Whip-Stitch

Question: What size Whip-Stitch should I order?

Answer:

``` Start with the wave you actually surf, not the one you hope to surf. For chest-high to shoulder-high SoCal points (Lowers, Salt Creek, Trestles), most riders in the 150–180 lb range land on a 7'2" to 7'4" in the 46–49L window. Heavier rider, softer surf, or both? Step up to 7'5"–7'7" in the 50–53L band. If you're hunting a step-up version of the shape for shoulder-to-overhead clean surf, the 7'8"–8'0" range works (54–61L). The featured set covers the core 43–53L band; the full ladder runs 7'0" up to 8'6" (43.6L to 71.1L). When you start a custom order Blake will sanity-check the size against your weight and the waves you ride. ```

Question: Should I run the Whip-Stitch as a thruster or a quad?

Answer:

``` The board ships with a five-fin layout standard, so you don't have to pick once and live with it forever — you switch session-by-session. Thruster (default) is the drivey rail-to-rail feel the shape was tuned around: most predictable, most grip in the pocket, most familiar if you're coming off a shortboard. Quad is faster down the line and looser through the lip in clean, well-shaped surf — pull the center fin, run two-front + two-rear, the board changes character. The five-fin upcharge is $40 on a custom build. If you're new to the quad-vs-thruster choice, start with thruster, then experiment. ```

Question: What waves is the Whip-Stitch built for?

Answer:

``` Chest-high to overhead clean is the window. Real push but not double-overhead heavy. SoCal staples — Lowers, Salt Creek, Trestles, Blacks when the wind drops. Travels well to soft-point setups in mainland Mexico (Saladita on a small day, Pascuales when it's behaving), Mentawais off-peak, Costa Rica points. It is not a small- day mush board — for knee-high to waist-high surf, a wider, flatter shape will paddle and plane better. It is not a step-up gun either — for double-overhead with serious push, a dedicated step-up shape handles it more confidently. ```

Question: Is the Whip-Stitch a beginner-friendly mid-length?

Answer:

``` No. The Whip-Stitch is built for intermediate to advanced riders. The single-to-double concave bottom and 60/40 down-rails (going hard through the tail) reward riders who can drive a board through turns and read which part of the wave to set up off the bottom. If you're still learning to read the wave, a wider, flatter, more forgiving mid-length is the better starting point — talk to Blake before ordering and he'll point you at the right shape. The Whip-Stitch specifically rewards riders who already know what they want from a turn. ```

Question: How long does a custom Whip-Stitch take to build?

Answer:

``` Four to six weeks on a clear-sanded build (the $850 starter), six to eight weeks on a tinted-sanded build ($1,000), and eight to ten weeks on the tint-with-gloss-and-polish premium tier ($1,200). Timelines flex with the queue and confirm at order. Designed by Blake in Shape3D, CNC-cut from the file, then finished by Jack Sykes here in San Clemente. Twenty-five percent deposit at order, balance due on completion. If you need a board on a tighter timeline, three Whip-Stitch boards are in stock right now at clearance pricing — take a look at the inventory page. ```

Question: How does the Whip-Stitch compare to a Christenson Ultra Tracker or a Pyzel Mid Length Crisis?

Answer:

``` Same camp. The Whip-Stitch slots alongside the Ultra Tracker, the Pyzel Mid Length Crisis, and the JS Big Baron — all performance mid-lengths built for surfers who want shortboard turn radius with mid-length paddle. Where the Whip-Stitch differs is in the build path: designed in Shape3D from a clean sheet for Lundquist's San Clemente output, CNC-cut to your specs, finished by Jack Sykes. You pick length, width, thickness, fin layout, tail shape, glassing, and finish at order time — not from a fixed catalog of stock dim slots. Custom orders start at $850. ```

Question: What glassing schedule does the Whip-Stitch ship with?

Answer:

``` Stock glassing is 6oz S-cloth + 4oz warp on the deck, 4oz S-cloth + 4oz warp on the bottom — heavier than shortboard spec to support the flex on a longer rail line. EPS foam is standard with a 1/4" wood stringer; PU is available on request. Add a deck patch (+$30) for extra glass under the front foot, or a volan tail patch (+$40) if you cross-step or run heavier. Resin tint, gloss + polish, cutlap, pinline, airbrush — all available, with the tier picker handling the big calls and the customize accordion handling the details. ```

Question: Why does the Whip-Stitch run a single concave through the front and a double concave through the tail?

Answer:

``` Two reasons. The single concave through the front two-thirds gives the lead foot a clean, loaded surface as you accelerate down the line — stability without drag, which is what you want when you're trying to translate paddle-power into actual speed on a softer wave. The double concave through the tail then splits water behind the fins, which gives drive out of turns. The transition between the two sits roughly under the wide point. It's the same idea a lot of modern performance shortboards run, scaled and tuned for the longer rail line and lower speed of a mid-length. The 60/40 down-rails finish the job — they go hard in the last twelve inches of the tail so the board releases water cleanly off the top instead of hanging up. ```