Picked this 7'2 Duo up for a steal a few months back. I already have a 5'8 so I was familiar with the design.
It's stored at my brothers place so I got to ride it for the 2 weeks I was up on the GC. First off it's quite a different outline to most midlength Duo's I've seen. More pulled in in the nose and tail. For this reason it felt somewhere between a midlength and a big guy shortboard.
Compared to my current mid a Christenson Flat Tracker the Duo actually paddled better, in fact it's the best paddler in my quiver by far. It definitely gets off the mark quicker and can be pumped a bit more like a shorty. It likes to be ridden hard off the tail and surprised me with how quick it reacted with some late hits. Still glided ok from the middle but I found if you got too far up it'd catch rail. The Flat Tracker has it beat on that midlength feel and glide and turns better further up using rail rather than fins but Duo is definitely more high performance. Both awesome boards with their place in the quiver.
Duo was a blast and great in the crowds. A few cutties were all time, fly down the line, step back, bury the rail and just drive through the turn with no fear of sliding out. If there's one thing about the design it's that it feels very solid and surefooted.

Toobz said..
Picked this 7'2 Duo up for a steal a few months back. I already have a 5'8 so I was familiar with the design.
It's stored at my brothers place so I got to ride it for the 2 weeks I was up on the GC. First off it's quite a different outline to most midlength Duo's I've seen. More pulled in in the nose and tail. For this reason it felt somewhere between a midlength and a big guy shortboard.
Compared to my current mid a Christenson Flat Tracker the Duo actually paddled better, in fact it's the best paddler in my quiver by far. It definitely gets off the mark quicker and can be pumped a bit more like a shorty. It likes to be ridden hard off the tail and surprised me with how quick it reacted with some late hits. Still glided ok from the middle but I found if you got too far up it'd catch rail. The Flat Tracker has it beat on that midlength feel and glide and turns better further up using rail rather than fins but Duo is definitely more high performance. Both awesome boards with their place in the quiver.
Duo was a blast and great in the crowds. A few cutties were all time, fly down the line, step back, bury the rail and just drive through the turn with no fear of sliding out. If there's one thing about the design it's that it feels very solid and surefooted.

Great score dude and awesome ride report... sounds like it sits where my 6'2" Christenson fish does in my quiver but still a bit more HP

Bernie Baker in this vid is the bloke I stayed with on the North Shore. Was a cool guy to talk to, very interesting

stabmag.com/girls/girl-power-12-reasons-women-look-better-on-waves-than-men/

Did a little road trip to the GC today to do a straight swap of a FireWire TT Evo for this never ridden 6'9" DVS rocket fish. Thanks Roger!
Can't wait for a nice offshore day to take it for a spin.

Cuttlefish said..





Did a little road trip to the GC today to do a straight swap of a FireWire TT Evo for this never ridden 6'9" DVS rocket fish. Thanks Roger!
Can't wait for a nice offshore day to take it for a spin.

My neighbor has a DVS Reef Runner Fish and its his magic board, just works in everything... He takes off real deep and just makes some crazy sections and also small waves you just wouldn't think you could catch on a 7' board... The board excelled in indo on faster/more powerful waves by the sounds through.

I had a ride and really liked it. Vs my mids it is zippier and with a tighter turning arc but it doesn't hold the speed without pumping to push water through the concave, but thats the style of board...

The Perfect step up for SB guys i'd say, enjoy, looks unreal

Cuttlefish said..





Did a little road trip to the GC today to do a straight swap of a FireWire TT Evo for this never ridden 6'9" DVS rocket fish. Thanks Roger!
Can't wait for a nice offshore day to take it for a spin.

Dvs magic touch.
He has a huge loyal following

Cuttlefish said..
Took the DVS for a paddle at tea tree this morning. 40 or so out early which took the shine off it. Lumpy wind affected waist to head high on an incoming tide. Not my happy place.
Board felt way too stiff on the couple of marginal waves I caught before heading for home.
Back at my local point only a few out in bumpy overhead waves. Put the front quad fins from a McCallum set I had with me.
Worked so much better. Board really came alive.
So on the way home I dropped into my local surfshop and grabbed a set of EN twin fins. These should work nicely.

Interesting, I would have thought those original fins looked fine, and these look a bit big... But it's all about what works, hope these ones give it the balance you need...

New board Saturday!

Being a shortboard rider my whole life the past 6 years or so I've been riding alternative shapes/twinnies/fish etc. This eventually lead down the path of experimenting with midlengths. I love the paddle, early entry, glide and full rail turns of the mids and I really enjoy riding them in good waves BUT often find it frustrating when a chunky section presents itself begging for a more aggressive approach. I'd been eyeing off the stretched M.O.T.E. twins Torren Martyn has been riding and really like Josh Keogh's long channel twins which lead me to think this might just be the best of both worlds, more foam, glide but still nice and loose. After pricing a few up and not knowing who to go with it struck me, who better than someone who has been specialising in twin fins for years, everything from fish, step ups, long, short and everything in between. A few quick emails back and forth to Gary and we got the ball rolling. Less than 5 weeks later here she is.
Gary McNeill 6'10 Torus Pin Twin.








With a rack full of white boards the missus insisted on a bit of colour
Gary suggested another week for it to cure so it looks like it will be christened on a little trip west next week. Forecast looks big!

P.S. Cuttlefish is to blame after seeing his 6'9 DVS Rocket Fish and many other purchases including one with this particular quote:
"They can sit well out the back and stroke into set waves early but still carve it up more shortboardy style than longboard style."

Great looking board. Keen to hear a ride report on it when you get it wet.

SP said..
Great looking board. Keen to hear a ride report on it when you get it wet.

Cheers mate, will do.

Cuttlefish said..
That is one sweet looking sled Toobz. reckon that will rock your world. Can't wait to hear a ride report or two. Gaz does longer HP alternative boards so well.
I'm sending a link to Onefintrim, who's going to lose his marbles when he sees your board.
We both had RTT's going back 4-5 yrs ago and he had an almost completely McNeill quiver of shorties including an ex Rasta CV1.
I'd go visit him and we'd go for a surf and I'd be out the back picking off set waves and riding all the way through while he was getting much shorter waves on his short McNeills.
Fast forward to the present day and his quiver is now completely populated by midlengths and a log...but no long fish.
Since I got the DVS rocket fish he's been doing his best to talk me into selling it...anyway...once he sees your board he'll leave me alone, forget about a MOTE midlength twinny and be chatting to Mr McNeill again...that's my loose prediction.
Funnily enough I've been sending him pics all day of a 6'2" RTT in flaxseed construction, next to other boards of mine, that I have nabbed for a test paddle tomorrow morning.
Here it is next to the 6'9" rocket fish.

I can help you fund that rtt flax beauty, you haven't ridden the rocket fish in weeks, it's been neglected.... I ll pick it up next weekend

onefin said..
Toobz, I have been reliably informed that if u put the board in a board bag in the sun, it ll cure pronto (never done it myself tho)

Yeah I've heard putting it in a board bag and in the car on a warm day. I've never really waited for them to cure, usually just ride them but then again the shapers never made a point of telling me to wait before.
Have you seen the new Christenson Long Phish, there's another option? Or Vouch Mid Vish or Mackie or Thomas Bexson, or..............

Ah yes a Bonzer, very nice choice.
It was actually a toss up between a Russ Short and this stretched out twinny.
Saving the RS for this time next year for a milestone birthday.