Fuller, with the focus moved back
The outline is slightly plumper than a conventional HPSB, with the wide point sitting around an inch behind centre. This keeps the emphasis on surfing the board from the mid to back half.
Pyzel Red Tiger XL Surfboard
PYZEL SURFBOARDS · DAILY DRIVER
The Red Tiger XL
A fuller-stocked version of Pyzel’s flat-rockered High Performance Shortboard, built to generate easy speed in weaker waves without giving up performance when the surf turns on.
High Performance 1–8FT Thruster · Quad · 5-Fin
The Red Tiger XL
High-performance speed for the everyday wave.
The Red Tiger XL retains the Red Tiger’s performance design, with stock dimensions intended for bigger, stockier surfers or surfers looking to progress by riding a shorter board.
The result is a High Performance Shortboard with a slightly fuller outline than a traditional HPSB. The wide point sits around an inch behind centre, keeping the emphasis towards the middle and back of the board, while the wider squash tail provides lift, drive and pop.
Pyzel describes the Red Tiger XL as its flattest high-performance shortboard rocker so far. That flatter rocker creates easy, consistent speed from the moment you stand up, through flatter sections and even in super-weak small waves, while the bottom contour and tail vee keep the board responsive and easy to turn.
Wave Range 1–8FT
Pyzel lists the Red Tiger XL for waves from around 1ft through 8ft.
Rocker Medium High
The Red Tiger XL uses a notably flat rocker for an HPSB, helping generate consistent speed.
Bottom Single → Double → Deep Vee
Single-to-double concave through the front two-thirds blends into significant double concave and deep vee through the fins and tail.
Fin Setup Thruster · Quad · 5-Fin
The Red Tiger XL is supplied with options for thruster, quad and five-fin configurations.
“
Flat rocker for speed. Vee through the tail for turning. A performance board designed to make average waves feel much better.
Bob Gnarly The Red Tiger XL · Editorial Take
What makes it work
Flat and fast. But far from flat in the turns.
The Red Tiger XL's biggest point of difference is its rocker. Pyzel describes it as the flattest HPSB they have produced, using that flatter curve to generate speed in weaker surf.
Area, lift and release
The wider squash tail maintains area in the tail for lift and drive, while also helping create pop when going to the air. A moderate hip ahead of the fins creates a pivot point for tighter turns and release in the lip.
Speed without the sticky feeling
Single-to-double concave through the front two-thirds helps prevent the flatter rocker from feeling sticky, before blending into significant double concave and deep vee through the fins and tail.
The Shape
A flatter HPSB with serious turning response.
Pyzel balances the Red Tiger XL's flatter rocker with carefully worked bottom contours, a slightly fuller outline and a tail designed to maintain lift and release.
The front of the board is slightly thinner than the back, while the flat-ish deck keeps more foam towards the rails. The rails themselves are full just in from the outline but taper towards the edge to retain sensitivity and bite.
Category High Performance Shortboard
Wide Point Approximately 1" behind centre
Rocker Very flat / lowest HPSB rocker in the range
Bottom Single → Double → Deep Vee
Deck Flat-ish with volume carried towards the rails
Rails Full just inside the outline, tapered for sensitivity
Tail Wider squash with moderate hip
Fin Options Thruster, Quad and 5-Fin
Why the Red Tiger XL?
Performance speed without needing perfect waves.
The Red Tiger XL is intended for surfers who want the Red Tiger’s speed and performance character with more generous stock dimensions. Pyzel also identifies it as an option for less experienced surfers looking to progress to a shorter board.
Its flatter rocker gives the board easy, consistent speed from the moment you stand up, while the single-to-double concave and deep vee allow it to roll from rail to rail and turn vertically without feeling sticky.
That combination makes the Red Tiger XL unusual: it is designed around average and weaker waves, but its geometry is still aimed squarely at high-performance surfing.
Who is the Red Tiger XL for?
A daily-performance board for waves that aren't always pumping.
