Almond Surfboards Guide to:

MID-LENGTHS
This is part 4 of our guide to helping you make more informed decisions about your
surfboard quiver. We’ll discuss the thoughts and intentions that go into designing our range
of mid-lengths

After browsing the next several pages, our hope is that you will have a better understanding
of:
● Surfing
● Surfboards
● the nuances between different models
● which board(s) are best suited for your needs

If you’ve never spent significant time on a mid-length, but are curious about them, my
advice is very simple: get a mid-length and surf it a bunch. The worst feeling is when you
show up to the beach and within moments realize that you’ve brought the wrong board for
the conditions at hand—and that feeling doesn’t happen very often when you bring a
mid-length, which is exactly what is so appealing about them—their versatility.

In order to understand what makes mid-sized boards so versatile, we have to recall a

section from way back in Part 1: Almond’s Introduction to Surfboards. “Everything in
surfboard design is give and take.” The key element to designing and building a
purposeful surfboard is to find the right combination of elements that will result in the
happiest end product for the rider.

A well-made mid-length fits nicely between the freedom of movement of a small

board and the reliable glide and stability of a longboard.

You get to experience a little bit of the best of both worlds, packed into a board that’s
typically fairly easy to manage and can provide a little extra glide when the waves are a
little too small, or get into waves a little earlier and hang with you when the waves get a
little bigger.

One of our shop guys, Cole, had the following to say about his self-described Mid-Length
Crisis:

“With a mid-length in your quiver; I promise you’ll catch more waves, make more
sections, and inevitably have more fun. In my book, a mid-length can range anywhere
from 6’4 to 8’6. This means that inherently they are designed to be extremely versatile
& can be surfed in a variety of conditions.
 Mid-length’s are like the porridge that Goldilocks was searching for; not too big, not
too small, just right. They marry the glide and early entry of classic longboards with
the responsiveness and ability to fit in critical sections that is typically found in shorter
boards. This is what makes them such great travel boards. Not only are they easy to fit
in a board bag, on a plane, on the the side of your rented Vespa; but they can be surfed
in conditions that range from 2 foot mush to overhead slabs. This means you’re always
prepared, even with one board at your disposal.”

Now that we have adequately covered the benefits of having a mid-length in your quiver,
let’s dive into each model we build and the wants and needs that they cover.

Almond’s Mid-Length Range:

● The Joy
● Pleasant Pheasant
● Beach Chicken
● Big Bueno Fish (Also Covered in Guide to Small Boards)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Joy
The very first mid-length we ever added to our custom surfboard range was the Joy. It is a
natural step-down board for surfers who are accustomed to the glide of a longboard, but
want the mobility and versatility afforded by a mid-sized board.

We cover the Joy fairly extensively in our Introduction to Surfboards, so you can read
more about where the Joy fits into our overall approach to surfboards there.

Because of the elliptical outline, the surfer can

essentially plant themself in the middle of the
board and have reasonably good control over
the glide and direction of the Joy—but step on
the tail, and all of that sweeping curve of the
outline allows for beautiful arcing turns.

For surfers who are either novice or stepping

down from a longer board, the built-in glide of
the Joy is a big advantage. It means that the
planing area of the board will do much of the
work harnessing the wave energy and turning
it into forward motion, as the rider, you just
need to put yourself in the right part of the
wave to take advantage of the forces
working in your favor.
That means, when riding the Joy, you can focus your efforts on putting yourself in the most
efficient part of the wave—truly learning to ride the wave—without having to spend too
much time wondering if you are in the right place on your board.

The “right” place on a wave is called the pocket. And the ability to stay in the pocket will
define the trajectory of your surf experience, both in the short term and long.

Personally, I have had Joys ranging from 6’6” to

8’0”, and there are advantages to each. The
shorter you go, the less easy glide you will
experience, but the closer your back foot is to
the tail—giving you extra control and
maneuverability. The longer you go, the more
the board will glide, and do much of the work
for you. Your wave count will also get a helpful
bump from a longer Joy. The decision
ultimately comes down to where you are hoping
to take your surfing, and what kind of
conditions you anticipate surfing this board in most often.

If you are interested in adding an effortless mid-length to your quiver, take a good,
long look at the Joy.

Available Joys:
● Stock
● Custom Order
● R-Series Foamie

The Pleasant Pheasant

If you look at the Joy and think to yourself “that looks juuuust a little too cruisey for me”, then
let me introduce you to the Pleasant Pheasant.

The Pleasant Pheasant was originally developed as the

answer to a need presented by surfers who were
accustomed to fishes and shorter boards, and were
interested in stepping up to a mid-length to increase
their wave-count. Surfers who are stepping up from
smaller boards, are accustomed to a more proactive
approach to generating and sustaining speed.

