Three Board Quiver: Foamie Edition

The case for the Three Board R-Series Quiver...

A well-appointed Three Board Quiver can cover the average surfer’s basic needs for year-round surfing.  Any additional boards beyond the core three should be in pursuit of different or unique feelings under-foot. 

The fun part of an ideal Three Board Quiver, is it will inevitably look different for everybody based on their preferences, needs, home break, and aspirations in the lineup.

Today we are looking at an all-foamie, hard-working three board quiver.

Daily Driver:

For this exercise I'm selecting the 6'4 Pleasant Pheasant as my "Daily Driver".  It's a well-rounded board that covers a wide variety of needs.  It's a safe bet to keep in the car for the impromptu surf opportunity—enough foam to keep the wave count high, but lively enough to take the high-line, the low-line, or any combination on the face of a wave.  

The Pheasant gets top-billing because of its versatility and reliability.

Primary Alternate:

The primary alternate that I am going to reach for, when the waves get a little more peaky and playful is the 5'4 Secret Menu.  When there is any type of combo swell in the water and Newport gets really peaky (left and right A-frames), there are few things more fun than the Secret Menu.

Since it was the first model we introduced in the R-Series construction, back in 2018, I have put more time in the water in on this model than any of the others.

The main advantage of this board is the ability to plant your back foot firmly on top of the tail (and fins) giving you a board you can throw around much more readily than some of the longer equipment. 

Take a high line on the Menu and use that rail / tail to generate speed, then look back over your shoulder, and bring it all the way around for a cutback.  You'll never get tired of repeating that cycle.

Third String:

At this stage in my surfing life, as a 35-year-old dad-of-one, the R-Series 8'0 Joy sees the most action during family beach days.  My daughter isn't old enough to surf yet, but our friends' kids are.  The dads generally bring out the fleet of R-Series Joys to mess around with the kids, sharing waves and occasionally planting a kid on the nose.

Don't get me wrong, the Joy is capable of much more serious use, but this is my list and it's going to look much different than most others.

A friend of mine ran into a guy in the water a few days ago who was riding an 8'0 R-Series Joy and the dude was picking off all the best set waves on a pretty decent day at Blackies.  For me, when the waves get good, I'm more likely to reach for one of the smaller two options.

Conclusion:

The purpose of a quiver of surfboards is to give you the right equipment for year-round surfing, and surfboards that are well-matched for the conditions you are likely to encounter.

I could comfortably surf year-round on an all-foamie quiver, simply by knowing what role each board plays for me and bringing the right one to the beach on any given day.