Feature Friday - The Poacher
The Poacher is the ultimate wave catching weapon.
This week's Feature Friday is defined by its name. This board allows you to “poach” when the waves render shorter boards useless. Its fun and loose feel is perfect when you want to stay nimble and catch everything without moving to a full longboard.
It’s also perfect for a grom (youth) or lady looking to get out with a smaller board that is more manageable. Its thruster fin setup and rounded pin tail gives you classic control and smooth turns while also being able to handle a steeper, faster wave.
The Poacher is designed for the light weight beginner to advanced surfer looking for longboard characteristics in a more manageable and maneuverable size. The Poacher was actually one of the first shapes I tested when I started for Degree33. Being it was springtime, the Poacher allowed me to go out and have a blast on a day where I normally wouldn't have paddled out.
It worked great in a variety of reef and beach breaks, allowing me to scoop in very familiar like a longboard, but having the drive and grab that made it feel much more performance oriented. It's the perfect mix when the waves have little to offer. If you drive a smaller car, this is a great compromise of having a board that feels and surfs similar to a longboard, but can still fit in the car.
Ideal situation, as I drive a small hatchback.
Stock sizes are available in 6'6", 6'10" and 7'2" (In all constructions). We have also been doing a lot of custom sizes lately in Fiberglass.
If you have any custom inquiries about the Poacher, dont hesitate to call the shop and ask for Robert.
Watch the video below to get Bryan and Bill's take on the Poacher and its characteristics.
Paddle into anything and let style rule the day.
I recently purchased a repaired 6’10" poacher. The reason for the purchase was to have a summer grovel deck, and at 6’10" is the longest board in my quiver. I am 42 and started surfing at age 10, with that being said I tend to surf short boards so this purchase was long over due. My idea of a small wave board was always wide high volume round nose fish. To put it as simple as possible this is one fun egg. It paddles easy catches everything and was surprisingly loose. I have had so much fun with it, as far as fins I use fcs mf-2 and they seem to compliment the action of her. Bottom turns , lip hits or trimming along they seem to work well. I am 5’6" 170 lbs, at 6’10" she works for me. As far as wave size it works in shin high mush to head high clean point reef breaks. To sum it up, if you surf a small quiver you could get away with a poacher, and a high performance. You don’t need anything else.
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