THE GENERAL
By Mat King
I was looking at buying a cost effective mid length board knowing that the pure use of this board was to just catch waves with ease, and to have a bit of fun with my feet placement by moving up and down the board.
The General was the board for me. I never thought I would buy a foamie but there was two reasons this board put me over the line.
First, was the construction - The core of the board is EPS with a Plywood Stringer so when you first grab this board you can definitely notice a difference compared to other softboards as its firmer and doesn't feel like it will break straight away. You don’t have to know a lot about surfing or surf board construction to notice this difference.
The second, was the price! The 7’6” retails for $665, with fins.
I chose this length because it is a good size to just throw in the back of the car and once the grom is big enough, I can’t wait to put her on the front and give her the experience of catching waves with the safety of the soft board.
The board has a textured deck, which I was skeptical about at first but surprisingly it felt very grippy on the chest for paddling and has more than enough grip under foot, that I didn’t need wax.
For my first surf, I set it up as a single fin. The board paddled like a dream. I was able to catch waves very easy and once on the wave I was surprised how well it surfed. It felt like any other board that I have surfed with plenty of forgiveness under foot. The board was a little chattery on the bigger size waves but nothing to complain about.
I felt like I had the comfort and forgiveness to play around and start walking up the board a bit and had the ability to generate speed because the board has a modern rocker.
The mates that I was surfing with that day, definitely hated me!Sitting deeper and having the extra foam compared to them, I had the pick of the waves, racked up a solid wave count, and frothed the first surf on it!
Next time, I went with a two plus one fin set up. I noticed straight away how much better it held me on the wave. I could generate even more speed because of how much easier it was to go from rail to rail. Even though it had been a while between riding this board, I found it so easy to pick up where I left off.
I tend to be pretty hard on my equipment, and do stupid things like sitting too deep in sections and getting closed out on… But after a few surfs, the board still looks brand new! I am unsure how long the deck grip will last if you surfed it constantly but for now its working really well and still looks like new.
Overall, I really like this board!
If you’re a beginner looking for your first board or you’re after a board the whole family could surf ‘The General' is the one for you.
I rate this board 7.5/10!
The GENERAL
It's the leader of the pack and one of the most versatile boards in the Creative Army Range. Its modern rocker makes for precise turns, fast trimming and awesome tip time. Perhaps you are a long boarder that wants a board to nose ride, but still wants to be able to turn in those waves that aren't your perfect point setup? Or you are just learning and want to have some fun? Then this is the board for you!
