A few months back, SURFER writer Zander Morton tested a 5’6” Channel Islands Dumpster Diver 2 at a tricky 4-5-foot right in Bali. He was initially skeptical of the wider outline and softer rail, thinking a slip-out was imminent. But when he got on a good one, “I was blown away that I could put the board on rail and drive through a frontside carve without ever feeling any skip or slide,” he said. “While the winds kicked up and ruined the conditions after just a few waves, I’d connected so well with the board I came in confident I could ride it at some of Bali’s better reefs, like Keramas.”
Contrary to what it may look like, and as Zander found out, the DD2 is not a groveler. It’s of a bridge when the waves are over 2 feet but under 6 feet (and not too hollow). And let’s be honest, that’s kinda what most surfers see on a day-to-day basis.
Related: The Dumpster Diver 2 Was Built for Better Surf. Should You Buy It?
That’s what Dane Reynolds had in mind when he and Britt Merrick of Channel Islands Surfboards sat down to redesign the Dumpster Diver. The original model became a bit of a cult classic after Dane went ham at Lower Trestles in the 2009 CT contest. But Dane and Britt changed what needed changing; the board was too stubby and wide to hold when the waves got overhead.
What emerged was the Dumpster Diver 2, a more refined version that still allows the rider easy get-up-and-go speed. And nowhere are its attributes more present than CI’s newly released edit with a host of team riders on the model. It features Dane, Eithan Osborne, Barron Mamiya, Imai deVault, Wade Goodall, Kael Walsh, Reef Hazelwood, Cam Richards, Kalani Ball, Tomas Hermes, Rolo Montes and more all ripping this board to pieces.
If they proved anything with this edit, it’s that the board certainly goes on rail.
Frame: Channel Islands Surfboards