The Reef Swallow has been around some time now and
has always been my go - to in Indo. I always favoured a
spikey swallow off the bottom and in the shade.
Although rounded pins are still favoured by most in
power these days, the swallow still has believers
particularly with their ability to sit higher in the barrel
without any slide. In addition, most Indo reef set ups
do not give you much elbow room to pull off
roundhouse cutties that suit a rounded pin anyways.
The updates with this model, although it was almost a
perennial, is extending a little longer vee through the
fins in order to give it more tilt at speed and in the
barrel. Also combining a five fin set up to give it even
more diversity. There is also a subtle hip to free up the
negative of the swallow.
PLANSHAPE
There is a big change in this department in that the
board is wider all way round. The quads will keep this
in check in size and the longer and deeper vee through
the fins will also take the pressure off the fins in
thruster mode. It seems even in Indo punters are
surfing shorter boards so extra width and pushing it
past the halfway point breeds drive without slide, not
to mention the extra paddle under the chest allowing
the board to be ridden a tad shorter.
ROCKER
Since the Reef Swallow had proved itself in Indo time
and time again there was no need to fiddle with the
engine room, so the rocker is the same.
BOTTOM SHAPEE
Compared to the original there has been some
significant change in this facet. The tail vee has been
lengthened and runs right through the front fins then
falls into an even deeper concave running longer up to
the nose. The vee out the tail suits a quad more than a
thruster because it will add more tilt, but loses thrust
from the absence of the concave around the fins. Not a
problem with quad mode as the have built in speed
anyway. My argument is however, when designing a
board for powerful reef waves speed is almost
guaranteed from the power and squirt of these waves,
so control in my mind should be the number one focus.
You just have to know WHEN to select the right mode.
FINS SETUP
Combining thrusters and quads is not easy since the tri
is ridden off the tail and pivots whereas the quad mode
is a driver with less pivot. In the Reef Swallow the
depth of the swallow is slightly deeper to take the
pressure off the rear fin and this allows it to be laid
over at speed confidently. The cluster is a tad more
stretched to give it more drive, but the rear quad
trailors have followed the front fins up to
DIMENSIONS
6.0 X 19 1/8 X 2 7/16 = 29.13 LTS
6.2 X 19 3/8 X 21/2 = 31.11 LTS
6.4 X 19 5/8 X 2 9/16 = 33.18 LTS
6.6 X 19 7/8 X 2 5/8 = 35.39 LTS
These are stock lengths but can be stretched or
shortened to order