Keep your HPSB speed in weaker waves
The Red Tiger XL is designed to maintain high-performance characteristics while making speed easier to generate in smaller and weaker conditions.
Built to get moving quickly
The unusually flat rocker is the key to the Red Tiger XL's speed, helping it accelerate from take-off and continue carrying speed through flatter sections.
Still ready when the waves turn on
The bottom contour, tail vee and tapered rails keep the board responsive enough for tighter turns, vertical surfing and short-arc carves.
Sizing
Red Tiger XL dimensions.
These are the stock Red Tiger XL dimensions published by Pyzel. Compared with the standard Red Tiger, the XL offers more width, thickness and volume at similar lengths.
| Size | Width | Thickness | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5'4" | 18 5/8" | 2 1/8" | 23.1L |
| 5'5" | 18 7/8" | 2 3/16" | 24.4L |
| 5'6" | 19" | 2 1/4" | 25.5L |
| 5'7" | 19 1/8" | 2 5/16" | 26.7L |
| 5'8" | 19 1/4" | 2 3/8" | 27.8L |
| 5'9" | 19 3/8" | 2 7/16" | 29.2L |
| 5'10" | 19 1/2" | 2 1/2" | 30.5L |
| 5'11" | 19 5/8" | 2 9/16" | 31.8L |
| 6'0" | 19 3/4" | 2 5/8" | 33.2L |
| 6'1" | 19 7/8" | 2 3/4" | 35.3L |
| 6'2" | 20" | 2 3/4" | 36.0L |
| 6'4" | 20 1/4" | 2 7/8" | 39.0L |
| 6'6" | 20 3/4" | 2 15/16" | 41.8L |
| 6'8" | 21" | 3" | 44.1L |
Inside the Red Tiger XL
The Red Tiger XL in context.
Red Tiger XL · Design Story
Jon Pyzel and John John Florence discuss the Red Tiger design and its performance goals.
Red Tiger XL · Pyzel Board Story
Explore the design thinking behind a board built to generate speed in slower, weaker surf.
Two useful tools
Know your volume. Then build your Red Tiger XL.
Find your guide volume.
Start with a recommended volume range, then use Pyzel's Red Tiger XL sizing advice to establish a useful starting point for your dimensions.
Find My Volume →Build your Red Tiger XL.
Take your guide volume into the Bob Gnarly Pyzel Board Builder and explore the available Red Tiger XL options.
Open Board Builder →Bob's Take
A proper performance board for the days that aren't quite firing.
The Red Tiger XL takes the Red Tiger design and packages it in a roomier stock-size range. They've taken the fundamentals of a high-performance shortboard and deliberately flattened the rocker to create easier speed.
The wider tail and moderate hip maintain lift and drive, while the single-to-double concave and deep vee stop the flat rocker from making the board feel dead or difficult to turn.
For the UK surfer, that makes the Red Tiger XL particularly relevant. The model is explicitly designed for 1–8ft surf and for conditions that are less than pumping or on the weaker side.
Pyzel recommends riding the Red Tiger around an inch shorter than a normal high-performance shortboard and a little wider. Volume should be close to your normal performance board, with an additional ½–1 litre suggested for extra speed in weaker waves.
Ready to build?
Build your Red Tiger XL.
Start with your guide volume, then head into the Bob Gnarly Pyzel Board Builder and build the Red Tiger XL around the dimensions and setup you're looking for.
BOB GNARLY SURF
Find Your Ideal Surfboard Volume
Tell us a little about yourself and how you surf. We'll give you a recommended volume range to help you find your first or next board.
Use this calculator as a rough guide only. Volume isn't everything. If you're unsure, hit the 'Live Chat' below and we can help.
01
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02
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Choose the description that sounds most like your surfing today.
03
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This helps us account for paddle power and how much support you may want from your board.
04
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Think about the conditions you're most likely to encounter.
YOUR RECOMMENDED VOLUME
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