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CJ NELSON DESIGNS

CJ Nelson CHAMELEON 2+1 Fin (9'1 - 9'5) Thunderbolt Black

CJ Nelson CHAMELEON 2+1 Fin (9'1 - 9'5) Thunderbolt Black

SKU:143543

Regular price $1,580.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $1,580.00 USD
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Noseride. Turn. Repeat.

One board. Every condition.

CJ NELSON
CHAMELEON

Designed by CJ Nelson and Ryan Engle — not a log, not a high-performance board, but a perfect hybrid that does both jobs at a level most longboards can't reach.
How It Surfs
  • Performance rails and tuned rocker drive speed through sections and hold an edge on turns
  • Wide nose generates lift so it locks in clean when you step forward
  • Blended concave and hard tail edge release water on turns — it slices, not just pivots
  • Adapts from mellow trim days to punchy pocket waves without changing boards
Fin Setup
  • 2+1 Futures box — run it as a single fin for classic feel or add side bites for more drive
CJ Nelson calls it "quite possibly the most user-friendly longboard in the world today."
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CHAMELEON

The CJ Nelson Chameleon is a hybrid longboard designed by CJ Nelson and Ryan Engle to bridge classic logging and high-performance longboarding in one shape. It noserides like a traditional log and turns off the tail like an HP — built for the surfer who refuses to choose between the two.

WHO

The Chameleon is for the longboarder who wants a single board that can move between traditional and progressive surfing without compromise.

  • The traditional logger looking for a board that still tip rides cleanly but adds real response off the tail
  • The progressive longboarder who wants to noseride confidently without giving up performance turns
  • The traveling longboarder who needs one board in the bag that handles whatever conditions show up
  • The intermediate longboarder ready to step beyond a pure noserider into something more versatile
  • The experienced surfer building a minimalist quiver who wants one longboard instead of three

This is the board for surfers who want a real do-it-all longboard — not a compromise between two worlds.

WHEN

The Chameleon is built for the full range of longboard surf — clean peeling waves where you can step forward and trim, smaller days that need a board to generate its own speed, and stronger conditions with real shoulder where the performance rails and tail edge come into play. Its tuned rocker and blended concave keep it driving through softer sections, while the edge in the tail gives it the bite to hold a line at speed when conditions get more powerful. Hawaii's mix of mellower lined-up waves and bigger swell days covers the exact range this board is designed to bridge — which is why a true one-board longboard quiver earns its rack space here.

WHAT

The Chameleon's design story is in the blend. CJ Nelson and Ryan Engle started with a longboard outline wide enough to noseride — a wide nose for stability up front, length for paddle and glide — and then layered in performance moves usually reserved for HP longboards. Performance rails replace the soft 50/50 rails of a traditional log, giving the board real bite when you put it on edge. A tuned rocker keeps the nose from catching when you push into critical sections. Through the bottom, a blended concave moves water under the board and into a defined edge in the tail, which is what gives the Chameleon its high-speed control and its ability to slice turns rather than skid through them. The tail shape itself is built for predictable release on carves without giving up the hold that lets the board sit in the pocket on a noseride.

DIMENSIONS

CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS

Thunderbolt Red: Hand-laminated EPS foam core with internal carbon fiber flex components, layered with 6oz + 4oz fiberglass on the deck and 6oz + 2oz on the bottom. Tuned to a medium weight that blends the durability and liveliness of epoxy with the smooth, connected glide of a traditional polyester build — Thunderbolt's most popular and versatile construction.

Thunderbolt Black: Lightest and highest-performance Thunderbolt construction. EPS foam core with internal fiberglass flex components, hand-laminated with 6oz carbon fiber and 2oz fiberglass on both the deck and bottom. The quickest rebound rate in the Thunderbolt range, designed for performance-driven surfing.

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

Ā 

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Both setups work, and the choice changes how the board surfs. CJ Nelson's recommendation for a 2+1 setup is his 8.5" Performance Center fin paired with 3.5" Skylimit side bites — that combination keeps the noserides clean while adding extra drive and hold off the tail for performance turns. For a single fin setup, the Chameleon works well with CJ's Parallax, Involvement, or Power Flex fins; a 9.5" runs across all three sizes for the Parallax and Power Flex, and the Involvement runs 9" or 9.5" on any size, with the option to size up to a 10" on the 10'0" if you want extra hold. A lot of Chameleon owners switch configurations based on the day — single fin when conditions are clean and you want to step forward and trim, 2+1 when the surf has more size and you want the side bites engaged for harder turns.

Is the Chameleon a noserider or a high-performance longboard?

It's intentionally both, which is the whole point of the design. Most longboards force a choice — pure noseriders give up performance turns, and HP longboards give up clean tip time. CJ and Ryan built the Chameleon to bridge that gap. The wide nose, tuned rocker, and blended concave give it real noseriding capability, so you can step forward and trim with confidence. The performance rails and the edge in the tail give it the response of an HP longboard, so you can drop into a turn and hold a hard line at speed. Compared to a dedicated noserider, the Chameleon is quicker rail-to-rail and more responsive in turns. Compared to a pure performance longboard, it trims and noserides with more stability and forgiveness. It's not a compromise — it's a board that does both jobs well.

What size Chameleon should I order?

Chameleon sizing depends on your weight, your skill level, the conditions you surf most, and how you want to ride it. The 9'1" tends to suit lighter or more progressive riders who want the most responsive size, the 9'5" is the middle ground that works for the widest range of surfers, and the 10'0" suits heavier riders or surfers who want maximum paddle, glide, and noseriding stability. 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 Chameleon (more traditional noseriding or more performance), 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.