FEEDBACK : INFLATABLE SHORTBOARD 6’3

A week of conditions at a pace of 5 hours of session per day produced a detailed review of the inflatable board that Oleg had chosen for his vacation. The Couine Marie Shortboard 6’3 was part of the trip, in between his suitcases in the trunk of the car.

Surfer: Diane, GONG staff, on the Couine Marie Shortboard 6’3.

“Hello,

My turn to give a detailed review of the 6’3 after a fairly intensive week (5 hours a day), in nice conditions (waves ranging from 80cm to 2 meters) in Gironde.

Please note that this feedback only corresponds to my level (intermediate, able to surf a shortboard) and size (1.83m – 74kg). I also have no knowledge of other inflatable stuff.

Overall quality: very good, congratulations GONG! Very nice shape, the seams are clean, the fin boxes perfectly aligned and seem solid, the Carver FCSII fins do the job very well. The bag is very well made, as is the pump. The repair kit is reassuring, especially since there was even a small tube of glue included. The valve seems solid, but hey, I don’t know anything about it.

Inflation: less than a minute… solid pump.

Traction pad: good quality, good tilt at the back (for me), variations of the pad surface allow you to know where you are on the board without looking, very cool. The surface is irritating (classic), so rash guard or wetsuit are essential. By dint of catching waves I even got a little irritated on the palms of my hands (not used to having non-slip on this part of the board)

Paddling out: it paddles on its own, great.

On the other hand, we forget so quickly that it is not a classic shortboard that I found myself trying to duck dive… obviously it does not pass. This is not bothersome in most cases. On the other hand, when it gets bigger, it starts to become more technical, expect to get tired. It will have allowed me to practice turtle rolls again!

Take off: A treat.

Basically on a 6’3 of this volume we take any wave with almost the same effort as on a longboard. The board accelerates very quickly. Faster than an equivalent soft top. At first it’s a bit surprising, then it’s great. You have to get up pretty quickly. I think a beginner or barely intermediate rider will benefit from taking a longer board. But for someone who already knows how to surf fairly well, it’s bliss.

Maneuverability: we are clearly not going to throw tons of water with this board, but I must admit that I was very favorably surprised. By adjusting the timing of its maneuvers to have enough speed at their initiation, and by putting the back foot well, you can turn this board really well.

Drying: a quick rinse, and the board dries in an hour in a garage. I deflated it between each session (so noon and evening). Stuff it in your bag on the last night, and hop in the trunk with the satisfaction of not having to load boards on the roof to take the highway.

Conclusion: it’s a shame not to see more feedback on these boards (especially the 6’3) on the Internet, because they deserve it!! Zero hassle, the 6’3 is super playful for a size like mine, frankly between that and an equivalent soft top I prefer… that!

I don’t know if you will continue to innovate on the subject but clearly it’s a great niche. The ideal for me would be a tail / nose / rails with a “refined” thickness on the rails, but I do not know if it is technically feasible. In any case congratulations, and do not hesitate if you need a lambda tester for the next evolution of the range!”