Griffin 5 Fin Fish
4-5 FIN FISH REVIEWS
5 FIN FISH
6' x 21 1/2" x 2 7/16"
By Al, California
This is my second board from Greg.
Ordered via email on short notice (less than 30 days), because of a short notice trip to be in Hawaii in the middle of March.
Didn’t get to try the board while I was there, got the board really late in the day and had to hustle up some packing material for the flight back the next day. Anyway I needed to replace a twin keel I had. I got rid of because it had a Pretty Shitty Glass job. (the shape was good, it was just falling apart after a couple of weeks).
Took the 5 fin out in mushy chest to shoulder high surf last Friday (3-23) somewhere near the nuke plant in south O.C., where I would normally ride a wrongboard.
It paddles like a fish, caught waves like a fish, it kinda trimmed and grooved like a fish, but it really wanted to be surfed off the back foot. Each wave I rode I noticed the harder I surfed off my back foot the more acceleration I could get. Remember these were chest high mush burgers and I weigh 190-195lbs.
I found Griffins “hidden gear” kicked in on the third consecutive pump, fricken board just kept going faster, I think with some perseverance I could pop airs with this thing, but at 45 y/o I do not want to risk injury or maybe I will. The board definitely chucks spray off the top and doesn’t seem to lose any speed through the turns.
I could not believe how well this board worked on my backside. Normally I needed a wave that has some kind of juice to it before I could go backside, it just seemed like my past boards would not accelerate off my backside bottom turns in weaker stuff, I had to kinda nurse the boards through the turns. I thought I was getting old, But now I know it was equipment.
I surfed two, two hour plus sessions that day, I surfed until my legs were wobbling like noodles. It was the longest walk back to the truck but I was smiling and I just surfed in some chest high mush burgers.
This board does not feel anything like a twin keel; it kinda has a quad feel to it, but more like a quad and thruster. I guess I should say it feels like a Griffin five fin. I could do top turns or mid face turns at take offs or just draw out a bottom turn.
A big plus for me is I can go from this fish, or should I call it a pseudo fish, to my thrusters without that re-adjustment time. But then again I do have the 6-11 5 fin to go to when the conditions max out for the fish.
If you would like to have your review included in this list you can do so by sending me an email at griffinsurfboard@aol.com