Surfing is more straightforward than some sports because you will only need your body, waves, and a surfboard. Even though surfing requires less gear than other sports, you should know that surfboards on the market are not the same.
Many manufacturers claim that their products are the best. Although many manufacturers produce high-quality products, it does not automatically mean that their surfboards are the most suitable for your use.
In this McTavish Surfboards review, you will learn about one of the notable surfboard brands on the market, so that you will have an idea where to look first. You will also learn how to select the best surfboard by knowing its features.
Plus, you will get to know some of the best McTavish surfboards.
Top 7 Best McTavish Surfboards Review
McTavish has several surfboards to offer. The company categorizes them as Daily Riders, Traditional, and Performance. Under these categories, they provide many longboards and shortboard models.
Because of these categorizations, McTavish makes it easier for the customers to select a surfboard based on their riding style.
Here are some of them.
- Fireball Squaretail McTavish Longboard
- Rincon McTavish Shortboard
- Noosa ’66 McTavish Longboard
- Bluebird McTavish Shortboard
- Fireball EVO 2 McTavish Longboard
- Mystic McTavish Shortboard
- Butterball McTavish Shortboard
#1. Fireball Squaretail Longboard
The Fireball Squaretail is a longboard made from polyurethane (PU) with polyester resin. It has a squash tail and 2+1 fins. This board is available from 9’0 to 10’2.
The Fireball Squaretail Longboard is under the McTavish’s Daily Riders category. This board uses the typical fireball design, but it has a square tail that makes it versatile enough for casual surfing.
The Fireball Squaretail Longboard can handle waves that are up to 6-foot tall. It is ideal for catching waves, paddling, and stability. Nose riding, turning, and trimming are excellent when you use this board.
Board Barn commended the rails and rockers of this board, adding to the testimony that it is excellent for nose riding and casual surfing.
#2. Rincon Shortboard
Rincon is the shortboard under the Daily Riders category and available from 7’2 to 8’0. It has a single fin, and you can choose to add for a glass-on feature.
Rincon is user-friendly. It came into the picture during the Shortboards revolution. It got its name from its first breakthrough, which was in Rincon, California, in 1968.
This product has a flat bottom, excellent low rocker, rounded rails, and slight vee. It is best for the down-the-line speed. With this board, you can set any wave without losing control. It is also excellent for trims and turns.
#3. Noosa ’66 Longboard
The Noosa ’66 is a traditional longboard that is available from 9’3 to 8’8. It has a single fin box with a GG center fin. You can also choose to add a glass-on or box fin feature.
This product has 50/50 rails, full rolled bottom, flat rocker, and rounded broad square tail. Its design is excellent for beginner to intermediate-level surfers. The construction material used for making this board is PU.
The Noosa ’66 is an imitation of the 1966 old Malibu model designed by Bob McTavish in Queensland. Surfers Russel Hughes and George Greenough surfed using it.
The Noosa ’66 is excellent for surfers who are lovers of retro surfboard designs.
#4. Bluebird Shortboard
The Bluebird is a traditional surfboard that the McTavish created in 1970, three years after the shortboard revolution. A lot of surfboard innovations came into the picture at that time. To adapt to these changes, McTavish designed the Bluebird in Lennox Head.
The Bluebird has a single fin and is available from 6’2 to 7’4. It has a flat bottom and low bulky rails, making it an ideal board for speed, paddling, and gliding.
The Bluebird is also perfect for riding different kinds of waves, whether it is mushy or it is a barrel.
The Surf Science commended the Bluebird. According to it, this product embodies the McTavish spirit by making the surfers feel free like birds because of its speed and agility.
#5. Fireball EVO 2 Longboard
The Fireball EVO 2 is the only longboard model under the Performance category of McTavish Surfboards. This surfboard is versatile because of the Fireball design inspiration.
This model is available from 8’0 to 9’6. It has a 2+1 fin setup with 6 or 7 inches center fin and FCS sides.
This board has three zones: the tail, mid zone, and the nose, which work together to make it an all-rounder surfboard.
The tail is the part between the feet. The Fireball Evo 2’s has a double concave and hard rocker that provide drive and speed. It also enables you to catch waves effortlessly.
The midzone features a beveled rail and a flat rocker that provides clean trimming, comfort, and stability.
