A hybrid surfboard is built to solve the problem most surfers actually face: the surf isn't always good, but you still want to have fun. These boards sit between full performance shortboards and dedicated grovelers, borrowing the volume and forgiveness of a groveler with the response and bite of a shortboard. When the surf is two-to-four-foot and average, a hybrid keeps you having fun. When it cleans up to head-high and lined up, the same board still lets you push hard.

This is the category for surfers who want one board that handles the conditions they actually surf, not just the conditions they wish they surfed.

The NDR is the one-board quiver killer, a hybrid built to handle the widest range of conditions of any board in the lineup.

What makes a great hybrid

The best hybrids share a few specific design traits. Extra volume distributed evenly, not concentrated forward like a groveler, but spread through the board so it paddles well without feeling floaty. A wider outline than a performance shortboard but narrower than a groveler, enough planing surface to keep moving in weak waves, but pulled in enough at the tail to still hold a rail through turns. Moderate rocker, flatter than a performance board but more curve than a groveler, splitting the difference between speed and maneuverability. A versatile tail shape, squash, swallow, or rounded variations that work across a range of conditions.

The hardest thing about shaping a great hybrid is the balance. Lean too far toward groveler features and the board becomes corky and unresponsive in good waves. Lean too far toward shortboard features and the board dies in mush. The shapes Doc has refined find the middle, boards that work in both contexts without compromising in either.

How to choose the right hybrid

Hybrids reward picking the right board for your typical surfing situation. Different shapes in this collection optimize for different needs.

For sizing recommendations specific to your weight, skill, and the conditions you surf, reach out to Doc directly, he'll dial in dimensions based on skill level and where you surf.