Puddle Jumper Reviews

From Hawaiian South Shore Customers!
Thank you all for your reviews!

The Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper is all that it is cracked up to be. I bought mine, wanting to have a groveler for really bad days, when the surf is tiny.
I’ve found my groveler board.

At 5’7” and 145 lbs, I usually get about 26 liters of volume for polyurethane boards. With EPS boards, I may dip down into the mid 24s. The 5’3” is the smallest stock Puddle Jumper available with 28 liters of volume. I figured I wanted more volume for small days so it would be perfect. The outline has a really wide template, but pulls in with a winged squash, and a lot of planing surface area. Rocker is pretty flat.

Because of the wider tail, I figured it would work better as a quad. I’m currently using the Julian Wilson’s up front and Creature of Leisure, small rears. I took the board out in basically waist high to head high high surf at Concessions and Diamond Head. It worked great! It’s probably a better board for Diamond Head Cliffs. It’s easy to catch waves, and gets going pretty quick. One of the days was a little windy and bumpy, but the board seems to shock absorb really well, and there is no chattering like the Tuflite Surftech boards. There is remarkably good flex, and you really can jump on it like a trampoline. You do get a little pop out of the flex from this board.

The 1^st day I took it out, it was really shallow, and scraped the bottom a little. It didn’t penetrate to the core, which is closed cell and will not absorb water. It is damn hard to ding, but dingable.

The board turns really well and easily. The plane shape allows it to do floaters really easy, and free up the fins. Two of my friends in the lineup have also sworn by it. One commented that it is harder to go vertical on the board. I suppose this might be true, but you can certainly make the board go vertical. Put it this way, it is the most performancy groveler I’ve ever surfed.

With regards to the Libtech technology, I think it is the real deal. I also have a 5’10” Vert with 25.5 liters of volume. On better days, this board works pretty insane. The combination of durability, flex, and now available shapes makes these boards pretty enticing. They make great travel boards, as they are the toughest boards to ding that I have ever surfed, including Tuflites, Firewires, Resin X, Hydroflex Boards, Hayden Shapes FiberFlex and Regular PU boards. By the way, I bought my Vert used from local north shore shaper Chris Reid. His comment regarding the Libtech technology was that if he could make all his boards in this technology, he would. He was pretty sold on the tech in terms of performance and reproducibility. It is possible to get a magic board every time and replace it if you needed to. Unfortunately, you can’t have your local shaper pop you out a board in this technology or get a custom. But, chances are you can find one that’ll work for you with the current stock dims that they have.

The main complaint I’ve seen is with the fin plugs. They do offer a little more versatility in where the twin tab FCS fins can be placed, but it’s sometimes hard to line these up symmetrically. On my last session, one of my buddies lost one of his fins as it just randomly popped out of the plug. Personally, I’ve just tightened the screws a little more and haven’t had any problems yet.

I don’t think I’ll take this board out over head high, but I’ve definitely found my board for small days, or slopey waves with large crowds. For $760, I think it’s actually a steal. The board is super durable, and the price is comparable to or a little cheaper than most Firewires, Hydroflex boards, and Hypto Kryptos. I’ve been told the board has been selling like hotcakes, and I am not surprised. I would recommend it for everyone’s quiver. I would go a little over your average volume, and use this board basically for those days when it’s tiny.

5’3” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: SPENCER CHANG, M.D.

 Only tried it for one day, July 26, I tore my left rotator cuff surfing and testing the board out that day and I didn't get back into the water till yesterday, August 21. So far the board is working great for the short time I've gotten to ride it. Matt did a great job working the front rocker making the board pickup waves with ease yet able to take some steep tak-eoffs. Loose yet good bite on the bottom turns and quick release at the top. The board is FAST but with the double wings/steps it holds and I seem to be able to get into better positions for the tube, what a pleasant surprise! Been small so I haven't really pushed the envelope but what it has shown me so far I'm just biting at the bit to see how it will perform in slightly larger waves. Yea I'm stoked! 

Happy to send the review I sent before: I was really stoked on the board. Alas, I have sold it, as I'm not a big fan of wide tail blocks on my boards right now. Also, it overlapped with a 5'10" Scorpion I really enjoy. Overall the Puddle Jumper was fun, but just not a board I am keeping in my quiver. 

