Tyler Warren Swept Keel

Tyler Warren's read on the keel — a wide base with far more rake than a fish keel usually carries, and an 80/20 foil, sold as a pair.

A pair of keels, Futures compatible, in white, black or honey solid fiberglass. A traditional fish keel is upright and wide and mostly about driving down the line; this one keeps the wide base and adds rake, sweeping the outline back so the tip sits behind the base rather than over it. The foil is 80/20, most of the curve on the outside face. The combination makes a large amount of drive without locking the board onto one line, which is the usual price of a keel.

How that reads

Base is where drive comes from, so a wide one keeps the keel's forward push intact and the board still wants to be surfed off the front foot. Rake changes what happens at the end of a turn: a swept outline releases the tip progressively instead of holding all the way through, which is exactly what a straight keel will not do and why a fish can feel stuck on its rail. It drives like a keel and comes round when asked.

Who it suits

Fish and twin-keel boards whose owners like the speed but want the tail to release, and anyone coming off a classic keel that felt too locked in. It also gives a modern performance twin something with real drive under it for down-the-line surf, without giving up the ability to actually turn the board.