The nose is 18-inch full, which makes it ideal for nose riding and steering.
#6. Mystic Shortboard
Mystic is a hybrid shortboard under McTavish’s Performance category. It is available in 4 sizes, which are 5’5 to 5’9.
This product gives the right amount of flex that provides a good experience, and it is functional enough to give energy for fast releases and turns. If you have to ride a wave face curve, this board is one of the most forgiving.
Mystic has a PU construction with a low rocker. What makes it unique is that it does not have a string, but it is capable enough to ride the waves and perform tricks even if it looks like a fish surfboard.
Mystic is broad with a low rocker that makes up for the flex. It also has a chined bottom that provides the narrow board feel.
Mystic is responsive and has an FCS2 quad fin.
According to its designer, Ben McTavish, it got its name from the song “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. The shaper was listening to this song while creating this product.
#7. Butterball Shortboard
According to its designer, Ben McTavish, this board provides excellent paddling and buoyancy because of its extra thickness. This board has a quad fin setup that makes it responsive for the tuns and direction.
Like the Mystic, the Butterball has no stringer but allows you to have robust and fast turns. This board is one of the best shortboards under the McTavish’s Daily Rider’s category. With it, you can enjoy a lot of activities as a casual surfer.
This board is available from 5’0 to 5’7.
About McTavish Surfboards
The McTavish Surfboards is a famous manufacturer from Byron Bay, Australia. Bob McTavish was the one who founded it in 1962, and it is currently operating under the second generation of his family. Since then, McTavish has been playing a significant role in Australia’s surfing industry.
According to McTavish, it manufactures its products under its culture of providing excellence, fun, excitement, and adventure through its products.
The company is proud to say that it consists of the low-volume of people who dedicate themselves to providing high-quality products. The brand claims to be simple because it only has offices, showrooms, and factories.
According to McTavish, there are around 20 people who are working for McTavish in Byron Bay. Some of them have been making surfboards for this brand for approximately 20 years. It is because these people’s values reflect McTavish’s dedicated and committed reputation.
Even though McTavish has a low volume of workers, its team can create 25 boards per week, because they enjoy working in a group. They have the drive to work for a common goal of providing custom boards that will give joy to their customers.
According to the founder, its products are flexible because these can adapt to any changes. Examples are its Grace model, which is 12 feet in length and the Butterball, which is 5 feet. The Grace is a trim board, while the Butterboard is a shortboard.
McTavish is true to its claims because it also offers board customization. Aside from surfboards, it also sells apparel and accessories.
If you wonder if the McTavish is a high-end surfboard, you will feel surprised to know that several famous surfers represent this brand. Among them is Josie Prendergast, Matt Chojnacki, Roisin Carolan, among many others.
Factors to Consider When Buying a McTavish Surfboard
Even if surfing comprises mainly your body, waves, and surfboard, choosing the best board can still be challenging. It is because it comes in different varieties, from its construction to the types of fins, you will have to make the right choice. A wrong decision can break your surfing performance.
That is why, aside from informing you about the best McTavish products, you should also know how to select the one that suits your riding style. Here are the factors to consider when buying a surfboard.
Size and Design
If choosing the right size, the considerations are the product’s design, dimensions, and volume. Surfboards come in different types, and their main differences lie in them.
If you are a beginner, you should choose a surfboard that allows you to paddle and catch waves effortlessly. Examples of these surfboards are funboards, foamies, and longboards.
If you are an advanced-level surfer, you like a type of board that enables you to ride the waves. The best surfboards for this purpose are the shortboards, guns, step-ups, and mini-guns.
For the rocker design, if you have to ride flat-faced waves, choose a flat rocker board. If these waves are hollow and curvy, select the one with a curvy rocker.
You should also consider the tail’s design when buying a surfboard. Boards with broad tails provide more lift; thus, increasing the speed.
The ones with narrower tails give less lift. Although it is slower, these boards are more useful for large waves with fast speed.
Aside from the rocker and tails, you also have to note the noses’ design. The ones with wide and flat noses are useful for paddling and catching waves. The ones with narrow noses provide better stability for late drops.
After the design, your next consideration is the board’s volume. It is the product of the length, width, and thickness.
Because of this, the more volume a board has, the more buoyant and bulkier it is.
