Review: Catch Surf 54 Special Thruster
Summary: The Catch Surf 54 Special was one of my favorite boards to surf this past season. Continue reading for the full review…
It’s pretty rare that I find myself reaching for a foam board in my quiver. Usually I’ll only do this when I’m worried about damaging a hard board. The Catch Surf 54 Special is the exception; I surfed this board a ton!
At just 4’6″, the 54 Special is about as short as I like to surf in the river. On a high performance shortboard wave, this board can really rip. Put some big fins in it, and it’ll throw buckets. Put in some nubs, and it spins like a top.
With such a short length, there isn’t much room to adjust your stance on the board. Usually my back foot is right up against the tail. It would be nice if the board came with a kickpad built in so that you could tell how far back on the board you are.
I only surfed this board on high performance shortboard waves that had acid drop entries. While it’s definitely possible to catch waves from upstream on this board, I know I would have struggled with the popup given my experience with other boards of similar length.
While some foam boards only offer one size of fins, the 54 Special comes with FCS compatible fin boxes. Swappable fins are key to making this board versatile for a variety of surfing styles. Having owned a foam board without swappable fins, I’ve found having real fin boxes is a must.
The foam construction means you don’t have to worry about dings. In general I like hard boards, with the exception of while I’m dialing in a new wave. I like using a foam board while I’m falling uncontrollably, and once I feel like I have the wave dialed I’ll switch to a hard board. The quality of the foam construction seems top notch. It shows very little wear after a season of abuse.
As far as experience levels, the 54 Special feels best suited for advanced to expert river surfers. It could also work as as a beginner board for small kids. If you are looking for a more beginner friendly foamie, checkout the Catch Surf Stump.
At under $300, the 54 Special feels like a good addition to the quiver without breaking the bank. If you’re an advanced river surfer looking for an ultra short board or a board that can handle abuse, the Catchsurf 54 Special is a good choice.