World renowned shaper, Simon Anderson, has come up with the Mollusc - a very popular, transition surfboard.
 
What do we mean by transition, and why popular?
 

Simon Anderson's formula to turn summer mush into summer magic - The Mollusc

Small wave, big spray. Lee Keates in mushy Manly. All surf images courtesy of Adam Albertini

The Mollusc is the perfect board for the transition from the long lines of winter swell to the short shifting peaks of summer.
 
It is also a perfect transition for surfers who are coming down from their mal and want a shorter board with no hassle and all the fun.
 
And, it works great -  hence the popularity!
 
You may have not heard of the Mollusc but it's been in Simon's range for around 5 years and is a well refined concept. It's typically a wider plan shape, not as wide as a fish, but with more width in the nose and tail than a normal shortboard.
 
Here's how it works. The bottom contour has a single to double concave. The double concave is situated in a vee that becomes more pronounced in last few inches towards the tail.
 
What does it all mean?
- Concaves create speed
- Vee allows good easy turning in small mushier waves
- A little extra width forward of center makes for easy paddling and stability
- The result - heaps of fun!

Check Lee and the Mollusc in this sequence

 
The Mollusc has been designed for the waves at your local beach break in the 1-5' range, and being a fully user friendly and versatile design, its works for surfers from Beginner to Advanced.
 
For the Beginner best to start with a Mollusc with the dimensions around 6'2"x 20 3/4" x 2 11/16", to a maxi size of 6'4"x 21"x 2 7/8".
 
For an Advanced surfer, go for a board around 5' 8" x 19 7/8" x 2 5/16" up to 6'0"x 20 1/2"x 2 5/8".

If you think you're a Semi-Pro then the Mollusc can deliver, check out the shots of Lee Keats in mushy Manly, For you, having having a bit more volume forward allows you to stand up further and get more down the line speed. Then with the vee and 'just right' tail rocker you can pivot back on the fins transitioning rail to rail going off the bottom and off teh top as needed.
 
A fin system is recommended so you can mix it up. For smaller waves you can put in two big twinny fins, with a small rear fin. Then use normal G5s when the waves are shoulder high and up. With this type of setup you can add a whole different dimension to your surfing.

Thanks Simon!

Find out more on the Base website: www.basesurfboards.com

Travis Churchill from the Base shop Manly, summed up why the Mollusc has come of age "This style of board has been around for a while but in last 12 months, since Kelly has been on those round nose stubby things, people have been looking at them differently.

"Also check out Jordy Smith in the Redux video to get some idea of the different lines you can draw on a wave with one of these style of boards.

"The Mollusc is a whole lot more than a fish. It's not only a small wave groveller, it opens up your surfing to be so much fun!"