Here is a review of my latest ride - a custom made DTM 8'0" x 28" 95 litre weapon.
I have been lucky enough to have test ridden many different brands of surf sups over the last 3 and a half years. I picked this up a couple of weeks after the nationals (this is about my 6th DTM) and is without doubt the best of the best I have owned or ridden (and by quite a large margin).
The goal for Dan as a designer/rider and me as a rider is to get a board that will combine the best attributes of SUP and that of a shortboard (or at least as close to as possible). We want something that paddles reasonable well that still allows the rider to get over whitewater and into waves early but will fit into the pocket of most waves more like a shortboard.
As you can see from the pics although it is 8'0" the nose is reasonably pulled in and there is a generous rocker, what you can't see is the single concave running the length of the board. It is this combined with the sweet rocker that gives it not only incredible drive but the ability to turn in a very tight arc off the bottom if necessary. This is the holy grail of SUP IMO and a design feature that is difficult to achieve in longer and or flatter rockered boards.
This board does not wash off speed through turns it actually accellerates even in marginal conditions. It also releases exceptionally well off the top or in whitewater allowing for controlled 'drifts' if required. The best feature is it's ability to do tight 180 degree carves in the pocket and still maintain enough control to bring it back around even in quite hollow waves. This is easily the best board I've had for this.
This type of board would suit a rider from a shortboard background that likes to surf off the back foot (or drift off the front) and uses the rails to drive through turns. I'm 50+ years young and 80 kg so to be able to drop board size 8 inches AND still maintain a relatively narrow width has been a revelation. While a little slower to paddle it actually climbs whitewater as good as my old 8'6" and 8'8" - by keeping plenty of volume where its needed in the centre/middle of the board. The rails are a little thicker also, still thinning out a lot at the extremities. Tail width has also been kept to a minimum.
I'm running standard FCS plastic G5s that have plenty of flex - the same fins we both runs in all our own boards. The other surprising thing I've found with this board is that it is solid on bigger waves - even more so than my 2 longer ones. Even in lumpy conditions it cranks off the bottom and being shorter I'm not worrying as much about foot placement as you tend to put your back foot closer to the tail naturally on a shorter SUP.
Here's a few pics, I'm hoping to get some action pics and vid soon:
Dan really knows what he's doing with shaping. I had a custom from him last winter, however had to give it up as the way it sways whilst standing out the back was too much for my worn out R knee. Shame, I haven't found anything that performs anywhere near as sweet.
They work so effortlessly on the waves.
After riding dozens of surf sups over the past few years I've come too the conclusion that....... If your after a SUP that will surf as close too a short board as you are ever likely to get you just need to call Dan and get a DTM, end of story........
A year after Goaty's original post, Dan's designs still look very appealing... and I am considering a board to push me beyond my 8'6 Ripper (which is a great board)...
Yeah, nor me Kami. Goaty said "I'm 50+ years young and 80 kg". He does have a long history as an elite competitive surfer riding a few types of surfcraft. After several decades of competent (not elite) shortboarding, I've ridden a range of shortboard-type SUPs over the last 5 years, & have settled into the PSH Rippers & a Hull Ripper in the last couple of years. They work well for me at Maroubra & pretty much everywhere else. I was in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, & met up with one of the older Hawaiian SUP surfers. He was riding PSHs, but is now on custom boards like Dan's Toxic design. His surfing is like Goaty's & Dan's approach- shortboard creative surfing but on a shortboard-style SUP. The other factor that is attracting me to designs like Dan's is the ability to have a custom shape rather than a compromised generic, heavy mass-produced board. Not knocking the quality mass-produced SUPs, but I suspect that I could surf better on a lighter custom shape. I think I need to try one.
you should try one, got a custom off of Dan as my second board and loved it, improved my surfing (IMO), recently brought a smaller production board can't really fault it, but when i get my next board i am going to give Dan a call and get another custom
Jarryd
i think if your thinking of resale then maybe a custom board isn't the go for you.
i went back to a earlier board design i had for my last surf sup, but we glassed it with a bit more rocker.
as it turned out its the loosest fast board i've had. its a 8'8 with thinned out tail rails and nice midrails, but still has a reasonable amount of volume.
nose concave, flat. double concaves to v out of the tail
i've had a few production boards lately but none go like this.
guess i was in front to have a very good idea on how the board would go from having a similar board before. it's about building a relationship with your shaper- not expecting a miracle first board out of the shaping bay
Buy a custom, make a custom...go out on a limb a bit...SUP's, surfboards, wave-skis and any other surf craft you can think up are consumables. Get a grip...an SUP goes in the liability column...its not an asset...go out there and surf it "like you stole it"...get every ounce of pleasure out of it instead of worrying about "keeping it pretty" for the "next guy" or so it has optimum resale. Use it up, pass it on, or throw it away...get another one...it's not like your next board is the last board you'll ever own...playing it safe and babying a board is a good way to advance your surfing at a snails pace. I'm not saying to be abusive...I am saying ride it hard and put it away wet!
Lacey,
I did not at any stage intimate that a custom was NOT specifically for me. What I did do was post reasonable and appropriate questions which gave consideration to factors which whilst you may not give currency to, others in fact.
Your final comment is something of an ad hominem response as it points to certain observations, yours that is, which are without basis. This is not a contest but rather an opportunity to engage in robust debate in a spirit of positive exchange. Whilst I appreciate your gentle prod that I go to the general discussion room that is hardly necessary and does not promote healthy examination. If you want to be in a place where everyone agrees with one another then so be it but what does that breed in the end?
