Description
Custom X Bodyboard Review
The Custom X Quest III is an awesome board. It is a higher quality board from custom X and it has a lot of nice features. At a first glance, the board looks very sleek. You have a solid black deck with the white custom x logo at the top. On the left side near the crescent tail is red text that reads “Quest 3”. Man, this board looks awesome. Towards the top left and right of the board are some elbow pads – or grooves for your elbows if you will. It’s prefect for high grip and more command and control over your board.
This board was designed in collaboration with Ryan Rhodes and PMA customs. Pma customs makes pretty awesome board s- no doubt. Regardless Ryan Rhodes is a pretty bad ass bodyboarder. Check this video out to see him shred some surf with his gopro mount.
Lets get into the Custom X Bodyboard Review for the Custom X Quest III.
Bodyboard Features
- High Density Polypropylene Core
- Filmed TCD Deck (stands for Tight Cell Deck)
- High Grade Surlyn Slick Bottom
- Double Rails @ 60/40
- Elbow deck grooves
- Crescent Tail with Channels
- Single Graphite Stringer
So as far as this custom x bodyboard review is concerned – this board from its features and specifications appears to be a board that’s going to be a little less speedy but has more control. Here’s why:
A High density polypropylene core allows for.. well much more compared to other core materials. Check out what an old ride shop: Just Bodyboarding said about polypropylene cores:
“The Polypropylene (Polypro) is more expensive than the polyethylene cores, but considering the quality of the material it is well worth the price. Polypro is stronger, lighter, very responsive and offer bodyboarders top performance.
Polypropylene comes in two types, Extruded PP and Beaded PP. – Beaded PP is a completely closed cell, the boards are more buoyant and sit high in the water. Beaded PP also has a funkier flex, as the bead structure tends to compress at the flexion point and doesn’t have a great transfer to the nose and tail (longitudinal flex) like extruded PP possesses. Beaded PP fine for mid end boards as good as Extruded PP. Extruded PP boards are fast, rigid and perfect for those who like to bust big airs and pull in barrels. “
In this custom x bodyboard review for the Custom X Quest III – we’ll take a look at the TCD deck. All higher-end custom x boards typically have this TCD (tight cell deck) technology. Specifically with the Custom X Quest III it is a filmed TCD deck. This filmed deck surface is going to have a smoother surface than something that is non-filmed. If you have seen an older style bodyboard where the foam is very ‘bouncy’ or ‘squishy’ i guess you could say – this deck is completely opposite of that. Specifically with the filmed surface you would be okay with going out bodyboarding with out a rash guard. Because of the way the board is it doesn’t rub or brush up against your skin. You’ll still have a decent grip on the board – however the filmed deck is a little bit slicker and more slippery than the non-filmed variant.
A High grade surlyn slick bottom. If you’ve read our other custom x bodyboard reviews then you would see that most of the features in custom x boards carry across to one another. So pretty much all of the custom x boards feature this high grade surlyn slick bottom – with the exception of the custom x matrix series – which does not feature this surlyn slick bottom. But good news for you – the surlyn slick bottom on this custom x bodyboard is going to allow you to go faster than boards with a non surlyn slick bottom. Don’t get the idea that this board is built for speed. Take a look at Ryan Rhodes’ riding style and see – from the stuff that i have seen he is more of controlled rider and that’s exactly what this board offers.
With double rails at 60/40 you’re going to have more ‘bite’ into that wave and well.. more control on the board. If you haven’t experience a board that is meant for speed versus a board that is built for control there is a pretty noticeable difference. You’ll notice this control when doing bottom turns, trying to stay tight up in a barrel, or any other scenarios where precise control is going to be key to what you are trying to accomplish in the water. So keep this in mind. Rails at 60/40 are the most ‘traditional’ style of rails – its a classical ratio and it works very well! It’s just not as fast as other ratios, which is fine if you know what you’re looking for.
This board has a single graphite stringer which is going to give the board a more rigid and stiff feel. Graphite is a pretty light substance and great for bodyboards. Along with its solid polypropylene core this board won’t be flexing like crazy. You’ll have a little give but not as much as a board with a softer core and no stringers. I’ll note here that most high quality bodyboards. It’s up to you’re preference to decide how stiff you like the board. One stringer is going to provide some stiffness, but you’ll still feel like its flexible – which is good. If you’re busting airs on the board you’re going to need a little flexibility. Typically a stiffer and more rigid bodyboard is going to give you a faster ride.
Ah yes, the crescent tail – personally, i love crescent tails – but i’m going to present this unbiased because it is a custom x bodyboard review. So the crescent tail is going to of course offer you more control. If you’ve never ridden on a bat-tail board you won’t necessarily know what to compare it to, but there is a difference. Mike stewart explains this pretty well.
Mike Stewart on Bat tail or crescent tail?
“Crescent tails are more “forgiving”, more sticky in the wave face and good for hollow rides. Bat tails are easier for rail-to-rail turns and get more projection in these turns, like in roundhouse cutbacks. Crescent tails can turn harder and make you lose speed.”
Let’s not forget about these awesome elbow deck pads at the top of the board here. You’re going to find that these channel-like grooves on the top left and right of the deck will allow you to get more leverage on the board. This means you can manipulate the board better going into roundhouse cutbacks, big sweeping bottoms turns and other things that require high maneuverability.
So what are the final thoughts on this custom x bodyboard review?
The Custom X Quest II is an awesome board designed by Ryan Rhodes and PMA customs. This board is going to give you more control on the waves due to its crescent tail, 60/40 double rails, and elbow deck pads. It’s not the speediest of bodyboards, but its controllable and forgiving in a sense. The polypropylene core and single graphite stringer give you more of a rigid feel which helps with some of the speed you sacrifice on the control side of things. On top of all this is the filmed tight cell deck which has a smoother finish and helps you not rash up as quickly as non-filmed decks. And of course the high-performance surlyn slick bottom is going to give you a nice smooth ride on the waves.
Overall i would say this is a pretty good board and you should check it out. Great for a more control-commanding bodyboarder.
