Three Board Quiver: Cole Latham

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 check in with Almond Surf Shop's Cole Latham and his current, working three board quiver... 

1.  My Daily Driver, at the moment, has been my 7’2 WTRP. (Winged-Twin Rounded-Pin)  I find myself going back to this board time and time again, in spite of the conditions.  I’ve really enjoyed the glide and rail-to-rail responsiveness that this board provides me.  

2.  The board that gets the next most use would be my 6’0 Sandia Fish.  When the conditions call for a more vertical approach, the Sandia Fish is a must.  This board has the perfect blend of speed and drive, but also has enough hold when the waves get more critical.  It’s a blast in a variety of conditions, but really comes alive when the waves get good!

3.  My 9’6 Surf Thump tends to be my go-to board when the waves are smaller—aka Two Feet and Firing.  The Surf Thump guarantee’s a high wave count and a few Cheater-5’s—if my footwork cooperates that morning. Certainly a ton of fun at SanO and First Point when I’m in the area.

Over the past decade or so, I’ve had the opportunity to surf quite a few boards; ranging vastly in size & shape.  I’ve enjoyed almost all of them; but I consistently find myself drawn to mid-lengths, twin-fins, and generally boards that do a lot of the work for me.  I feel like this takes out some of the difficulty in surfing.  Knowing that the board underneath my chest paddles easily, trims well, and gets into waves a bit earlier; allows me to focus on exploring the wave and drawing the lines.

My Advice:
The more time you spend in the ocean on a particular board, the more familiar you’ll become with what makes that board tick.  It took two months and a change of fins for me to figure out what made the 7’2 WTRP special.  This may seem obvious, but it's always good to be reminded that getting comfortable takes time.  A Three Board Quiver is an easy way to ensure that you maximize your wave count and have something to surf 365 days a year.