BRAND: Sharp Eye
SHAPER: Marcio Zouvi
TYPE: Shortboard Groveler
MY BOARD: 6'2 x 20.5
I've been riding a 6'2 Disco on and off for more than 5 years now. At one point it was my everyday board for the waist high South Florida slop. It was my first that wasn't a Gee Rainbow shape since the mid 90's. I first rode this model as a loaner from Surf World in Pompano Beach... there were waves that day and I didn't feel like driving home to get my board. I liked it so much that I bought it. Skinner is a good salesman. Check out Surf World when you're in that neck of the woods.
The Disco was an evolution for me. I had been riding my Jebshred model from Gee (6'4 x 19.5) for nearly a decade. It was my go-to shortboard and at times, the only shortboard in my quiver. I am drawn to an 80's outline and I enjoy the wave catching stamina of a fish. But I also want high performance, so Gee's hybrid design was perfect for me. I like them swallow tails, but did have a few variations of squash and rounded over the years. I was hesitant to try a new shortboard design, but after riding the Disco just one time I was hooked. I'd already gotten used to fuller volumes and wider templates with my Gee boards, so it made sense that I liked the Disco.
Theoretically, you don't want to ride this board too long, everyone will tell you to go short, but I never hesitate with my 6'2 Disco. I enjoy the extra flotation and stability it gives me on the takeoff, maybe because I'm old, but I need it these days. I just like the way it feels all stable below my feet.
I'm a good 15 pounds heavier than I was in 1995, but I'm still 6'2. Marcio Zouvi says his Disco design should be ridden at around 5'10 for my height. But this is where I diverge from the recommended dimensions. I ride mine at my height. And I've ridden it in everything from knee high to overhead. I've never felt like I needed more or less board during a session. On bigger days the disco got me into waves early and gave me an extra moment to get into a good spot to set up my attack. And on smaller days it excelled, with lots of flotation, making catching waves and generating speed easy. It has a really floaty feel to it. I often outraced the waves with my typical shortboard style, so there was some adjustment to slow things down in bigger surf.
The Disco rides up on top of the water giving it nice glide and a skateboard feel. But it also fits the wave well and can dig into a turn where other grovelers can't. You really need to push this tail around, but that's also a bonus because the wide tail sprays like a firehose coming out of a turn. Floaters on this board are super fun, it's like rail sliding on a smooth parking lot curb.
My favorite conditions for the Disco are waist-shoulder dumpy, sectiony waves. I can't tell you how many times I came flying around a section or cruised right through a flat spot that I would have never made before. It can also ride some serious shorepound closeouts. I'm surprised I haven't buckled or broken more Discos. I've put them through some punishment at Spanish House, Vero Beach and my secret spot in North Broward. It's so stable I can take the closeouts right on the head and I'm often riding out. These days I'll throw the Disco in the car during the summer time when I'm headed to Narragansett or Horseneck on a higher tide.
So I rate this surfboard pretty high and I highly recommend it if you're a bigger guy looking for an everyday board for average surf. I think you should ride the Disco at your height. Smaller guys and rippers ride this board 4-6 inches shorter than their everyday high performance board. Chris from The Shred Show knows a lot more than I do about why this board works. Here's a link....