DSCV Board Review

The DSCV has been around for a while and this board is a re-creation from an old file of a board that was magic.
I had the idea with the WSL Azores World Masters to go with tried and true designs.
I was hopeful of surfing to evaluate my quiver before the event, but a lack of good surf in the lead up left me a little unsure. 
I did surf this 6’10 in 2 to 3 feet NN Alley Rights and an average 3 to 5 feet day at the Newport Pool. In both surfs whenever I caught a half decent wave with a reasonable section the board felt smooth and potentially good through carving turns on the face.

In the Azores the board felt less than good, due mainly to the tight little pockets on the very peaky type waves and the 2 times I surfed it my back was a little sore.
As it turns out the waves never really were big enough during competition to surf the 6’10.

My regular all-round board is 6’6  20½  2 11/16  Roundtail at 37.5 litres with a single concave.  

The 6’10 DSCV has single to slight double concave through a slight vee that peaks at the forward Thruster fins.
The rails are slightly chunkier, with a slightly flatter deck. I’m currently using big MF fins.

DSCV 6’10 out the back on the right in France

So onto France, with plenty of swell and a few opportunities to surf my step-up.
The waves here definitely have more wall and particularly more face on the higher tide.
I had 2 sessions in 3 to 5 feet offshore surf, one surf on lefts and the other on a right bank, where I managed to organise Christiaan Bradley to take a couple of shots from the session. 
Thanks Christiaan.

So with the extra room on the face, the 6’10 came into its own and felt positive and smooth through the bottom turn to top turn, or into a cutback.
You can really feel the influence of the vee, making it super smooth and easy initiating the turn and rolling from rail to rail.
There is nice hold through the turns as well, so it felt very comfortable and predictable surfing this board.
I really like it in a board when you can start your turn and pick your line up the wave face and the board just goes there, no drift, no stutter, just a clean arc even when negotiating bump on the face.

I have done similar style DSCV boards in 6’6 and 6’8 but haven’t had the success as in the 6’10.
I think DSCV works better in bigger boards.
In smaller boards where you go faster at times doing quicker turns the concave fights with the vee causing rail catching and a twitchy feel sometimes in the turn.
A longer DSCV board will have a shallower concave and better transition to the vee and seems to suit the longer rail line.
So keep that in mind.
DSC is best for an inch or 2 or 3 in a step-up, and you probably need to go at least 4 inches longer than your regular allrounder to get the best out of DSCV.

For me a slightly longer board can give a paddling advantage to help in crowded surf, or just make the take-off easier.

Holding speed through a longer turn with some bump on the face