Dane Reynolds doesn’t always ride the most traditional surfboards. In fact, he’s made some odd shapes the norm–take the Neck Beard, for instance. Before Dane espoused the benefits of it, that kind of shape wasn’t all that common. After Dane, though, smaller, flatter, fatter boards began making their way into the lineup with more regularity.
The Sampler is one such board. Designed more for slopier waves than top-to-bottom tubes, it’s become one of Dane’s go-to boards, and for good reason. The shape is based off the Dumpster Diver, with “a flat, racy entry and center rocker, and an ample curve out the tail for tight transitions and airs. A generous single concave runs the whole length of the board, with a slight double within the single between the fins, and just a little vee to provide kick off the tail. The outline is full but sleek in the front half, with an exaggerated and slightly forward of normal Merrick hip, and a wide old-school squash tail.”
Of course, owning this board isn’t going to make you as good as Dane Reynolds, but it might help. Surfing the right board for the right conditions, after all, is something that far too few people do.
