Editor’s note: this is a preview post. Click here to read the full review.
When it comes to river surfing I prefer to surf river waves over holes, but holes are much more common, so I find myself surfing them more often. To surf a hole, you need certain type of board. A board that can handle a steep drop, lots of rowdy whitewater, and weird bumps and seams on the face.
The Badfish MVP-S has been my go-to board for surfing holes. Its rocker and chined hull make surfing any difficult hole much easier. In the past it has also doubled as a down river board, capable of tackling easy to moderate whitewater.
After last season, I came to the conclusion that paddling down river is best left to either inflatables or plastic SUPs. The MVP-S has been a great board, but even with the Sharkskin it’s not the most durable. As a result, my MVP-S has become strictly a park and play, river surf board.
The Badfish Cobra is the next generation of MVP-S when it comes to river surfing. Similar to the MVP-S, the Cobra has a chined hull and forgiving shape to make surfing holes easier. It’s also a smaller board, probably too small to paddle down river efficiently. But the shorter length and lower volume should make for a more sporty ride while surfing.
This will be my first Innegra construction board. I’m hoping Innegra holds up well, because I plan on surfing this board at super low flows. Early season river surfing in Colorado consists of a lot of bouncing off rocks and bottoming boards out in front of the wave.
I’ve gotten a few sessions of surfing in on my friends’ Cobras this past season, so I’m fairly positive this board will perform well on the types of holes I usually surf. This upcoming season, I’ll be putting the Cobra through the full ringer and testing it on all the waves I surf. Look for my full review of the board late in the summer.
Written by | Benjamin
Benjamin Smith is a land locked surfer living in Colorado. He gets his surfing fix on the local rivers, where he SUP surfs standing waves.
Thom
January 16, 2016 at 5:23 pm
I’m curious to read your review, I’ve had this same board all year. The Cobra feels confident under foot, fits inside my car, and is easy to carry through the thicket. Since it’s the only true river surfer I’ve ever been on, I wonder how you’ll feel about it’s “carvabilty” and it’s drive through the eddy line.
Benjamin
January 16, 2016 at 6:22 pm
I think it will carve well on small holes. In smaller holes, carving mostly entails turning the board while it stays relatively flat to the water. The size of the board should make these small carves nice and snappy.
On big river waves, carving takes of form on large sweeping turns where the board is tipped in the direction of the turn. One rail will be stunk into the face of the wave while the other is mostly (or completely) out of the water. On these large waves, I’d be surprised if the board carves well due to the large amount of volume it carries in the tail.
As far as getting through the eddy line, time will tell on that one.
Thom
January 17, 2016 at 10:48 am
Thanks. That part about turning the board flat in a hole, rather than leaning on the rail, is a useful tip and makes sense. I’ll try to think of it that way next time out.
clay wright
December 2, 2016 at 6:40 am
Did you ever get to follow up on the Cobra 6’6”? Living by a 2-3′ river wave but can barely stand up to catch in in the River Surfer 6’11’ so I’ve been using it more like a surfboard. Curious if this will be a better option than the Riversurfer 8’0.
Benjamin
December 3, 2016 at 5:20 pm
I’ll be writing a full review of the Cobra soon. If you’re having trouble on the River Surfer, both the 7’6″ MVP-S and the Cobra are easier to surf. The MVP-S will be more forgiving and user friendly to learn on, and better for surfing funky holes. The Cobra is not quite as easy to surf, but is more sporty feeling than the MVP-S. With either board, you will probably use it to learn on or dial in a specific wave, then switch to the River Surfer once you’re comfortable.