Lots of shortboarders have been jumping on this thing and raving. Mini so you can shwang it around easier than a longboard but still catch anything you want. Our laminator swears by his.

The bottom utilizes a concave in the nose for increased lift in noseriding, which transitions to a double concave through the mid-section of the board, then to a concave vee or “spiral vee” through the fins and last 1/3 of the board.

This board blends a bit of the old world with the new. A lot of times performance longboards lose all their performance because they have way too much rocker/ bottom curve to make them practical….unless your only surfing bowly beachbreak…and c’mon …really…?

Nobody wants to ride a longboard that feels like it’s pushing water.

So, I’ve kept this design with a bit of that traditional trim speed concept alive and kicking…enabling you to set it on rail and glide and walk the nose. This is done primarily with what’s called a three stage rocker, or bottom curve profile which has a pretty low entry with just enough curve up front to make the late take-offs on bigger and hollower days, and the ability  to make a nice steep redirecting bottom turn…..smooth like butter…not margarin.

The mid-section has a flatter run through it…this is where the flow and trim speed come from. Finally the last third of the board I have a pretty sweeping crisp and loose tail rocker to keep her nice and responsive. The bottom contours consist of a good amount of nose concave the front 36” for grip and lift during tip-time. The midsection splits to a double concave or tri-plane hull configuration that flows into a pronounced spiral vee apexing at the fin cluster…this let’s her lay over rail-to-rail real nice…drivey like, but not slippy…nice and positive redirectional flow that gains speed out of turns…that’s the beauty of concaves.

I put a subtle chime or bevel out where the concaves hit the rail…this keeps the board from feeling sticky and let’s the water release out of the concaves and jump off the rails keeping the board nice and forgiving out of turns.

This board is a favorite among veteran traditionalists, pros and beginners alike for it’s incredible performance and versatility; The staple of my longboard line.

Legacy description

This squatty little pudge is so fun to ride!! I came up with this design one evening while I was sleeping; dreaming of surfing a small, sectiony, mushy pointbreak…..and I was having fun….and I was riding this weird looking board (which has come to be the manatee). In this dream I was coming off the bottom and into the lip like I was riding a shortboard, but then through the flat spots I’d walk the nose like a longboard…only it was a small board.

The manatee is basically my high performance longboard model with two-to-three feet of the middle cut out (average size 6’0” – 7’0”). You can ride this board off the tail like a shortboard or ride the nose like a longboard. Also sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, this is a rare and odd species that enjoys itself simply because it does not take itself too seriously. Available in squashtail, swallowtail and double ender style round tail.

• FIN CONFIGURATION: 2+1 or 4+1

• TAIL SHAPES: roundpin, squash

• RECOMMENDED RIDER TYPES: beginner to advanced

Todd’s picks for traction, fins, & other board essentials

Greenough 4A center fin (ride with sibebites)