PARALLAX PLUS

The CJ Nelson Parallax Plus is a classic long hull longboard built by Thunderbolt Technologies, inspired by the board Nat Young rode during the summer of 1968 at Malibu. Designed by CJ Nelson and shaper Ryan Engle, it pairs the speed and flow of a traditional hull with more rocker, a wider tail, performance rails, and a 2+1 fin setup — the smoothest and most maneuverable longboard in the CJ Nelson lineup.

WHO

The Parallax Plus is for the longboarder who wants the speed and connection of a classic hull design with enough modern refinement to surf it in almost any condition.

  • The progressive longboarder who wants a fast, flowing hull ride without the old-school quirks of a pure single-fin
  • The traveling longboarder looking for a one-board quiver that handles everything from knee-high glass to overhead power
  • The surfer stepping back onto a longboard who wants a board that's forgiving to learn on but deep enough to grow with
  • The experienced hull rider who wants a proven shape updated with a wider tail, side bite options, and tamed entry roll
  • The all-around longboarder who wants a single board for noseriding, trimming, and drawing real turns off the tail

This is the board for surfers who want classic hull feel with the versatility to handle whatever the ocean delivers.

WHEN

The Parallax Plus covers a remarkably wide range of conditions for a longboard — that's the entire point of the design. In smaller, softer surf with clean peeling lines, the hull bottom and mellow entry rocker let it glide into waves early and carry speed through dead sections that would stall most longboards. When conditions step up with more size, push, and wall, the added rocker and wider tail give it the control to handle steeper faces, and the side bite plugs let you add grip and drive for committed turns. It also handles choppy, wind-affected water better than most longboards in its class — the internal carbon fiber flex components dampen vibration and keep the board tracking instead of skipping off the surface. In Hawaii, where one day can bring glassy summer lines and the next can bring solid winter swell with bump on it, that kind of range earns its spot on the rack.

WHAT

The Parallax Plus is built around a displacement hull — the design Nat Young rode at Malibu in 1968 that changed how surfers thought about speed and flow on a longboard. CJ Nelson and Ryan Engle kept the core hull DNA but made three deliberate updates to tame the old-school quirks. They added more rocker so the board handles steeper wave faces without catching. They tamed the hull roll in the entry so the board tracks more predictably from rail to rail instead of searching for its line. And they widened the tail while adding down/edge rails through the back, which shortens the rail line for tighter turns and gives the board real release off the top. The fin setup is a 2+1 — one center fin box plus two side bite plugs — which lets you ride it as a pure single fin for flowing, classic longboard surfing, or add the side bites for extra grip and drive when conditions demand it.

DIMENSIONS

CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS

Thunderbolt Red: Thunderbolt's all-around-performance construction. Hand-laminated EPS blank with internal carbon fiber flex components and a 6oz/2oz fiberglass cloth layup on both deck and bottom, built stringerless and vacuum-bagged. Tuned to a balanced medium weight with a medium rebound rate — versatile, user-friendly, and predictable across a wide variety of conditions.

Thunderbolt Black: Thunderbolt's lightest and highest-performance construction. Hand-laminated EPS blank with internal fiberglass flex components and a 6oz carbon fiber + 2oz fiberglass cloth layup on both deck and bottom. Quickest rebound rate in the Thunderbolt range — designed for surfers who want the most responsive, performance-driven feel this hull shape can deliver

FIN CONFIGURATION

2+1 Fin. Fins not included

SHIPPING INFORMATION

Surfboard Shipping

We can only ship boards purchased from the shop at this time due to Cargo policy.

Due to handling requirements, surfboards are shipped with specific protocols and fees.

a. Oahu Store Pickup

HAWAII SURFBOARD SHIPPING RATES

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS:

āž¤ Alaska Air Cargo

(All Size Boards)Ā Ā - ETA Usually in two days (Boards can be picked up from the Alaska Air Cargo Airport from 7AM in the morning, a day after the board has been sent out.)

Please ensure we have your correct email address on file. Alaska Air Cargo sends pickup notifications exclusively via email; they do not provide phone alerts

NOTE ON STORAGE CHARGES

  • Stations in the states of Alaska and Hawai'i, operated by Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo: Storage fees will be assessed after five days, excluding weekends and holidays. Minimum charge: $40 per day
  • Stations outside of Alaska and Hawai'i, operated by Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo: Storage fees will be assessed after 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. Minimum charge: $40 per day

JAPAN SURFBOARDS SHIPPING

āž¤ Door to Door

CONTINENTAL USA: SURFBOARD SHIPPING

FedEx Door-to-Door Shipping 🚚

  • Boards up to 6'0": $75 flat rate to any Continental US address
  • Boards 6'1" to 8'0": Contact us for door-to-door quote
  • Delivery: 3-5 business days

Air Cargo Shipping (For boards over 8'0") āœˆļø

2-day delivery to major airports

Important:

  • Airport pickup required within 48 hours
  • Must show government ID for pickup
  • Let us know your travel dates - we'll time the delivery
  • Storage fees apply after 48 hours

West Coast Cities (2-day delivery)

Los Angeles (LAX)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

San Diego (SAN)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

San Francisco (SFO)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

Las Vegas (LAS)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

Portland (PDX)

