Neck Beard 2 Test Drive: An Honest Review by Surf ’n Show


  • 04.16.2021

When something isn’t broke, there’s no need to fix it. That said, Britt Merrick and Dane Reynolds still felt a few slight refinements would make an already epic board that much better. And it did: The merits of the Neck Beard 2’s updates can be seen in Stab’s new surf film with Dane Reynolds The Electric Acid Surfboard Test.

But don’t just take our word for it. A review of the all-new Neck Beard 2 is now up on the independent test ride site Surf ‘ n Show. Additionally, you’ll find a bonus interview there that host Noel Salas did with Britt, which contains added insights on the NB2.

As always, Noel takes viewers on a thorough rider review, replete with great video of him riding the board to illustrate the points he makes throughout. What’s unique about this episode is he reviews three different construction builds of the Neck Beard 2. We sent Noel three custom boards with the exact same dimensions (5’5” x 19 1/8″ x 2 ¼” with 25.9 liters), but one board is EPS with a set of medium glass on fins, another EPS built with our new Spine-Tek reflex technology (a certified Eco Board construction process), and the last one is with traditional polyurethane. You may be surprised which of the three he liked most.

Over the past several years, Noel has gained a solid reputation as an objective board tester. He’s also reviewed other CI Boards in the past like the Rocket Wide, Spine-Tek OG Flyer, Fever and more.

When it came to updates on the Neck Beard, Dane asked for a few specific tweaks. A big fan of single concave, we turned the original Neck Beard’s double concave to single throughout. This changed the rocker landscape some, but in a very positive way—enhancing its wave entry, down-the-line speed, and overall control. We also widened the tail block 1/2” and added a slight hip, resulting in increased responsiveness and maneuverability.

Dane prefers the Neck Beard 2 as a tri-fin, but those that like quads may notice added down-the-line speed. It comes with a five-fin setup to get the best of both worlds. And it’s worth noting that Eithan Osborne won 20K on the Spine-Tek tri-fin version in the recent Stab High event at the BSR wave pool in Waco, TX.

So which one was Noel’s favorite? You’ll have to watch the review here to find out.

See more on the Neck Beard 2 here

  • 04.16.2021