The task for us, when shaping the Plez Phez, is to give
it a familiar and responsive feel under-foot, while also
increasing the paddling-power and wave count in a
significant way.
You will notice that the Plez Phez has a little more edge in the tail and a little more defined
double concave through the fins. The outline is a little narrower and straighter than that of
the Joy.

We also opted to give the Pleasant Pheasant a round tail, which makes turning radiuses
tighter and more responsive. In order to give the board a little extra bite in the face of the
wave, to make it more responsive, we added those small side-bite fins. These little
side-bites provide the round tail ample resistance for the surfer to generate speed, and
initiate turns. (Some customers opt to surf it with a larger single fin, rather than the 2+1
setup, which is totally up to the surfer).

The end result is a board that marries the responsiveness and maneuverability of a fish or
small board, with the wave-count of a mid-length. The Pleasant Pheasant has become one
of our most popular and well-loved surfboard models—for surfers of all backgrounds.

The ideal approach on a Pleasant Pheasant would be to utilize the entire rail line to drive
the board and generate speed, and then shift your weight back to push the board through a
cut-back turn—and repeat.

If you are interested in a more thorough breakdown of the Pleasant Pheasant versus the
Joy, read this article. I did a deep-dive comparing those two models.

If I had to ride only one board for the rest of my life, it would more than likely be the
Pleasant Pheasant. It does everything I ask for, out of a surfboard. I can’t think of a time
when I paddled out on my Pheasant and wished that I had brought a different board.
I recently wrote about my personal Three Board Quiver, and how the Pleasant Pheasant
gets top-billing as my go-to “Daily Driver”.

​”These days, my Daily Driver is a 6’6 Pleasant Pheasant. I assume that is the board I
am going to grab unless the conditions clearly call for something else. I’ve found that
at this stage in my surfing career the 6’6 Pleasant Pheasant covers the majority of my
needs and still allows me the satisfaction of a decent wave every now and again.”

If you are looking for a board that has the added paddle-power and foam of a
mid-length, but still offers the ability to truly explore the face of the wave, try the
Pleasant Pheasant model.

Available Pleasant Pheasants:

● Stock
● Custom Order
● R-Series Foamie

The Beach Chicken

Separate yourself from the flock with the

Beach Chicken twin-keel Fish. This long fish
works wonders in rolling waves or point
breaks. The wide tail provides tons of glide
and a loose, flowy feeling under foot. Step
back on the tail and experience the thrill of
putting a big, long fish on rail for a cutback.

This long fish model is the result of

collaborating with our friend Kevin Butler, the
artist behind Rad Cars.

The Beach Chicken is certainly a bit more

niche than some of our other mid-lengths, but
the beauty of niche surfboards is the folks
who like them really like them.

Which brings up an interesting point about surfboards—one that is perhaps not talked
about enough—surfboards are very subjective. There are certainly some objective truths
about physics and hydrodynamics and what certain shapes will do to affect the way a board
works, but there is also a human element to the surf experience that means everyone will
have a unique experience riding a particular board, based on how they surf.

You can have two different people, with two different approaches, ride the exact same
board. The first surfer might say “Wow! This board is so fast, I can’t believe how it just
accelerated after my first bottom turn!”
Then the second surfer could ride that board and say “Eh, it’s kind of sluggish in the water, it
felt a little too slow for me.”

Is either surfer right or wrong? Not necessarily. Surfing is a series of feelings, and surfers
are going to have their own unique perspective on their experience. That perspective is
formed by all their past experiences, and their expectations for the board that is currently
in their hand or under their feet.

If you want to be the surfer in the water having the most fun, try to bring an open mind
when you paddle out on a new, unfamiliar shape.

Circling back from our tangent, all the way back to the Beach Chicken, I surfed an 8’6” at
Old Man’s once with KBut, and I had whoop and holler type fun—by that I mean I was
uncontrollably whooping and hollering. You can fade that board super far across the peak,
and then set up a race to beat the section, and on those medium-sized, rolling waves, I
couldn’t believe how many big sweeping turns I could do off that fish tail. That same board
isn’t quite as delightful in short, dumpy beach breaks, but man, oh man, was it a special
experience at Sano that day.

The outline for the Beach Chicken is based loosely on the Sandia Fish, and stretched, scaled,
and re-worked to fit much longer lengths than we ever dreamed when designing the Sandia.
The Beach Chicken has tended to range from about 7”4” to 9’0”.

