Mavs Gun Breakdown by Peter & John Mel

Listen to this conversation between Peter Mel and his son John as they go through the attributes of the Mavs Gun they developed with Britt Merrick at Channel Islands Surfboards. Also, stay tuned through the back end to watch and hear him Peter about his historic ride at Mavericks from January 8, 2021.

“This is the best gun I’ve ever ridden,” explains iconic big-wave surfer Peter Mel, who rode what many are saying is the best paddle wave ever ridden at Maverick's. “It’s not only the fastest gun I’ve ever had, it’s the most user friendly.”

The Mavs Gun was designed between Peter Mel and Britt Merrick to do what any good big-wave board should: Paddle extremely well, make crazy drops with great hold and control, then fly down the line and drive through heavy sections with unrivaled confidence.

Rocker is something Peter is very passionate about, and he credits the Mavs Gun rocker as a key aspect to the design’s performance. “There has been a gun design trend toward lower entry rocker among some of the leading models out there. My issue with lower entry rocker is you are sacrificing the curve needed to fit your board into some rather precarious situations.”

Peter also adds that fin placement on the Mavs Gun is the other rather significant feature that makes this board magic. Peter and his son John have put a lot of time into dialing in the fins. “The five-fin cluster is put further forward than other standard guns out there,” explain Peter. “This allows the board to turn with greater control, positivity, and overall sensitivity to make the most subtle of adjustments when you need it most.”