Ok.... I am ready to spill the beans!
I have approved The Ghost for production and orders are being taken!!
The only changes we did to the original Ghost (in this video)
Lowered nose rocker for easier wave catching... and added a nice little flip in the nose for late takeoffs. (pics in video)
We thinned out the rails a bit on the final... the original rails work amazingly well, but I prefer a bit thinner without giving up stability.
There is info in pictures toward the end of the video, but I'll also post the sizes below the video
Ghost Stories:
Hi Rick, looks like a great board for most of us, love the fin forward idea and a great size range too.
Hope the op goes well and you are back enjoying your Ghost soon.
Cheers.
Steve.
Select to expand quotedrivethebus said..
Hi Rick, looks like a great board for most of us, love the fin forward idea and a great size range too.
Hope the op goes well and you are back enjoying your Ghost soon.
Cheers.
Steve.
Thanks Steve... please keep the bus on the road till I return 
Great stuff Rick, well done. Best wishes for the op and recovery.
When you can, Can you discuss the differences between the SPX and the Ghost?
As in, why would you choose one over the other?
Yo Rick great post and run down story of the Ghost , sizes look good surfing looks good
We all hope your op goes well and you get back in the surf real quick ,
Select to expand quoteHoppo3228 said..
Great stuff Rick, well done. Best wishes for the op and recovery.
When you can, Can you discuss the differences between the SPX and the Ghost?
As in, why would you choose one over the other?
Thanks Hoppo, I appreciate that!
This is my "best guess" answer since I have only seen pictures of the SPX....
I do know the SP25 and SP24 ... which are predecessors to the SPX
I have only seen Sean's SPX in Mexico two years ago, but it was many versions ago and it looks totally different now.
The SP25 covered small to medium surf and the SP24 got the call when surf turned up the juice.
The SPX outline looks very SP25ish, so I am guessing some rocker adjustment to make the board rip in heavier conditions.
Noticeable differences between SPX and Ghost are:
Ghost has a fuller nose so more user friendly when paddling into a wave.
Ghost has the fin cluster moved forward and that is a huge feature... turns effortlessly with no need to be on the kickpad!
Ghost has a small bumpdown in the hip near the front fins.... that allows it to snap up the face with ease.
They probably enjoy similar speed, because my SP25s are fast in low power surf and that was the same goal as the Ghost.
The rails on the Ghost are thinner than the SP25, but I haven't seen the new SPX rails
The Ghost also has a bit more rocker behind the handle than the SP25 but I don't know about the SPX
I am sure the SPX is designed to handle more juice and riding barrels
Why pick one over the other?
Ghost in small to medium waves because forward fins and fuller nose make it a super easy board to surf
Ghost is wider through the nose and tail, so maximum stability with snappy performance
SPX for more juice, because it is designed with those requirements built in.
I am sure that the SPX is a stunning board that will offer easy speed and great performance.
I was super stoked that the performance of my 9'1 Ghost rivaled my 8'8 SP25, so I got snappy performance AND easy stability.
I did up this comparison pic, but these things are rarely super accurate....
I know the SPX is slightly wider than the Ghost but it looks narrower in this pic because accurate scaling requires both pics to be of similar sized boards.
The bumpdown at Ghost fins carries width further back (around the color change line on deckpad)
This side by side, gives a good look at the difference in nose and tail widths
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
Yo Rick great post and run down story of the Ghost , sizes look good surfing looks good
We all hope your op goes well and you get back in the surf real quick ,
Thanks Dude... I will do my best to be back online soon!!
Wow. A great board for real waves and an interesting video on how it came together.
Thanks Rick. Good luck on your operation.
Hey Rick ! you are a bad man the board looks awesome. I've been looking for something like this. My kids will have to go hungry again !!
more importantly good luck with the op. Hope you're back soon. take care
Hi Rick , great imformation on ghost and spx , nail that operation and catchnup with ya soon
Select to expand quoteToneJ said..
Hey Rick ! you are a bad man the board looks awesome. I've been looking for something like this. My kids will have to go hungry again !!
more importantly good luck with the op. Hope you're back soon. take care
ha ha... get those kids working! Papa needs a new board!!!!
Thanks TJ, I will see you on the flip side!
Select to expand quoterazors said..
Hi Rick , great imformation on ghost and spx , nail that operation and catchnup with ya soon
Thanks razors... I'll be slow on the emails for a time but I will get to them ASAP! 
Thanks Rick. Great info to consider. always appreciate it.
Up to what size waves do you think the ghost can handle?
Select to expand quoteHoppo3228 said..
Thanks Rick. Great info to consider. always appreciate it.
Up to what size waves do you think the ghost can handle?
I got a lot of juicy head high sessions... but many were in fog or rain that I couldn't catch on film.
I did get enough session filmed to look at how it handled more juice.
