet

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Kisutch said..
What's the niche of the Bline twin? Like if you had Blurr and escape pod, what conditions/mood calls for B line twin?

Escape Pod = groveller for the smaller / weaker stuff with all of the speed, fun and manoeuvrability of a twinnie. Allows you to surf a much smaller board than you would usually. Most people on an 8.8" usually would be able to handle the 7'10" Escape Pod

Blurr = high performance in bigger stuff

B-Line twin = in between. Looks to be more stable than the Blurr but with the added benefits of twinnie. Dave Boehne suggests to try it as pure twinnie and when waves get a bit bigger / hairier, put in the stubble trailer.

So I just tried standing on my smaller sup(7'2"x25"x4") which is around 85-90 L and it sinks below the surface right above the ankles. Way easier than the smaller infinity to stand on. I can hang out on that board when I'm on my infinity I cannot. Looks like the infinity is going on the chopping block.

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ianm said..
He who has more toys has more fun....ha ha.

Or he who has more toys has more anxiety over what to choose, or regret on the choice they took out. ??

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TBM said..

ianm said..
He who has more toys has more fun....ha ha.

Or he who has more toys has more anxiety over what to choose, or regret on the choice they took out. ??

So true...

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TBM said..

ianm said..
He who has more toys has more fun....ha ha.

Or he who has more toys has more anxiety over what to choose, or regret on the choice they took out. ??

Very true, or they have way too much money.

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micksmith said..
Very true, or they have way too much money.

Or they don't plan to be the richest person in the cemetery.

I am tempted by something in between Blurr and escape pod, I surf a beach break that can serve up a variety of waves in same session, don't always know what you're gonna get. I'm not gonna buy anything this year but would be tough call between narrower 7-11 x 27 Blurr v3 to complement my 8x28 V2 or the 7-8 Bline Twin. I love the drive and grip of my L41 ST w quad- it's unclear to me whether the Bline twin would have those characteristics w the twin plus one setup.

I have the Blurr v2 7'11 (90L board) at 82kg. I think it's really stable for its outline. I was super keen to order the V3 when the prototype board in the vlog measuring 7'8 x 26 (90L) came out . Bit disappointed to see the production version is actually 80L and you need to go back up to a 7'11 to get a (90L board) as I would prefer to have somthing a bit shorter and narrower like previous boards I've owned .

Little Update: This board still sucks to stand on after a dozen to 15 sessions. Going up on the chopping block and ordering a custom Kazuma with normal rails.

I didn't think the bline had step rails it's not in the descriptions or photos. Multiple credible reviews on this site and others have noted the boards relative stability and performance. Good luck with your Kazuma he is also a good shaper who can make anything you want.

Yeah B Line Twin does NOT have dropped rails. I think Ventura has gone off topic on this thread

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Rossall said..
Yeah B Line Twin does NOT have dropped rails. I think Ventura has gone off topic on this thread

Sorry, should have specified the Blurr has dropped rails which I am not a huge fan of.

The product vids out. B-line twin marketed as their performance shortboard for average waves. If I was gonna get a board this year it'd be that 90L B-line twin, something faster than my V2 in soft waves, but more capable than my L41 on steeper sections.

Wow is about all I can say for now.
It's been a while since I've surfed this style of board, what a weapon.
I'll do a review after a few more decent waves.
8'5" x 31" x 125L @ 6.4kg and f'n fast
My quiver....

Can't wait for the review.

My 8.5 Twin just arrived too, so very nice in the flesh and comes in at
6.5 kg on the scales. Can't wait to get this beauty on the water

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Brenno said..
Wow is about all I can say for now.
It's been a while since I've surfed this style of board, what a weapon.
I'll do a review after a few more decent waves.
8'5" x 31" x 125L @ 6.4kg and f'n fast
My quiver....

I was excited when I started reading about the development of this board a while ago, trolling the net for snippets but when the video was released with the finished product, I started tapping my feet impatiently waiting for it to turn up.

The general appearance of this board is really a standout. The carbon through the paint, the deck pad, the colour underneath. It just looks like it doesn't belong under 56-year-old feet. I would compare it to a Monaro with primer and tiger stripes ready to block back and paint, but still able to sneak out for a wicked burnout under the cover of darkness. I couldn't stop looking at it.

Of course, as soon as it arrived there was f' all surf, and an onshore wind but I still had a go. With the width running so far through the board it is super stable. It's been a while since I've had such a wide board, but the length and volume were perfect, so I went with the 8'5".

I've had 3 decent sessions since, and even though I haven't quite got it dialed in yet, I am very impressed. I learnt pretty quickly that you need to stand just rear of the handle to keep the nose up. At my100kg its 125L sits perfectly with the water level at the rails, so I found that I needed to stand a bit further back to stop it pearling and slewing off to the side.

I tried it as a twin first but the waves weren't up to it. It kept doing the old yaw around the centre motion. I don't think my stance helped as I have gotten so used to my longboard sup. Next session I tried it with the small trailer; definitely more control but less fun of course.

Currently working away from home but managed to score some nice waves on my 1 day off last week. I surfed it as a pure twin again. They were fat lazy high tide waves at the start, not enough sand for much shape, plenty of straight ones so it was on and off pretty quickly. Damn this thing is quick, it was all I could do to hang on to it. I did manage to score one really good wave with some shape to it, and with my weight mid board she sprang to life. It was super quick and flowed beautifully, a proper twinny sensation. I had a big grin on my face and paddled over to my lad to tell him all about it.

I'm really looking forward to more sessions to properly nut this mad board out. I love the weight, or lack of. The stability is awesome, nice to relax for a change. The bigger handle is great for me as I have big mits. I'm still not sure how the hell they got the deck pad so thin but it is nice and grippy without being harsh underfoot. Love the arch bar too, so easy to find the tail pad by feel. It seems super strong, I've already knocked it savagely a few times and didn't even mark it, we'll see how it goes over time.

So overall I'm super stoked with this fun machine. It was a gamble I'm glad I took and I can see many more fun sessions on it as I get more familiar with it. Plenty of fun ahead

Nice report Brenno , cutting loose again ,it looks really lively .nice nose width so looks like stability is still good for such a shorty ,

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Brenno said..
I'm still not sure how the hell they got the deck pad so thin but it is nice and grippy without being harsh underfoot.

That's why I used surf pads on my custom SUPs, not SUP pads.Surf pads have progressed to have grippy and somewhat comfy pads in only 2mm (and 1mm between the ridges) thickness, giving control and lightness. Infinity pads look like modern surf pads, although I could not find their thickness.

Note that 5mm pads are still more comfortable for long sessions or flat water paddling. There is no free lunch.