Lost RNF 96 vs Pisces: Which Performance Fish Surfboard Is Better?

What Is the Lost RNF 96?

The RNF 96 is a round nose fish — a short, wide, fast board built to make average surf feel good. RNF stands for Round Nose Fish, and the 96 points back to 1996, the year the original shape came together. It is one of the most recognized fish designs in surfing, and Lost calls it their number one selling model of all time.

What sets it apart from a traditional fish is the way it turns. Most retro fish designs came from wide-tailed, kneeboard-influenced shapes that were built mainly for speed in a straight line. The RNF 96 took its cues from the high-performance twin fins Mark Richards rode in the 1970s and 1980s instead. The result is a board that still catches waves and flies down the line like a fish, but responds to your turns more like a shortboard. You get the easy paddling without giving up the ability to surf the board.

It keeps the core fish traits that make these boards so forgiving: low entry rocker for easy wave catching, a flat deck with full rails for stability, and a balanced outline that holds speed without feeling stiff. For a lot of riders, it is the board that finally makes small, soft surf fun.

Where Did the RNF 96 Come From?

The RNF 96 traces back to the fish designs Matt Biolos shaped for two young surfers in the mid-1990s. Between 1994 and 1996, Biolos — the shaper behind …Lost Surfboards, also known as Mayhem — built these boards for Chris Ward and Cory Lopez. The shapes became legendary after they appeared in the 1997 surf film 5'5" x 19 1/4", and they set the template for what a modern performance fish could be.

Biolos has kept refining the line over the years, but the RNF 96 stays faithful to those original proven curves. The rocker is engrained to the 1996 shape. The outline carries the same nose and tail balance, with a little more precision and a touch more width around six inches up from the tail for control. The point was never to reinvent the board. It was to keep the feel that made it famous and build it cleaner.

That quote is Biolos talking about why he eventually built the Pisces. But it cuts both ways. The reason the RNF 96 is still here, decades later, is that the original shape was good enough to keep.

Who Is the RNF 96 For?

If you want one board that makes small days fun and still works when the surf picks up, this is it. The RNF 96 fits a wide range of riders because you can size it and set it up so many ways.

It is a strong pick for surfers moving from a longboard toward something shorter. You keep enough float and paddle power to catch waves easily, but you gain the ability to turn and move on the wave. It also works as a daily driver for intermediate and advanced surfers who want a fast, loose board for everyday conditions. Even heavier-footed riders tend to like it, because the board stays responsive under load.

If you are just starting out, we usually steer you toward a soft top first. We do not carry them, but a soft top is the best way to learn because it is forgiving, stable, and safe while you figure out paddling and standing up. Once you are catching waves and enjoying surfing, come by our shop and we will help you find the right next step. For a lot of newer surfers, the RNF 96 is that next step — sized up for extra volume, it gives you a real surfboard feel with enough float and forgiveness to keep progressing. It is the kind of board you grow into rather than out of.

What Makes the RNF 96 Surf the Way It Does?

Three design choices do most of the work: the rocker, the bottom contours, and the outline. Together they explain why the board paddles so well and still turns.

The rocker — the curve from nose to tail — is low through the entry. A flatter entry means the board sits higher and planes sooner, so you catch waves earlier and keep speed across flat, gutless sections. This is the single biggest reason the RNF 96 feels good in weak surf.

The bottom uses the classic fish recipe: a single concave through the middle that blends into a double concave with a touch of vee toward the tail. The single concave channels water for speed down the line. The double concave and vee near the tail let the board roll from edge to edge through turns, so it does not feel locked in despite all that speed.

The outline keeps the wide, full shape that gives a fish its float and stability, with the small refinement of a bit more curve and width about six inches from the tail. The rails — the edges of the board — stay full for forgiveness. The flat deck adds to the stability. None of this is flashy. It is a proven recipe, built carefully.

What Sizes Does the RNF 96 Come In?

The RNF 96 comes in a wide range of lengths, in both a standard outline and a wider outline. The numbers below are the manufacturer's published size ranges. Because the board is offered in so many dimensions, most riders can find both a length and a width that suits their weight and the waves they ride.

RNF-96 — Standard Dims

RNF-96 — Wide Dims

Volume — measured in liters — tells you how much float the board has. More volume means easier paddling and earlier wave catching. Less volume means the board sits lower and responds faster to your movements. The wide dims pack more volume into a shorter length, which is helpful if you want the float without the extra board to push around. Exact dimensions and volume for each specific size are listed on the product page.

What Size Should I Get?

A common starting point is to ride the RNF 96 about two to six inches shorter than your height. That is a useful rule of thumb, but it is only a starting point. The right size depends on more than one number.

Where you surf, how powerful the waves are, your experience level, and the kind of surfing you want to do all matter. Beginners and surfers stepping down from a longboard usually want more volume for paddle power and stability, so they size up — toward the wider dims, or the longer end of the range. Experienced surfers chasing a looser, more maneuverable feel often size down. A surfer who mostly gets weak, small waves wants more float than the same surfer would need on a powerful reef break.