I have NO affiliation whatsoever with ANY manufacturer Lacey. I am a soon to be 43 year old who probably relies more on spirit than skill to get me by. I refuse to let father time rule what board I should ride and it saddens me at times that age becomes a factor in board choice. Why should it I say. That is by the way rhetorical and need not be answered.
I dont disagree with your point in relation to carbon construction although it has to be said that whilst JP does not incorporate carbon, the other big players do. In saying this its that combinations of innegra and kevlar seem to be featuring more in this equation so it remains to be seen if carbon is phased out given its inherent disadvantages.
Lacey I have been supping for a relatively short period of time, 5 years I believe. In that time its safe to say that the boards are getting lighter and smaller and coincidentally a lot of my friends are gravitating in this direction as well for a number of reasons. Standing from a distance it appears to me at any rate that the boards a gradually metapmorphosing in very similar manner in much the same way that over the years Holden and Ford have adopted identical profiles. To be honest I personally see the same things happening with sups. Yes there are minor differences here and there but I can only really think of the Simmons style sups which we can't seem to get over here in Oz, which is pushing the envelope in innovation and transformation. What do you think in this regard?
Just my take. I thank you for your input Lacey.
Cheers Ozzie
Hey guys interesting read above its all about the joy of it for myself as a shaper Ive shaped custom shortboards with my own label since 1999 and Ghost shaped custom surfboards for 6 years for Chilli and also rusty surfboards and a few other smaller brands as always doing my own label on the side, I couldnt tell you how many boards ive done over the years but yeah too many LOL ..
Basically I am 100% stand up now, and I like to offer the same custom designs and relationships with people hey this isnt for everyone ... and isnt the only way nor option , but all my customers have so far been super happy with my designs and I ve had some awesome results on them ... Like australian titles , NSW states titles opens and masters ... Sydney paddle surfing club champion series winners 2009 to 2013 have all been won on my shapes by John Chirstensen 2 times , Dan Cleary (me), Marty Cole and yes everyone who gets boards of me pays for them I dont have the money to give anyone free boards and these guys are happy to ride them because they like them and there what they are after...
So I dont shape SUPS full time as I dont really make any money out of it,.... I do it as I love it and am stoked when someone is stoked with one of my designs. Hope this helps In anyway
Cheers Dan
Despites of a wisdom customer would buy a mass producted board allready done in surfboard production as it does now in SUP or at least customers would buy a stocked board in a board factory, so they take advantage to know before what he is buying; Yes ghost4man you seem to me you are right to argue that way
I wanted to say that a SUP's custom order take advantage of the skill from the shortboard creative shaping but on a shortboard-style SUP.
As a 59years old surfer and shaper since my 15th (only for the fun of it) as I read Goaty , I feel like I was reading surfing mag on my 15th years old this is why I come here on this forum to read topic like he wrote with so much feeling as he surf too.
Thank you Aussies, keep on surfing whatever the board is and DTM keep your hands creative.
and completly agree to rghdc post
Loquacious, Moi?. I'm not sure what you mean by my misuse of the word 'extraneous' (I didn't use it?) unless you mean all the extra words I used to say 'Customs are good'. There certainly were many extraneous words used by me as a mental exercise to stimulate my brain. As for loquacious...... 'the pot calling the Kettle black' is the idiom that comes to mind. I basically agree with what you say in your posts but the use of terms such as 'ad hominem' only confuses the issue and indicates a need to assert one's intellectual superiority. (Albeit justifiable!!) KS probably can't spell ad hominem but can surf on a front door dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase.
My point is that what are Customs except a board designed for someones specific needs? At any given time that same board might become a mass produced board as it ticks the boxes for a general demand. I would never think twice about not purchasing a second hand Custom board, especially if the previous owner was similar in stature and ability. A mass produced board is just someone's custom that has arbitrarily (granted with some market research), been chosen to be one of the shapes that is offered by the big companys as an option for all of us to use for that year.. IMO It's 90% surfer 10% board anyway as Teatrea and Mr. Lacey say, and if you're that good and competetive there is no doubt a custom is a logical choice. IMHO DTM, Tully St John and Dale Chapman are clearly the best custom options dependant on location. My apologies to all the incredible shapers that I haven't included, it is a gift and artform to be able to produce customised surfboards/SUPS etc. Bravo to you all and you as well Mr.ghost4man for your continuing salient and objective observations and comments!
Hi Lacey sorry about the Bulls##t. You realise both of us agree with you? Though i'm disappointed you still haven't answered my question about your custom DC BTW. I have an MA in English Lit. and a post grad degree in Education as well. I don't agree with people flaunting their vocabulary as a means of intellectual intimidation. I'm just making sure that this guy ain't, plus it's nice to use words that I haven't used since Uni!! BTW Lacey I started my life as a carpenter (my old man indentured me, but didn't finish them coz I nearly punched him in the nose!!) after 15 years as a Builder/carpenter inculding 3 years in my own business I realised that I'd stuffed my body when my old man used to use me instead of a mobile crane and I'm now paying the price!!. Be careful and please don't let anyone discombobulate your magnificent input into all these forums!! Once I'm back teaching I'll hardly post again. Cheers and thanks bro, Mahalo!!
hi, sorry about not seeing your question through all that word smithing .
dc is doing stuff with nsp, not surftech. and yes they are modelling up shorter dc/nsp surfing sups i'm told
cheers
Guys I dont know if you seen it or not but i made a full length movie which you can watch for free with the boys enjoying there DTM SUPS plus a few others ... key features DOGMAN , GOATMAN, CASSO
anyhow enjoy