If you are a beginner, you might be thinking that choosing the board with the highest volume is the most ideal. However, it is not. You should select the one that is appropriate for your size.
Surfers should choose a board that is ideal for their body weight. Generally, beginners should choose a surfboard with a volume that is 100 percent their weight in kilograms.
For example, if your weight is 45 kilograms, you should choose a board with 45 liters volume.
However, a lot of factors can affect this general rule. It includes the surfers’ skill level, wave condition, etc. That is why professional surfers choose a surfboard with a volume that is 30 to 40 percent of their weight.
Types of Fins
Even if the fins comprise the small part of the board, it does not mean that they are unessential. Choosing the right fins can make or break your performance.
What you need to consider first is the board’s fin construction. Surfboards come in different fin setups: the 2+1, five, quad, thruster, twin, and single.
2+1
The 2+1 is common on SUP, funboards, and logs. The typical setup is a single large fin at the center and two thruster-like fins on the side.
Five
Boards that come with five fins does not mean that it allows you to ride the waves with all the five fins attached to it. The surfboards with five fins will enable you to customize your experience. Whether you want a thruster, single, or twin fin, you can have it with this setup.
Quad
The quad fin is the best option if you want speed for riding smaller surf. This configuration channels the water to the surfboard’s rear to provide momentum.
The two fins closed to the rails add stability, which also makes it an excellent option for riding big waves and making turns.
Thruster
The thruster is common in shortboards, where there are two outer fins near the center and one that is close to the tail. You choose this fin setup if you want stability and maneuverability. In this setup, you can customize the board for a single or twin configuration.
Twin
The twin configuration is the best option for playfulness and maneuverability that can give you a skate-like experience. You do not like to choose this setup if you are up for a big-wave ride, because this fin configuration maximizes speed, which is not useful and uncontrollable in massive waves.
Single
You usually find the single fin setup on longboards. It is also the most traditional fin setup and the best choice if you are up for straight and fast surfing. Yet, it is not the best selection for making turns.
As for the fin’s size, the general rule is that the heavier you are, the larger it should be.
Conclusion
Whether you are a casual or professional surfer, McTavish Surfboards has many products to offer from surfboards to apparel. Its surfboards are one of the highlights of its products because of their versatility and quality.
If you do not know where to start, you can do more in-depth research on the mentioned products to find the best surfboard that fits your lifestyle. You may also check out McTavish’s other surfboards that might suit your preference.
If you still cannot find the best surfboard among the mentioned products, you can now look for a suitable board. It is because you now know the necessary information from this McTavish Surfboards review for buying your surfboard.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Can I Order a Custom Board from McTavish Surfboard?
A: Yes. It is one of the best characteristics of the McTavish brand. This manufacturer allows you to own your dream surfboard. You only have to submit a custom order form that you can get from its website. McTavish will contact you about the finalization of details. You may also ask it from them via email, and the company will send the form to you.
Q: How Long Should I Wait for My Custom Surfboard to Arrive?
A: According to McTavish, the standard time of delivery for its custom boards is four to five weeks. However, if you choose to have a tinted or triple stringer board, you should wait for up to two months. If there are other additions, it may also add some weeks.
Q: Can I Choose Any Design That I Want for My Custom Surfboard?
A: As long as it is not a brand name or a copyrighted design, you can choose any design that you want. It can be Da Vinci’s painting, your artwork, or even your face. You can go to McTavish’s online store if you need some ideas.
Q: What Products Do McTavish Sell Other Than Surfboards?
A: Aside from surfboards, you can buy apparel and accessories from its shop. It includes bottoms, such as boardshorts, trackie, walk shorts, pocket pants, and more, and the tops that it sells include tees, knits, shirts, jackets, and fleece. The accessories are books, bags, gift cards, and more.
Q: How Long Should I Wait for My Order and How Much Do I Have to Pay?
A: For non-customized orders, the waiting time is typically within three to five days when you are from Australia. If you are from other countries, you should wait up to seven days. The shipping rate is 200 to 250 AUD if you are from Australia. If you are from New Zealand, the price is 500 AUD, and if you are from the US, Europe, or Canada, the fee is 750 AUD. However, if you are from other countries, the rate is 800 AUD. These fees do not include clearance fees, taxes, and other payments to pay along the way.
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