We do not believe in recommending a board by weight alone, because there are too many variables. Send us your height, weight, the board you ride now, and the waves you ride most. We will give you a direct recommendation on length, width, and construction — not just a number off a chart.

Should I Ride It as a Twin or a 2+1?

The RNF 96 is built to run as a twin or a 2+1, and switching between them changes the whole feel of the board. A twin uses two fins, one on each side, with no center fin. A 2+1 adds a small center trailer fin behind the two main fins. You do not need a different board to try both — just a trailer fin.

As a twin, the board feels loose, fast, and skatey. With no center fin creating drag, it releases easily through turns and generates speed in weak surf. This is the most fun setup on small, soft days.

As a 2+1, that small trailer fin adds control and hold. The board tracks better and feels more planted, which is what you want when the waves get bigger, steeper, or more powerful. It is the more confidence-inspiring setup for stronger conditions.

Fin Suggestions

A Mark Richards twin or 2+1 is a great all-around baseline. It suits the board's heritage and works across most conditions — loose and skatey as a twin, more controlled with the trailer in. If you want more drive through your turns and a more aggressive feel, look at power twins, which use a larger fin base for extra hold and push. Start with the Mark Richards setup, then adjust from there based on how you like to surf.

Shop Mark Richards twin fins at Hawaiian South Shore

What Waves Does the RNF 96 Handle Best?

The RNF 96 is a small-wave board that does not give up when the surf gets bigger. Its sweet spot is the weak, mushy, knee-to-chest-high surf most of us get on a normal day. The low entry rocker and flat deck give it strong paddle power and easy wave entry, and the fish speed carries it through flat sections where other boards bog down.

But it does not stop there. Riders have taken the RNF 96 from small Town waves to solid North Shore surf and well past head high. Run it as a twin for the loosest, fastest feel on small days, and add the trailer fin for extra hold and control when the waves stand up. That range — from gutless to overhead — is a big part of why it sells the way it does.

You can surf it on a two-foot junk day and you can take it out when the surf is overhead and pushing. It is one of the most versatile fish you can own, which is exactly what a daily driver should be.

PU, LightSpeed, or BlackSheep: Which Build?

We carry the RNF 96 in three constructions, and each one changes how the board feels. The shape is the same. The materials underneath are not. Here is how to think about them.

Lost also offers a LightSpeed II build that uses S-Glass and Innegra fibers. If you are not sure which construction fits your weight and your surfing, come by 320 Ward Avenue and we will walk you through them side by side.

RNF 96 vs Lost Pisces: What's the Difference?

The RNF 96 and the Lost Pisces are two different boards, not two versions of one. If you are choosing between them, the short version is this: the RNF 96 is the classic, built for speed and flow, while the Pisces is a newer, more aggressive performance evolution.

Matt Biolos built the Pisces after three years of refining the fish through thousands of custom orders. He described the changes as "a tuck here and a nip there, a little more curve and a little less bulk." The Pisces has a more pulled-in nose, more rocker up front, deeper concave through the middle, and a refined wing. It is designed to turn tighter in the steep part of the wave, carve harder on the open face, and surf more vertically. Lost positions it as a five-fin board you can run as a quad, thruster, or hybrid.

The RNF 96 keeps the original feel: sweeping, flowing lines and easy speed down the line, with the simple twin-or-2+1 setup. It is the more forgiving, more classic ride.

Choose the RNF 96 if you want timeless style, easy wave catching, and smooth speed. Choose the Pisces if you are ready to push into sharper, more vertical surfing. Either way you are riding a board with decades of refinement behind it. If you want to read more about the newer board, see our full guide to the Lost Pisces.

How Do I Care for and Repair the RNF 96?

The repair approach depends on which construction you bought. The RNF 96 comes in both traditional PU and Lost's EPS-based builds, and the two are not repaired the same way.

If you have the PU version, it is a standard polyurethane board with polyester resin and fiberglass. A normal polyester ding repair kit from any surf shop will work for small dings, and any repair shop can handle bigger damage.

If you have the LightSpeed or BlackSheep version, those use EPS foam with epoxy resin. EPS and epoxy need epoxy-based repair materials — standard polyester resin can react with the EPS foam and make the damage worse. For small scratches, use an epoxy ding repair kit. For anything deeper — a crack, a puncture, or damage through the outer shell — take it to a shop that handles epoxy and EPS boards.

Either way, you can bring it by Hawaiian South Shore and we will point you to the right fix. We carry ding repair kits and tools from Solarez and FCS for quick fixes at home. Send us a photo of the damage and we can usually tell you what it needs before you make the trip. Rinse the board with fresh water, keep it out of long direct sun, and use a board bag for travel, and any of these constructions will last for years.

Watch the RNF 96 in Action

Hawaiian South Shore has a full playlist of RNF 96 reviews and footage on our YouTube channel. You can hear from riders on the LightSpeed and BlackSheep builds, watch the board in real surf, and listen to Matt Biolos himself break down the design.

JJ reviews the RNF 96 in LightSpeed construction and breaks down the speed and pop of the build.

Matt Biolos walks through the story and design of the round nose fish that became Lost's best-selling model.

Watch all the RNF 96 reviews on our YouTube channel →

Frequently Asked Questions