I hesitate to answer the “which length is right for me?” question when it comes to the Beach
Chicken. It’s plenty of foam, and plenty of glide, so the length question really depends on
what you are looking to get out of the board, and what kind of experience you’re hoping to
have. Follow your heart, don’t listen to too many outside voices, and paddle out with an
open mind.

Available Beach Chickens:

● Stock
● Custom Order

The BBF (Big Bueno Fish)

The oldest trope in surfboard building is “I want a board that paddles like a longboard,
and turns like a shortboard”.

It’s so cliche that I can feel my eyes roll just typing those words now. But cliches exist for a
reason, because there is generally a lot of truth to them.

At the end of the day, as surfboard builders, we are trying to find the right combination of
elements to give you, the surfer, the appropriate blend of paddle-ability and whatever else it
is you’re looking to do on your surfboard. Enter the BBF.
 The BBF has a full-bodied outline and
rounded nose, that pulls wayyy in to a
narrow swallow tail. You plant your
back foot directly on top of those quad
fins, which gives you ample control over
the direction of the board. It’s a
relatively new model in our range,
dating back to 2018, but it was
developed as the Dad Board—the
generous wave catcher that can still
bust a move on the dancefloor at the
niece’s wedding when the right song
comes on.

If you want to stack the deck in your

favor this year, take a long look at the
BBF. Don’t apologize for the full, round
nose—the business end, the tail, is what
counts.

That “don’t look at the nose, look at the tail” advice rings true across nearly every surfboard.
Our eyes are so easily drawn to the nose, and we can get caught making incorrect
assumptions about the board by focusing on the front 6” of the board. If you want to know
what a shaper’s intentions were for a surfboard, look at the tail.

In the case of the BBF, we wanted tight turns and a lot of control—all assisted by plenty of
foam under the rider’s chest to keep the wave-count generous. Expect to see more BBF’s
around here in the future, it’s a board that we are excited about and people are really
warming up to.

If you are looking for the control of a shortboard, but want the wave-count of
something much larger, try the Big Bueno Fish this year.

Available Beach Chickens:

● Stock
● Custom Order

Closing Thoughts on Mid-Lengths

Whichever direction you decide to go, I can’t recommend strongly enough adding a
mid-sized surfboard to your regular routine. The type of surfing you want to do, and the
types of waves you encounter most often will dictate which type of mid-length will best suit
your needs.
Almond’s Foamie Mid-Length Models:
Helping customers decide between the R-Series Pleasant Pheasant and the R-Series Joy
has to rank among the top 10 most frequently asked surfboard questions we receive—
understandably so, they're two of our most popular models (in any construction) and the
R-Series line is a bit more approachable both from ease-of-use and price investment.

At 8 feet long and 72.2 Liters of foam, the R-JOY is still going to be the best bet for small surf
and high wave counts. If you are brand new to surfing, the 8'0 Joy is the best place to start.
We even wrote an article about why we believe it's the best place to begin a novice surfing
journey.

The R-PHEZ comes in at 6 feet 4 inches long and 50 Liters of foam—which is beefed up
from the traditional foam and fiberglass version. The R-Series Plez Phez features 23% more
foam than a typical 6'4 Plez Phez off the racks. The added foam helps ensure the most
paddle power and glide.

The advantage of the Plez Phez is the ability to get your foot right on the tail, where you
have maximum control of the board. The round tail and relatively compact outline make for
tighter turning radiuses when you put this board on rail. It is a livelier ride than the stable
glide of the Joy model.

The ideal approach on a Pleasant Pheasant would be to utilize the entire rail line to drive
the board and generate speed, and then shift your weight back to push the board through a
cut-back turn—and repeat.
The R-Series Joy does more of the work for the rider, using its length and relatively flat
rocker profile to pick up the wave's energy and translate it into glide—which allows the
rider to stay comfortably centered on the elliptical outline. This lends itself to a very
rider-friendly experience, but the Joy is capable of hanging with you as well.

The ideal approach on the Joy would be staying low and centered on the board, allowing the
glide to do the work, and sliding your back foot back to redirect as necessary.

Whether you opt to go for the 6'4 or the 8'0, either board was made with
early-wave-catching and maximum fun in everyday conditions in mind. The R-Series line
sits as a complimentary cousin to the custom surfboards we build with the ease of use and
care & repair at the forefront of why everyone should have at least one foamie in their
quiver.

As always, they are Made in the USA and 100% recyclable.

Other Surfboard Resources:

● Almond’s Guide to Surfboards (Introduction)
● Almond’s Guide to Longboards
● Almond’s Guide to Fishes & Small Boards
● Almond’s Complete Guide to Ordering A Custom Surfboard
● The First-Time Surfer’s Cheat Sheet
● Read More Articles & Surf Tips...