The board goes REAL good. Ran it with a set of FCS Thruster GMB's on a kinda smallish onshore day out at the beach park. Paddles like dream probably because of all that volume this thing has. Easy to stroke into waves with this thing too. Once up, board had lot of drive, pop, and snappy-ness off the top. It even didn't mind being put on rail either. I wanna get my quad GMB's on there and see how that goes. Just 1 session on this thing and I like it already. 

BY: GARY S.

  Board is light and durable. Great groveler board for small days. I feel like I can get on the tail and a get a nice carve through the turns. I'm 5'4" 140lbs and the 5'3" Lost Libtech feels like it floats me just right.

5’3” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: TYLER O.

  5'5" Lost/Libtech Puddle Jumper: Rode it at 1/2ft - 4 ft waves at Shallows, Marine Land, Straight-Outs, Bowls and Diamond Head. I was surprised how well it rode in good waves. It obviously works well in smaller not so good waves. But, for a fuller small wave board, it was pretty maneuverable and controlable even in slightly overhead waves. It never really felt "clumsy" in good waves like a lot of other small wave Boards do in good waves. This board actually Has a bit more volume than I normally ride, but doesn't really feel like the board is too big. It's been a really long time since I've been this stoked about a new board. The extra durablility is a big plus too.  

5’5” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: ROYCE F.

  5'11" LibTech Lost Puddle Jumper. Surfed as a quad, with Mayhem FCS with VS knubster. Only got so surf it once so far, but I had a good time. Surfed it at Rock Piles/Bowls area, waist to head high. I'm more a chill/cruisey type than flashy/powerful surfer. Overall happy with purchase. 

Wished it came in slightly larger size, not that average rider needs it but because I'm out of shape and wanted more paddle power. Fin boxes are a little ugly/goofy because the FCS tabs don't fit the space, but doesn't affect performance negatively as far as I could tell. Was able to adapt to board quickly, easy to ride, first wave I was up and going no problem. Wax seemed to come off of board quickly, didn't have problem while out but where my chest was and where I put my hands to dive/pop up were almost all gone at end. Unsure if it's just because of board maybe not being "clean" when applied or material of libtech construction. Used stickybumps base coat and tropical wax. Good float, lightweight, paddles like a larger board, duck dives fine, quick ride. Despite overall low rocker/wide nose, kick in nose can handle steeper drops, never had problem pearling. Felt stable and controllable, holds well when riding even though fuller rails, wide and ridden as quad. 

Lib Tech construction is high quality, extra peace of mind not worrying about minor dings etc.

5’11” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: MARTIN H.

   5'7" Libtech Lost Puddle Jumper Great board for smaller waves. Easy to stroke into waves. Fast and loose, pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

5’7” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: JASON K  

   Easy to catch waves, bottom turns great and holds good in the pocket. Loose
at the top and cutbacks are easy and quick. Can take some pretty steep drops and it's really fast due to the hard turn down rails. Matt Biolos did a great job setting me up with several of his design recommendations! Great job Matt!

BY: MATTHEW H.

   5'5" Libtech Puddle Jumper. Surfed at Kaisers, Kewalos, Queens, Bowls, and Makapuu. The board is incredible. I've had an instance where a guy dropped in on me and ripped out my fin and the board was fine. Except a little chip by the fin box but that did not affect the board. The ride is really fast and turning is no problem with a thruster setup. Really love this board!

5’5” Lost Libtech Puddle Jumper Review
BY: CHRISTAN V.

   Aloha guys!  Here's some feedback on the Puddle Jumper I picked up on my birthday last month. Had it out for 5 sessions. 

Works best for me as a Thruster. When you go to reset the board after a big turn, the combo of the wings and the thruster make it snap back and power to the next maneuver. As a quad it was just too loose at that critical moment for my taste.  The name Puddle Jumper suits this board very well. I am making flatter sections I definitely would not make on another board. When you give this thing gas, it really takes off. When it's on a rail, there is a ton of power you can tap into. The wide squash tail, at speed, on a big turn is a little tough to complete, but I just have to really mean it, and no issues. 

I've found that the skin of the board is really grippy when it's wet, not slippery like a tufflite surftech board. Great for duck diving, not so great if I rub my leg or arm down it...got rug burn on my leg. Minor adjustment after the second session, but interesting thing. Overall I'm super stoked on the board, thanks!!!

BY: BRIAN F.

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