Island Extreme Surfboards

Advantages: Well designed
Disadvantages: on the expensive side

...Humm, haven’t been around Ciao much recently mainly due to the fact I’ve been spending as much time as possible in Newquay, in the surf. Seeing as Newquay’s a 6-hour drive from my computer, it’s kind of understandable. Anyway where is this leading, a review on Newquay, um no, I can’t be bothered to discuss the pros and cons of an entire town, at least not today. So I’ll share my thoughts on my board, a 7 foot 6 Hawaiian Island Creations Mini-mal. Now bear with me, this is new ground in reviewing as there are no surfboard reviews up here yet (just a couple of body board reviews), so I have nothing to work with. Lets start with the basics, what’s a Mini-mal. Loosely interpreted it’s a board between about 7 and 8.5 feet long, anything bigger is a Mal, and anything smaller is a Short... Read review

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Advantages: very strong yet light with good feel
Disadvantages: Can be a handful in tight swims

...I always considered 3lb TC carp rods to be too heavy duty for 'normal' carp fishing situations. Sure they could bang out a large method feeder 90 odd yards but surely the feeling would be lost when playing the fish? I originally stumbled across a pair of the Fox Extreme rods whilst looking for a pair of rods for an up and coming trip to France. I went to a local dealer to ask for something heavy duty that wasn't a fortune. The intention was to use these rods purely for my trips abroad and nothing else. I was showed the Extremes and was instantly amazed at how slim and light they were. They also felt very well balanced. In addition they were a nice matt grey finish and looked quite stylish - I thought how good they would look on my pod. The dealer offered me the pair for £150 since he had vast numbers that were not shifting... Read review

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Advantages: You pays your money....., good for tricks, good value, looks cool
Disadvantages: A little expensive for beginners

...Two of my friends recently purchased Hot Buttered body boards and they are extremely happy. One at £90 and one at £80 seems a bit expensive but they have definitely noticed the difference. The boards are lighter, easier to turn and do tricks on. They are both Terminator T3s 10-90 (43”) and are Hot Buttered’s proven performers over three summers. The crescent shaped tail allows more control and acceleration through turns. The shape, build and weight also means more straight-line speed and thus more waves! The T3 also has the HB PE Diamond Core, apparently revolutionary in body board technology. See below for the science bit! This is a brilliant board, the difference is there and you will not be disappointed with the performance of the T3. It may seem expensive but there are more expensive boards that look tacky and don’t perform... Read review

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