Hi All,
My 10' Lopez Glider Twin arrived last week - I was so very close to having it for Xmas.
The board looks great in person, I'll try and take some pics over the next couple of days. The 'NFT'/Flax finish is very nice. If nothing else, it's not the standard Surftech/pop-out 'solid colour' finish. Looks like a 'real' board in person.
I put a set of XL upright twin fins in it (5.5" base, 6.5" tall) - their supposedly 'flex' fins, but seem to have a whole lot of flex.
I haven't had much luck with the board just yet. First surf was last Wednesday, where I'm gonna argue the swell was bigger than forecast, to a point where I wasn't overly comfortable on a new board, let alone a 10 footer. That said, the single wave I caught, the board screamed.
The following sessions have been ankle-high mush. There's been a few moments of brilliance, albeit fleeting, but mostly feels it's like not the right board for those conditions... that said, no board is the right board for those conditions!
My gut feeling is that this board is going to be very similar to the Munoz gliders, in that they need a bit of momentum to rock and/or roll, not the small, slow rolling waves one typically associates with gliders.
With the outline and the way the foam seems to be distributed (even ignoring the twin fins), I've been messing around with paddle position and foot placement. There's definitely some magic in that board, I just haven't yet figured out how to tap into it consistently.
I need a couple of sessions in the right waves - hopefully at Noosa this weekend!
Cheers!
I'm really enjoying my Lopez Twin.
I actually think it glides in better than both the 10'6 Lopez and 10'6 Munoz, seems to have a big motor and has surprised me with some of the waves I've been able to get into.
I'm using the JS keels and am getting that classic fish feeling, which was my aim albeit on the bigger board / older body.
Thanks SurfAnimal!
I've got the XL Modii flex twins in mine (cheap, as a reasonable starting point), so a bit more fin area than yours.
But, it doesn't 'feel' over finned.
That said, I still haven't had mine out in anything to give it a decent run - had a few surfs at Noosa recently, but mostly onshore slop.
As noted earlier, there's moments of brilliance, in between a whole lot of getting ready to give up surfing!
I think I need a couple of decent sessions on workable waves to figure this board out.
Select to expand quoteunclethirsty said..
Hey Dammed, have you had the glider out again ?
I have indeed! Today even!
Took it for a run up to Noosa again today - hoping for a lovely 1-2 ft bunch of waves.
Didn't get there until about 7.30, and while unloading from the car, I couldn't understand why so many surfers were coming back to the car park - It was a Sunday, so unlikely that they were off to work... then I got to beach. Twas not 1-2 ft. Solidly head high when I hit the beach, and breaking quite straight. People were getting their asses handed to them. That said, it did calm down significantly after about 45 min and a tide change.
As with my very first surf on this board in solid head high (+) waves, the board performed exceptionally well, and I caught many more waves today than the first session (which was essentially one to the beach).
I'm still struggling with my paddling position on the board. I don't know if this one has more nose rocker than I'm used to? So positioning myself forward, but I keep finding myself paddling for waves, and then burying the nose on the take off - or damn close to it. If I shuffle further back on the board, I feel like I'm too far back and pushing water and dragging the tail. I'm still trying to find that sweet spot.
That said, I really loved how the board performed today, it's agility was really highlighted- was a lot of fun! And walked up the beach, at the end of the session, thankful that I bought this board. That said, I really want to have it out in some nice 1-2 ft peelers, to see how it goes under my feet in those conditions. They're the conditions that I really enjoy.
Select to expand quoteunclethirsty said..
Thanks D, sounds like some interesting sessions coming up for you.
I hope so - until the past weekends trip to Noosa, I was getting really close to 'benching' the board. I just couldn't really find the mojo. As noted earlier, brief moments of magic amongst a whole bunch of 'this is crap'. The Noosa session on the weekend was more 'magic', less 'crap'. I really just need some more of the typical waves I surf..... or, at this point, any of the typical waves I surf!
Surfanimal - I've got a question for you!
What are the key differences between the 10' Twin and the 10'6" Lopez Glider, given that you have or have had both?
Outside of the fin set up, obviously.
I'd originally thought that the twin was essentially the glider with a twin fin set up - but from manufacturing efficiency, it doesn't make sense to have three completely different lengths for the glider vs the twin, if the only real change was the fin set up. And then there's the measurements, which would suggest they are somewhat different boards.
From the stats:
the 9' twin is 9'0" x 23" x 3.13" - 74.3L
the 9'6" glider is 9'6" x 23" x 3.25" - 81.5L
the 10' Twin is 10'0" x 23.25 x 3.25" - 86.5L
the 10'6" glider is 10'6" x 23.25 x 3.38" - 95L
So, with your hands/eyes on both, where are the main differences? The website lacks info in that context.
Select to expand quotedamned67 said..unclethirsty said..
Thanks D, sounds like some interesting sessions coming up for you.
I hope so - until the past weekends trip to Noosa, I was getting really close to 'benching' the board. I just couldn't really find the mojo. As noted earlier, brief moments of magic amongst a whole bunch of 'this is crap'. The Noosa session on the weekend was more 'magic', less 'crap'. I really just need some more of the typical waves I surf..... or, at this point, any of the typical waves I surf!
And possibly a set of keels(?).
The reason I say this is the fins you have in a "twin fin glider" are designed for a heavier surfer who rides smallish twin fin boards.Somebody who wants to wack around a small twinny will use those Modi fins.
Are you trying to ride the board as a glider or a twin? A set of fins with less reaction suit gliding better.
That's a really good call, wavemaniac.
Am I trying to use the board as a glider or a twin? Can I be a smartass and say I'm trying to use the board as a twin fin glider?
But in all seriousness, I did question whether 'flex' fins were the right choice. There's zero info out there on fins for this board or similar, that I could find, until this thread. The super helpful gentleman from surftech that I was communicating with simply said to get the biggest set up uprights that I could find.... which were the Modi fins. I 100% bought them knowing that I'd likely want to 'experiment' with other fins, and once I get past some other financial commitments (ie just replaced a VW DSG gearbox), I'll grab a set of the fins that surfanimal has in prior posts.
I keep surfing this board. I like it. I like it a lot. I haven't really surfed any of my other boards since getting it, with the exception of the 11' Prince at Noosa. But I don't love it.... yet.
I'm keen to see how it goes with the same fins Surfanimal uses, once I get around to buying a set.
