What Boards Is Nathan Florence Riding These Days?

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jan 30, 2025 7:43 PM ET

The wave that Nathan Florence tries a fresh batch of Pyzels is not your typical testing ground. As often happens in this part of the world, the pros make Rockpiles look way too easy. It’s a shifting peak that demands sitting deep if you want a proper ride. The face goes from flat to vertical in a hurry, and try as we might, nobody turns here like John John Florence.

Nathan, John, Barron Mamiya and Italo Ferreira all take a crack at Rockpiles in the video below, which also served as a gear check for one of the biggest gearheads on the North Shore.

Nathan explains that it’s been a busy winter as far as board breaking goes. After winning the Vans Pipe Masters, he broke all of his 6’6” blades. When he borrowed a 6’6” and a 6’8” from his older brother for the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, he destroyed those too. “One I ripped the tail off, the other I just completely buckled,” he said. “Lots of casualties.”

Nate posted a quick glance at his new step-ups a few days ago. Above, he explains the 6’4”, 6’6” and 6’8” trio in greater detail. All have heavier glass jobs to better withstand the North Shore poundings. The latter two are Next Step models, reliable weapons to wield in the winter.

But one of Nathan’s more trusted yet less publicized models is the Tank. He’s got a new 6’4” ( 32.7 liters) which he says feels the best in a Pipe barrel. This is where the mastering of Jon Pyzel comes in. For Nathan’s boards, the shaper added volume without beefing up the rail, a key to Nathan’s tube riding. “These newer versions have as sharp of a rail as a normal Next Step, but all the volume is hidden here under the chest just for that paddle power.”

Expect to see more of these boards on the 2025 Slab Tour.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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