  • Shortboard: $155
  • Mid-Length: $205
  • Longboard: $215

Seattle (SEA)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

Salt Lake City (SLC)

  • Shortboard: $155
  • Mid-Length: $205
  • Longboard: $215

Central & Mountain Cities (2-day delivery)

Denver (DEN)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

Chicago (ORD)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

Minneapolis (MSP)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

St. Louis (STL)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

Detroit (DTW)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

Houston (IAH)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $245

East Coast Cities (2-day delivery)

New York (JFK)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

Boston (BOS)

  • Shortboard: $110
  • Mid-Length: $110
  • Longboard: $125

Philadelphia (PHL)

  • Shortboard: $165
  • Mid-Length: $225
  • Longboard: $255

Washington DC (DCA)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

Baltimore (BWI)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

Atlanta (ATL)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

Miami (MIA)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

Orlando (MCO)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

Tampa (TPA)

  • Shortboard: $170
  • Mid-Length: $220
  • Longboard: $250

South Carolina (CHS) Connecting Flight via SEA

  • Shortboard: $225
  • Mid-Length: $250
  • Longboard: $325

Questions? Contact Us:

šŸ“ž Call/Text: (808) 597-9055

šŸ“§ Email: sales@hawaiiansouthshore.com

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2 products

Frequently Asked Questions

What size Parallax Plus should I order?

Parallax Plus sizing depends on your weight, skill level, the conditions you surf most, and how you want to ride the board. Heavier or less experienced riders generally lean toward the 9'6" or 9'9" for stability and paddle power. Lighter or more experienced surfers often pick the 8'10" or 9'1" as a balanced all-around size. The 7'10" and 8'3" suit smaller riders or anyone who wants hull-inspired flow in a more maneuverable package. The right answer depends on the full picture, so contact us directly and we'll help you dial it in:

When you reach out, include your current board dimensions and volume, how you want to ride the Parallax Plus (more traditional single-fin hull feel or more performance 2+1 versatility), the type of breaks you surf most (beach break, reef break, point break), how often you surf, and your location — location affects shipping options and helps us give you accurate delivery information.

What's the difference between the Parallax and the Parallax Plus?

The original Parallax is a pure single-fin hull design — fast, connected to the wave, and best in cleaner, smaller surf. The Parallax Plus keeps the same core hull DNA but makes three updates: more rocker, so it handles steeper wave faces more easily; tamed hull roll through the entry, so it tracks more predictably from rail to rail; and a wider tail with a 2+1 fin setup instead of a single fin box. Ryan Engle, the shaper, describes the Plus as the smoothest and most maneuverable longboard in the CJ Nelson lineup — the original hull feel preserved, but usable across a much wider range of conditions and accessible to surfers who aren't committed single-fin hull riders.

Is the Parallax Plus a longboard or a mid-length?

Thunderbolt and CJ Nelson both classify the Parallax Plus as a longboard across the full size run, even though the 7'10" and 8'3" sizes have proportions that overlap with mid-length territory. The shape, hull bottom, wide nose, and 2+1 fin setup are all pulled from longboard design — so the board rides like a longboard regardless of which length you choose. That said, the smaller sizes paddle and pivot more like a mid-length, which makes them a good fit for surfers who want hull-inspired flow in a shorter, more maneuverable package, or for smaller riders who need a longboard-style ride without the bulk of a full 9'6" or 9'9". Pick the length based on your weight, your skill level, and the surf you ride most — not based on whether you'd call it a longboard or a mid-length.

Should I ride the Parallax Plus as a single fin or as a 2+1?

Both setups work, and the right one depends on the day and how you want to surf. Run it as a pure single fin — a 9.5" or 10" center fin — when conditions are cleaner and smaller and you want the classic hull feel: long, drawn-out turns, easy trim, and that flowing Malibu-style ride the design was built around. Add the side bites and run it as a 2+1 when the surf has more size, more push, or more wall to work with — the side bites add grip, drive, and control off the tail, which lets you commit to harder turns without losing hold. Many Parallax Plus owners switch setups based on the forecast. For the smaller boards (7'10" and 8'3"), sizing down on the center fin tends to work better than running a full 9.5" — a 7.5" to 8" center fin with matching sides keeps the board feeling balanced underfoot.

How does the Parallax Plus differ from traditional longboards in speed and maneuverability?

The Parallax Plus balances longboard glide with mid-length agility.

While traditional logs prioritize stability, users note the Thunderbolt carbon fiber construction enhances responsiveness and control, allowing tighter turns without sacrificing paddle power.

The Parallax 2.0 felt "more refined" than older models, suggesting incremental performance tweaks.

What fin configurations work best for different conditions?

A 2+1 setup (single fin + side bites) is ideal for overhead waves, providing drive and hold, while a single fin maximizes flow in smaller surf.

The 2+1 in larger waves for versatility. Parallax fin offers a balanced pivot point for rail-to-rail transitions.

Is the board effective in small, mushy waves?

Yes, its wide nose and flat rocker help generate speed in weak waves, though the carbon fiber construction’s stiffness might require adaptation.

The Parallax model was a daily quiver in varied conditions, indicating reliability in softer surf.

Is the Parallax Plus suitable for intermediate surfers?

Yes. While advanced riders can exploit its performance range, intermediates benefit from its stability and forgiveness.