Lost Hydra (Light Speed FCS II 5-Finner)

The HYDRA is the ultimate minuscule wave monster, melding more than 25 years of developing small wave fish and mini wave hybrids. It implements proven design details from a myriad of models like the Puddle Jumper, Bottom Feeder, Pelagic, and most recently the RNF-Retro. Built around an overall low rocker paired to an almost traditional “fish” outline, this little sea monster is a mini-wave weapon. It features multiple magic making design elements which bring The HYDRA to life.
On the outline, we’ve continued with the snowboard influenced “Pelagic” side cut outline. From our original Pelagic, to the RNF-Retro and on to the new SWORD-FISH, every board featuring this outline has worked above expectations. It noticeably locks into the wave during carves and shortens the radius of turns while both gaining speed and maintaining control.
The bottom contours feature a unique double concave, chined “Hydra-hull”. A design I first learned from Jim Fuller, in the mid ’80’s and is featured in our classic Bottom Feeder model. A similar style of “hull” was also designed, popularized and perfected by Bill Stewart as the “Hydro-Hull” for decades. Like a single concave; It allows the use of more curve through the rocker (which makes proper turning and vertical surfing a lot easier) by cutting through and adding lift and speed. With very wide boards, single concave bottoms easily get sticky and stay flat on the face, the chined bevels add release, free up the board from rail to rail and encourage 3D rail surfing, as opposed to simply skating fast on the surface, like so many traditional fish.
The tail is a split diamond, which melds the characteristics of both swallow and diamond tails. The notched-out center line shortens the stringer and reduces surface area behind the rear foot, to add bite and control to a wide tail. The double diamond tail shortens the rail line making quick and radical, power retaining turns much more manageable.
The HYDRA uses a flat-ish deck, with full and forgiving rails. Flat decks can remain thinner and still retain volume, and more importantly, are more flexible (even if thick) than vee or dome decks. Flex is good in low rocker boards, keeping them pliable and forgiving. I dare say this is a more effective and advanced tail design than a typical fish or swallow in allowing radical surfing with very wide tails.

LightSpeed is our proprietary surfboard construction built with lightweight EPS foam and high strength epoxy resin. LightSpeed uses a combination of Rapid-Reflex Carbon Fiber as well vibration dampening Innegra-Fibers, woven into the finest custom performance fiberglass cloth.
Like the name implies, LightSpeed is both light and exceptionally fast, allowing you to take your surfing to new levels of speed and Pro-formance. Developed in-house, our crew of board builders worked closely with our top Jr and WQS team riders to create the best possible technology for High Pro-formance small wave and every day surfing. After well over a year of testing various versions, and R&D with some of the world’s best young surfers, we are now making this exciting custom surfboard construction available to all.
LIGHT SPEED Custom Composite features:

• Ultra-Light / Ultra-Lively Foam Core: Steam molded, High Strength-to-Weight Ratio, fused cell, water resistant, stringer-less EPS foam core.
• High-Strength, Flexible, Impact Resistant, Epoxy Resin System. Woven Carbon Fiber Centerline “Stringer” (top and bottom): Engineered to add both strength and Rapid-Reflex “pop”, with just enough release to feel forgiving underfoot. The Carbon loads up under foot pressure, and springs upon release.
• Fused Carbon, Tail Reinforcement Patches: Transfers more direct input into rail and adds strength.
• Centerline Aligned Carbon “Exo-Stringers”: Enable natural Torsional Twist, similar to a wood stringer board, but lighter, and with a much faster reflex reaction and more “pop”.
• Innegra Infused, Engineered Composite Fiberglass: A multi weave (6oz lengthwise, woven with 4oz, rail to rail) fiberglass, top and bottom, adds significant break strength, while keeping the boards Ultra-light and Ultra-lively.
• 5oz Warp-Weave Fiberglass: A multi weave (6oz lengthwise, woven with 4oz, rail to rail) fiberglass, top and bottom, adds significant break strength, while keeping the boards
• Ultra-light and Ultra-lively.

LightSpeed – Light and exceptionally fast technology, allowing you to take your small wave and everyday surfing to new levels of speed and Pro-formance.