Surfboard Focus: 8'0" Pieces of Eight

28 . 06 . 13

This past month it has finally felt as though Summer has arrived here in the south west of the UK – on some days at least! And when we get a high pressure parked over us, with clear, windless, blue skies and small waves, one of the surfboards on the demo rack here at the Otter workshop that barely has a chance to drip-dry between surfs is the Pieces of Eight. Another one of our great all-rounders, at 8’0″ x 21 3/4″ x 2 3/4″ the Pieces of Eight is more longboard than mini-mal whilst retaining the manoeuvrability of a shorter surfboard. With the neutral buoyancy of wood it is also easier to duck-dive so that paddling back out for your next wave is a much faster operation. When the waves look small or you’re out to enjoy a few waves with friends as the sun dips into the sea at the end of the day, the Pieces of Eight is the board that you want to be reaching for – effortless surfing and pre-programmed for fun.

Ian Farrell of Tamm Field Farm crafted a Pieces of Eight with us last August during a “Build-Your-Own” workshop, stepping himself down from a 9’6″ foam and fibreglass longboard in order to work on his turns and start exploring more of the wave’s face. Here’s his take on how these boards perform:

“Overall the board feels great and I really feel it’s helping me push my surfing, with a smaller board I can feel so much more improvement on a session by session basis, compared to the old 9’6 that allows you to catch pretty much anything with very little skill at all. I like to feel as if I’m surfing the board, not the other way around.

I have a road trip to France planned for this summer, and with my Pieces of Eight fitting comfortably inside the car, it’s ideal for locking up at the camp site and keeping everything secure. From experience I know the waves in the Basque region can be quite punishing, so its also good to know I’ll have the strength of the wooden board under my feet.

All that and it looks amazing hanging on my living room wall too!”