Bottom line.... it is much better than expected in waves with some power!
So happy, that it is my go-to board for every session now!
We'll see when it gets bigger and super sucky....
With the super hard rails on the back edges, I was interested to see:
- how well it would hold on a solid turn...
- how it would handle fast down the line speed control
I pushed it pretty hard and am very pleased with the performance!
The mid and forward rails seem to take over control at speed or in a hard rail turn, so minimal negative effects from the super hard rails and very flat release in the tail
I get the great low power performance and am finding that I can use it in all my juicier sessions so far.
Some stills to show how well it holds in full power turns
another "thick air" day when SoloShot focus was useless through the mist because I was 800 yards out from the camera.
Ghost was great that day... but I was surfing a nice offshore pointbreak style wave, so not super sucky
Cam did ok while I was paddling out, but by the time I got outside, the camera was a blurry mess.
Days I could film showed Ghost held well in solid, high speed turns
9'1
this shot is the 9'6 x 34 Ghost
9'1
Yesterday would have been a perfect test day... size and crystal clear, but alas, I am drydocked for a bit.
My buddy Ray ripping a nice Cape Cod gem!! We have such an awesome SUP crew here!!!!
You really nailed it, can see from the videos how much speed and flow you are getting while still turning so well
As you mentioned a small trailer can have a similar effect, as can more upright front fins which are more pivoty and effectively further forward due to less sweep back.
Trade off I see is an abrupt transition when moving back on the tail or tightening the turn radius, but is obviously perfect for the conditions shown, turnier than a traditional longboard and still has the speed, at least in the hands of the trim master.
Select to expand quoteslsurf said..
You really nailed it, can see from the videos how much speed and flow you are getting while still turning so well
As you mentioned a small trailer can have a similar effect, as can more upright front fins which are more pivoty and effectively further forward due to less sweep back.
Trade off I see is an abrupt transition when moving back on the tail or tightening the turn radius, but is obviously perfect for the conditions shown, turnier than a traditional longboard and still has the speed, at least in the hands of the trim master.
Thanks sisurf, I appreciate that!
One big difference to "fixing" with a small trailer is: with the Ghost I still get all the drive of normal thruster setup.
Yeah it looks like a strong design with the tail specific to the fins, I like the idea.
Hi Rick
Your surfing gets better and better! I have been thinking lately that I should get another board............perhaps this is the one.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and all the best during your upcoming surgery.
Cheers
Bob
Thankyou Ricko!
yeah the size waves I'm thinking for my next HP board are more like your last pic with Ray surfing the wave. Reef and beachies. That's why I'm looking at the SPX too.
I'd love to know how the ghost goes in comparison on waves like that when your in the position to discuss further.
the 11' pointbreak I've just ordered will hopefully be about perfect for the head high point stuff that I surf a lot. That was the main aim for that board in the first place.
Select to expand quoteFRP said..
Hi Rick
Your surfing gets better and better! I have been thinking lately that I should get another board............perhaps this is the one.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and all the best during your upcoming surgery.
Cheers
Bob
Hi Bob
that is the purpose of the Ghost.. I wanted a board that would allow me to surf better as I age!
it would be perfect for your waves on Torfino
Select to expand quoteHoppo3228 said..
Thankyou Ricko!
yeah the size waves I'm thinking for my next HP board are more like your last pic with Ray surfing the wave. Reef and beachies. That's why I'm looking at the SPX too.
I'd love to know how the ghost goes in comparison on waves like that when your in the position to discuss further.
the 11' pointbreak I've just ordered will hopefully be about perfect for the head high point stuff that I surf a lot. That was the main aim for that board in the first place.
For waves like Ray was surfing, You should go with the SPX, since it is designed for them.. the Ghost would probably be at its limit at that size.
Well that turned out better than I had a right to expect!
2 weeks ago, I started to lose sight in my dominant left eye.
a whirlwind week later and I have had an operation on the inside of my eye, that was amazing and my follow up visit today said I would be good as new next week and back in the water by November
So I am back online and ready for conversation!!
Great to see you back so soon, hope all goes well and you are back in the water soon.
In the meantime is there a performance of the Pirates of Penzance going on near you, wack a eye patch on, perch a parrot on your shoulder and you will be the star
Heal well mate.
Steve.
Select to expand quotedrivethebus said..
Great to see you back so soon, hope all goes well and you are back in the water soon.
In the meantime is there a performance of the Pirates of Penzance going on near you, wack a eye patch on, perch a parrot on your shoulder and you will be the star
Heal well mate.
Steve.
Speedy recovery Rick. The board looks the business...the design looks to make surfing easier and more fun.
Select to expand quoteSlab said..
Speedy recovery Rick. The board looks the business...the design looks to make surfing easier and more fun.
Thanks Slab, I got lucky and should be back running with Ghosts very soon
