Surfboard of the Day: DVS Wasp

The DVS Wasp is a quad-fin performance fish that has the potential to supercharge your summer.

Dick Van Straalen is well known as one of Australia’s most venerable surfboard artisans. Shaping since the seventies, Dick has given the gift of wave riding – and an immeasurable amount of fun – to generations of surfers around the world. When he shapes a board it is not just a cookie cutter affair. He draws upon a lifetime of surfing knowledge to carve meaningful lines into the blank, his aim to provide surfers with a unique and fulfilling surfing experience.

Sure, some of the DVS boards may take a little getting used to, especially for surfers on a diet of 6’0″ performance thrusters, but the learning curve will be well worth it.

DVS Wasp Concaves

The DVS Wasp is all about negative space – the foam that has been removed. The bottom deck features a single concave up front that flows through to a double concave between the fins. This creates an efficient funnel to propel water out through the vee tail. Less board in the water means more speed, and the Wasp will be a magic carpet both in onshore mush and quality waves.

Most unique about the Wasp is that the back of the top deck also features a single concave. This hollowed out area positions your back foot slightly below the top deck surface, closer to those quad fins, providing immense sensitivity and control through turns.

Drive with your back foot

Despite being a traditional fish shape, with a beautifully pronounced vee tail, this board allows for critical surfing, with enough pivot and rail performance to keep you engaged in quality waves. Definitely be back foot heavy when you wish to change direction.

In lacklustre waves the Wasp will glide across gentle slopes with ease, making it perfect for beach breaks where the wave reforms on the inside.

In terms of sizing, the 5’4″ boasts almost 36 litres of volume, which is a pretty hefty chunk of foam. Throughout the size options, from 5’4″ through to the beast of a 6’6″, the width is 21 inches (or a touch over) and thickness is 2 3/4 inches.

Tip: surf this board as short as you can.

Learn more about Dick Van Straalen

Find out more about Dick and his creations over at Classic Waterman.