One of the Biggest Recent Unlocks in My Surfing

I wasn’t expecting much of a difference. Two inches doesn’t sound like a lot but the impact was immediate and noticeable. I was blown away by how much better my turns were.

Why I Tried It
I picked this board after interviewing Noel Salas from Surf n’ Show and he call it his “desert island board.” That’s a big statement, so I figured it was worth trying. I wasn’t disappointed.

What Changed: Rail Engagement and Turns
The first thing I noticed was the difference in rail thickness. I liked the 5’4”, but the rails felt a bit thick and hard to engage during bottom turns. When I’d compress into a turn, I could feel that extra resistance. The rail didn’t want to bite, and that limited the angle I could take—especially on steeper sections where I want to hit a more vertical top turn.

The 5’2” has much thinner rails, and I can actually get the board on rail without fighting it. That alone made a big difference in my ability to drive through turns.

Better Foot Placement = More Maneuverability
Another thing: I don’t always land my back foot in the perfect spot during pop-ups. Especially when dropping straight into a bottom turn, I don’t always have the time to adjust it. But since this board is shorter, my foot naturally lands closer to the tail pad. I don’t have to be as precise. That gives me way more maneuverability without having to think about it mid-wave.

The result? I’m able to get the board around much more easily, and it’s had a huge impact on the quality of my turns.

The Trade-Off: Paddle Power
Of course, going shorter and lower in volume has a cost. You lose paddle power. The good news for me is that I’ve been doing a lot of paddle training, so the drop from 25.7L to 23.5L wasn’t a huge issue. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely noticed a difference—I had to paddle harder—but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.

This is where fitness comes in. If you want to drop volume and push your performance, you have to be paddle fit.

What Helped: The Basis Paddle Trainer
If you struggle with paddle endurance, I highly recommend the Basis Paddle Trainer. It’s been a game changer for me. It allows me to stay paddle fit even when I’m not surfing much, which makes it possible to ride lower-volume boards without feeling like I’m constantly late or missing waves. If you're someone who doesn’t surf every day, this tool can make a big difference.

Check it out at www.surfbasis.com

For a deep dive customer testimonial from one of our early beta testers check out

One Warning About Volume
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again—if you’re a beginner, don’t rush to drop volume. One of the biggest mistakes I see is people going too low, too soon. It makes everything harder—catching waves, popping up, staying stable. And it slows your progression.

If you’re still working on consistency, positioning, or your pop-up, you’re better off sticking with more volume for now. But—if you’ve gotten to the point where you’re focusing on turns, and you’ve built a base level of skill and paddle fitness—then dropping volume can be one of the fastest ways to progress in surfing.

Why It Matters
Yes, some great surfers can rip on higher-volume boards. Guys like Devon Howard make it look easy but most of us aren’t there yet. A bigger board adds resistance. It’s harder to get on rail. It’s also less responsive. Unless you have solid mechanics already locked in, you’re fighting the board more than working with it.

When you're ready, cutting down volume—even by just a little—can help you level up. But wait until it actually makes sense for your surfing.