Pyzel Shadow.

The design details

The outline puts the wide point at centre rather than behind it, which is unusual for a high-performance shortboard and gives you a wider, more forward-drawn board in a sleek package. The nose is pulled in by almost half an inch with extra rocker added through the last twelve inches, keeping the board free through critical turns. A gentle hip adds sensitivity and looseness, and the squash tail is pulled in a touch to tighten the turning radius and improve vertical surfing. The foil is the part that sets it apart: volume sits slightly forward of centre, adding paddle power and giving you extra float under your front foot through slower sections, which translates directly into speed and flow.

How to size a Shadow

• Your height, or up to an inch over.
• Your favourite high-performance dimensions for width and thickness.
• No need to add volume the way you would on a small wave board, since the foil already puts foam where you need it.
• Want a second opinion? Use our board advisor or call the shop.

Who it suits and where

Pyzel positions the Shadow as a board that will lift intermediate surfers while still bringing out the best in advanced ones, and that holds up. It handles beach breaks, points, reefs and even slabs, with a working range from around waist-high up to well overhead. For UK surfers that makes it a genuine one-board option for most of the year, unlike the Ghost, which really wants the good days. When it drops below that, the Red Tiger or Gremlin is the better call, and the Radius Prime is the more traditional performance outline if you prefer the wide point behind centre. Compare across the shortboard collection.

Fins and set-up

Thruster is the standard configuration and suits the pulled-in squash tail. A medium to large template gives hold through carves, and quad or five box versions are available on custom orders if you want the option. Browse Futures fins or FCS fins depending on your boxes, then add a tail pad, leash and board bag.

Made in the UK

Ocean Magic is the UK licensed manufacturer for Pyzel, so the Shadows on this page are shaped and glassed in our Newquay factory. If your dimensions are not in stock, we can build a custom Shadow in four to six weeks, and it is worth checking the sale first.

Is the Shadow good for intermediates?

Yes, and it is one of the few genuine high-performance shortboards we would say that about. The forward foil and extra paddle power make it far more forgiving than its outline suggests.

Shadow or Phantom?

Phantom if you want maximum ease and glide on average days. Shadow if you want a sharper, more precise board that still copes with everyday conditions.

Shadow or Ghost?

Ghost when the surf is solid, powerful and worth the specialist board. Shadow for everything else, including plenty of days the Ghost would handle fine.

Do you ship Pyzel boards across the UK?

Yes, dispatched within 48 hours, 30-day returns, Klarna available.